Every child in our family could put a meal on the table for the whole family by the time they finished elementary school. Male or female, made no difference. Both my parents enjoyed cooking, and passed that enjoyment to us, which I am sure our respective spouses appreciate. My eldest neice and nephew have been trained that way as well, and I am sure all subsequent ones will be.

For bridal showers for people who did NOT grow up in my family, I usually make sure to include a paperback Fanny Farmer cookbook. It defines everything, cooking terms, etc., and always has. It is invaluable for a beginning cook of any age.

The good part about learning to cook? The results are usually edible - and if not, at least then you know what NOT to do! A dear friend once brought muffins to work, handed one to me and said "Tell me what's wrong with it!" Took a bite, the flavor was okay, just the texture kind odd. She had stirred them into submission, not necessary for muffins!