Wrangham (2009) in his exegesis on how important cooking is for humans said 'even vegetarians thrive on cooked diets. We are cooks rather than carnivores' (p, 53). Everyone at some time in their lives will prepare food and/or consume food prepared by a loved one, eat food at a special event. All this emphasises the relevance of this special issue which contains papers from key academics and practitioners on the subject of cooking and cooking skills. Food is pervasive in our lives necessary for health and sustenance but also performing a social and cultural role. We use food for identity and to distinguish ourselves from others. The subjects covered range from those dealing with the distribution of skills in the population, cooking skills as part of public health interventions, through to measurement issues and the delivery of educational programmes in settings such as schools and communities. Authors are drawn from a broad range of professions involved in; promoting cooking, public health, health promotion community development, home economics, nutrition, professional chefs, as well as the views of the public.