Start Simple

[Stock Pot]

When I first got serious about cooking I tried to make fancy recipes. Some came out good , most not so much. Then I learned to dial that back, concentrate on basic skills, recipes with a few basic ingredients, etc. It made a big difference. I don't even have to think much now about how to cook a steak to a perfect medium-rare, how to mince an onion, how to make tasty basic sauces like Marinara, pan sauces for meat, a roux, etc. So that's my advice. Master the basics first, then move on.

 

[rodentraiser]

I wish I could have done that. My cooking skills were nil before I started cooking, so I had to master basic skills and cook food I cold eat all at the same time.

 

[Cheryl J]

When I first got serious about cooking I tried to make fancy recipes. Some came out good , most not so much. Then I learned to dial that back, concentrate on basic skills, recipes with a few basic ingredients, etc. It made a big difference. I don't even have to think much now about how to cook a steak to a perfect medium-rare, how to mince an onion, how to make tasty basic sauces like Marinara, pan sauces for meat, a roux, etc. So that's my advice. Master the basics first, then move on.

Hi, Stock Pot! Mastering the basics is very good advice for beginning cooks.

Also, if I could add to that, preparation is key. Having all the ingredients you'll need pre-cut, measured, and set aside once you begin cooking is so helpful - and a sinkful of hot soapy water sure doesn't hurt. Cleaning as you go makes for a much more enjoyable meal if you don't have to face a kitchen full of dishes to be washed afterwards.

If I have several things to chop and spices and seasonings to measure, I just use a big platter instead of individual little bowls, but I'm usually only cooking for one so this may not work for a big family. Best wishes to you and good to see you!

 

[Aunt Bea]

Another vote for the sink full of hot soapy water, clean as you go!!!

When I started cooking I had to do that because I had very little cooking equipment to work with. These days I find myself heading back to that same situation as I continue to downsize!

Also head for the internet, YouTube, etc... to find help and inspiration. Check out the videos of DC's regular contributor James Strange, great instructional cooking videos and recipes!

 

[Andy M.]

When I first "got into" cooking, I ran out and bought a cookbook. I chose a recipe and read the instructions. The first sentence was, "First, make Roux.". I didn't even know what a roux was. I returned the book and bought a more basic one.

 

[CWS4322]

Every thing I cook starts with basics. Then I play. I don't follow recipes. I cook based on what's in the pantry/fridge/freezer. But the flavour profile follows the classic rules.

 

[GotGarlic]

My best advice for new cooks is the book "Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques 100 Recipes A Cook's Manifesto," by Michael Ruhlman. He describes the basics, including mise en place (everything in its place - initial preparation as Cheryl described) and thinking through what you want to achieve.

From http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/09/cook-the-book-ruhlmans-twenty.html

The first technique that Michael Ruhlman introduces in his latest cookbook, "Ruhlman's Twenty" is simply titled "Think," because in his words, "Thinking in the kitchen is underrated." Ruhlman wants us to stop blindly following recipes, in an A plus B equals C, kitchen robot kind of way, and start thinking about the hows and whys that make recipe work.

In order to better understand these hows and whys, Ruhlman has introduced 20 fundamental techniques for today's kitchen in his latest volume—Think, Salt, Water, Onion, Acid, Egg, Butter, Dough, Batter, Sugar, Sauce, Vinaigrette, Soup, Sauté, Roast, Braise, Poach, Grill, Fry, Chill—all of which are not only tackled in typical Ruhlman straight-talk, everyman science but illustrated with a set of recipes that puts each technique into action.

And it's also illustrated with gorgeous, mouth-watering photos of cooking in progress and finished dishes. Love it

 

[CWS4322]

Another vote for the sink full of hot soapy water, clean as you go!!!

When I started cooking I had to do that because I had very little cooking equipment to work with. These days I find myself heading back to that same situation as I continue to downsize!

Also head for the internet, YouTube, etc... to find help and inspiration. Check out the videos of DC's regular contributor James Strange, great instructional cooking videos and recipes!

The first thing I do is empty the clean dishes out of the dishwasher so that I can put dirty dishes in as I go. I wash all veggies, etc. first so that I can then fill the sink with water to rinse dirty dishes. I prowl at night--my Dad snacks before he goes to bed and never puts his dirty dishes in the dw--they are always in the sink. I run the dw once I get those last dishes in.

 

[HeidiCooksSupper]

And do remember that somebody else's easy-basic may be your Waterloo. I can't make a pie crust to save my soul but throw together loaves of bread at the drop of a hat. My mother made fantastic pies but such lousy cakes we put candles on birthday pies.

YouTube is a great resource for videos that demystify how to do things. I used to joke that when I cut up a chicken the only thing clear was that the chicken lost the battle. Then I watched the video on how to butterfly a bird on the Weber Grill site and now I even can quarter a turkey with no problem.

 

[Addie]

I learned the basics of cooking from my mother. She contacted polio as a child, and standing and walking with her brace was difficult for her. So she would sit at the table and prepare the foods. Then she would have me get the right pan out of the shelf where the pans were with the cover.

"Put some oil, not a lot, just enough. Okay, now add the onions and cook them until they look like the are done. Now add the meat and brown it. Don't forget to stir everything as it is cooking."

This is how my mother taught me to cook. She would prepare and I would stand at the stove and follow her directions. Every so often she would ask for a small taste. "Put a little salt in there." She would walk and guide me through it step by step. Our oven didn't have a thermometer. I learned to tell if the oven was hot enough by sticking my hand in it. To this day I can still tell if the oven is ready for my cake.

Then one day her brace broke. She tried walking without it. She walked better without it than with it. She never wore it again. In fact, she tossed the broken brace in the trash. But I still helped her with the cooking. It was one chore I loved doing. And still do. I miss not having all my kids here to feed.

 

[Stock Pot]

That's a beautiful Mother's Day story. Brought a smile to my face.

 

[Sagittarius]

I had learnt to cook from my Grandmothers and my Mom years ago. I also have an uncountable collection of books and for novices, a good suggestion is to check these out:

Joy of Cooking - Irmas S. Rombauer
The Cake Bible - Rose Levy Bernanbaum
How to Cook Everything - Mark Bittman
The 7 Series Cooking Basics for Dummies
Le Cordon Bleu Basic Techniques
The Paul Institut Bocuse
The School of the late, Mey Hoffman in Barcelona: Hosteleria de Mey Hoffman

When I was attending university in Barcelona before going to France to do my Masters in Tourism & Hospitality, The La Boqueria Market, the Main Market of the City, they provided and still do, cooking demonstrations on their products. This was an extraordinary experience.

I studied Hospitality and Tourism, which also had numerous elective selections of a wide variety of cooking courses.

So, with all this, I was well prepared.

Due to my profession, I am a Tour Operator, and so I could work 1 week in a row for example. be off 1 week or be travelling for 3 days 2 nights or 7 days 6 nights and during the summers, 14 days 13 nights ..

Then I am off 1 or 2 weeks during off season and do short 2 day 1 night trips only at weekends or do Retired Senior Citizens and Students mainly from the U.K. and USA.

So, though I enjoy, it is impossible to do while I am working.

 

[Addie]

That's a beautiful Mother's Day story. Brought a smile to my face.

Thank you. I am the only surviving member of my family. No siblings, aunts, uncles, etc. Of all of them, I miss my mother and sister the most right up there with my youngest daughter. My mother and I were very close. When I got married I lived only a couple of doors from her. She still had to cook for my father, so I continued to help her with her cooking. she would play with the grandchildren, while I did her cooking. We were very close and I would sit and play cards with her at the kitchen table. I haven't played even Solataire since I lost her.