new cook...?

Question

If someone was hoping to start cooking, what things should they do first?

Answer 1

The ability to cook well is more about developing good technical skills then it is about following recipes. Recipes always come with the admonishment of "caveat emptor- let the buyer beware. Some recipes are well written and actually will work. Other recipes are badly written and do not work or if they do work they require skills that a lot of people don't have.
So watch out for recipes.
The first thing you.should do is buy a good chef's knife and learn how to use it properly
In time it will become an extension of your arm and greatly reduce your prep time.
The next thing you should do is have a goal of make simple food perfectly every single time.
Learn to make perfect omelette's , perfect pasta a perfect roast chicken
Once you get the basics down then can expand outward.
Make food that you like to eat and more importantly know what it should taste like.
Most importantly have fun. You're going to screw up on occasion , we all do. Learn from your mistakes and keep going.

Answer 2

Browse through your local bookshop until you find one or two (no more) books that start with the absolute basics, so they'll probably have names like 'for beginners' in the title. Check that they tell you the equipment you'll need (and that there isn't a lot of it) and that it's written for the country you're living in (measurements and temperatures etc. differ from place to place).

Then look to see whether it's just a collection of recipes, or whether it actually tells you what's happening - as a matter of physics and chemistry - when you cook. There used to be a great book that did this (Philip Harben's The Grammar of Cookery) but it is long out of print. But it's best if you know *why* you're doing what you're doing.

Finally, browse through the chapters and see if they make sense with the way you live. For example, do you want a book that's sorted into different kinds of ingredients? Or would you be better off with a book that's sorted into 'simple, complex, posh ...' There even used to be a book that was divided according to how many cooking rings you had.

Then take it home and find three or four relatively fool-proof things to cook (usually casseroles - the only way you can ruin a casserole is to burn it) and grow your confidence from there.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Save/collect your favorite recipes, have the proper cooking tools/utensils and jump right in. Experience is the best teacher. If you get stuck, ask questions here & folks will jump in. I watch cooking shows as often as I can. There's always something new to learn. Good luck & have fun.

Answer 4

Learn from someone whose cooking you really enjoy. Have them teach you how to make one of your favourite meals -- if you enjoy what you're cooking, you'll be likely to do it more often!

Above and beyond everything else, keep it simple!

Answer 5

If you are serious about it take a class first....or find someone who knows how to cook and offer him or her your help...

Answer 6

get the proper cooking equipment and utensils.
get a starter cookbook.
get the proper ingredients.
cook with confidence.

Answer 7

decide on what simple recipes you would like to start with,make sure you understand the recipe fully,gather together required ingredients & utensils,if you are prepared for mistakes as you go along,get started,if you are still hesitant have a friend prepared to guide you if you call .

Answer 8

buy some simple recipe books n try cook simple meal first.or u can always learn it from others.or start by helping ur mom or friends,n learn from them

Answer 9

well learn to cook, get cook books, and get ready to spend money...

Answer 10

start with the basics. learn how to wash foods properly and cut them up, proper storage, and perishable time.