Cooking is science. It's not only useful but quite interesting, especially when experimenting. Most guys I know do know how to cook and often make better tasting food than women. I'm at a point where I can cook something with nearly any of the ingredients that are available. It is time consuming however, especially when making everything from scratch. If you want something quick and easy then Chinese style stir-fry with Indian spices is a good choice. Get a mandolin slicer to speed things up.