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Not a parent, but my take on this is that the things that are exciting to you at age 18 aren't exciting ten years later, let alone 30 yrs later. To you, it's a big deal that you've learned to cook and certainly you have exciting plans and maybe some worries about your future that you want to discuss. But to an adult, sometimes cooking is something to get through to have dinner on the table and the concerns about the future aren't so much about whether work is exciting or fulfilling but rather about holding onto a job, dealing with day to day office issues, making the mortgage, or figuring out what to do if the 401k is sinking. It's not that she doesn't care about the things that excite you, it's that she no longer has the idealism that you have as a high school or college student so it's hard for her to share excitement on a daily basis about a new recipe, an interesting book etc. It's the same way that I loved a particular sport as a child and knew everything about it; I still enjoy following that sport but am not particularly interested in having a child recite to me every stat, every player etc. -- I have less time on my hands now and I have other concerns, whether I voice them or not.
That being said, you can have those deeper conversations with your parents or with other adults, but it's about picking your moments. It's hard to force those discussions on a daily basis, but next time you're both sitting around over a long dinner -- ask questions; example -- ask her what it was like starting out in her career, and then share with her your concerns. Some (most) people cannot give advice in list format; it's easier to listen to their experiences and learn from them.
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