Learning through Cooking: Problem Solving. While problem-solving skills are not taught directly in the classroom, they are part of everyday life building skills. Again, it is important to provide children real world examples and some rationale behind their thinking from cognitive, developmental and culinary arts perspectives. Food preparation is an opportunity to apply problem-solving concepts to real-life situations. This skill in the kitchen is a necessity when it comes to working with fewer ingredients, having limited availability of food sources or even restricted time due to everyday life challenges.