How can I learn to cook?

[msc545]

I never learned to cook and the few times I have tried it things did not go well. I need to learn - but - what is the best way to do that?

[dynamicyandere]

You can learn with one recipe at a time, and one cooking methodology at a time, starting with the simple ones.


Pay attention to the principles you’re learning because may lessons from one form of cooking or recipe can carry over to the next. (e. g. Learning how to cook X will give you a better idea about how to cook Y.)



There’s a lot of online tutorials for all sorts of recipes and various kitchen skills.


You can start with something simple like boiling.


Examples:
* Hot Tea
* Instant Coffee
* Instant Ramen
* Oatmeal
* Hard Boiled Eggs
* Soft Boiled Eggs (slightly trickier)


Then you can learn basic kitchen skills:
* How to use a kitchen knife
* How to use a cutting board
* How to sharpen a knife
* How to crack eggs
* How to whisk
* How to peel potatoes
* How to wash vegetables
* How to wash/gut meat
* How to marinate


Then you can add basic frying recipes:
* Scrambled Eggs
* Frozen Breakfast Sausages
* Sautéed Onions
* Sautéed Garlic
* Sautéed Bell Peppers


As you become proficient with one thing, it builds on top of the other, until you have an arsenal of skills and can start combining things together.


(E. g. Scrabbled Eggs + Breakfast Sausages + Coffee)


Then slightly more advanced…


Perhaps like an omelet, with melted cheese, and sautéed veggies, seared meat, cooked in hot butter, and topped with thinly chopped scallions.


(All possible with understanding chopping, seasoning, and frying different types of food.)


And once you get a good grasp of the fundamentals you can start testing and experimenting with different combinations to perfect your recipes and cooking methods. 👌

[OfMiceandMen]

Pick some simple recipes and master those first. Like boil and egg for 12 minutes, crack it open chop it up, add to bowl, add a bit of green relish, a 1/3 cup of mayo, a dash of pepper-salt and mix together. You got egg salad. Slice some bread and you have sandwiches.

You don't like egg, substitute some cooked ground chicken and you have chicken salad sandwich. Start small, and once you get better look for more challenging recipes.

[TacosRAwesome]

You tube. I like chef John, babish, and a few others.

[ArrowheadSW]

I would say to think of what you'd like to cook and then watch YouTube videos on it.

[DryGermanGuy]

Simple recipes plus frozen items. Pretty much every meal I cook is done in 15-20 minutes.

Base: Rice, potatoes or noodles, in pot 1

Vegetables: Either a frozen mix or what I bought fresh, in pot 2

Topper: Meat or fish, in a pan

[exitseven]

I started cooking a few meals when I was unemployed. Start off with the basics. I made fried fish one night and cut potatoes into disks and fried the whole thing.

I made a standing rib roast with vegetables. I also baked my own bread. Admittedly the bread needs some work. An oven stuffer might be a good place to start.

[lightbulb27]

just do it, lookup recipes get them from people who cook, learn some skills, probably upgrade your pans.

I have some recipes in my head if need some.

then do some singles group gatherings and enterain.

[msc545]

I can never even find the stuff I need in the market to actually try to make anything.

[lightbulb27]

like what? buy a fish and some oil, cook in pan wih some salt, put lemon in it:)!
Lasanga, that's more work...
by god, your italian, it's in your blood...:)

[FilmGuy93]

You can take community classes. There are also beginners’ recipe books that you can try

[goaded]

There are many, many cookbooks and online tutorials, but you could start easy by just reading the instructions on packets of rice, pasta, and so on.

[goaded]

Bear in mind, many recipes don't mention salt (seasoning) or don't say how much, because they assume you already know.

If you're boiling pasta or potatoes, the water should be about as salty as sea water, because you're going to throw away the water. Cooking rice (2 parts by volume water to 1 part rice, in a saucepan with a good fitting lid), you simmer (gently boil) until the water is absorbed, any salt in the water is what you're going to be eating.

You can make a nice meal just cooking rice and mixing in tinned or frozen veg, like peas or sweetcorn. A bit of butter adds to the flavour.

Experiment, practice, have fun. If you're going to cook for someone else, follow a recipe with no substitutions, and don't forget the rest of the meal (I once cooked a fabulous chilli, but forgot to cook any rice to go with it).

[KrakenAttackin]

If you can read, you can cook. Buy a copy of the "The Joy of Cooking".

[iSensei]

On YouTube i guess