Are there ways to become a "good cook" without so much TRIAL & ERROR?

Question

Tips, people! I NEED TIPS! lol

Answer 1

Being a "good cook" is just combining a lot of individual skills into one finished product. The best way to get there is to start with easy recipes, learn to do them well, and then move on to increasingly more difficult recipes.

Think of playing the piano...a beginner starts with scales...not Mozart. Same concept!!

If you want to make dishes that appear more complex, try using recipes by Rachael Ray or Sandra Lee. They both use ready made ingredients in their recipes to make cooking them easier. As you become more comfortable and accomplished...you can begin making the ready made part, too.

I like the Food Network database for recipes. Almost anything you want to make is on there, and they have several variations rated by difficulty level. So, if you want to make bread pudding, there is an easy recipe from Sandra Lee up to an expert recipe by Bobby Flay. Start with an easy one, and work your way up.

Anyone that wants to be a good cook, can. It just takes practice, but that doesn't mean bad meals. It means matching your meal to your skill level and always challenging yourself to increase your skill level. You will get faster at preparation with practice (so you can include more ingredients). You will get better at sensing when things are ready for the next step (so you can do 2 things at once). Once you have mastered some basic skills, you will start understanding "what foods do" when you cook them...so you can "tweak" recipes and make them your own. Cooking can be a lot of fun...don't sabatage yourself by selecting things that require several skills you haven't learned. .Try to do one new thing at a time!!!

Best Wishes to you.

Answer 2

Think the big 4 and plan around them!

Colour
Flavour
Texture
Nutrition

Some tastes/textures work well together and some just don't! Usually you can sort them out using common sense, e.g If you're making an Italian meal, things that will work are tomato, capsicum, basil, parsley, garlic etc..... but not corriander or cummin or coconut cream.

If you burn a sauce or stew or soup, add plenty of parsley, it absorbs the burnt flavour.

If it's too spicey, add sugar, it dulls the heat a little.

Use cookbooks by all means, but after the first time or so of making a recipe, start adapting it to what you already have in the house and what you think it would taste good with / without.

Think of the tastes you already have and the tastes you have available that you COULD add.... usually you will experience a sense that this could work or that would be disgusting!

Enjoy the ride, Cooking is a fantastically fun creative way to share yourself with others.

Answer 3

Yes, there is a fantastic resource out there called Fine Cooking. It references tips of the trade-Industry short cuts which will make your life a lot easier and you don't have to pay for culinary school like I did. Its a magazine. Also-check out America's Test Kitchen. It airs on a public station-where I live, but I'm sure they have a website..http://www.americastestkitchen.com/
They have a book also. They test recipe's , equipment, cooking times, how to perfect things..etc..etc (It's a great resource) Besides, I don't know what specificly you need help with, so using the america's test kitchen and getting a monthly subscription to Fine Cooking will definately help you skip the downfalls.
Good luck..but seriously-check out the america's test kitchen website. It's fantastic, not only for the "At Home Cook" but for "Industry Professionals" too!

Answer 4

A good easy to use cookbook. Betty Crocker has about the best, easy to do, simple recipes. I mean nothing bad by this but maybe you should try to see if there is a "cooking for dummies" book. They have some great stuff in those books.

Answer 5

Start with a good cookbook. I love my Better Homes and Garden one from the fifties. Then you might consider taking some cooking classes. You can get them at Whole Foods grocery stores or some community colleges.

It also helps to have good cookware.

Answer 6

A good cookbook, following detailed steps.

This will keep the "ERROR" part of the "TRIAL & ERROR" equation less pronounced.

But practice makes perfect -- you'll find that near perfect is pretty darn good too.

A "good cook" is one who can put out a "good" product even when errors are made.
A "good cook" is often a "recovery specialist."

You need to just jump in.

Answer 7

No one comes out of the gate being good

my sis-in-law attempted gumbo the otherday and melted the spoon into the food (HILARIOUS)

Just take it all in stride

Hint: use a metal teaspoon during cooking and taste the food lightly durring cooking, still time to fix it. after it cools the flavor is locked in

Answer 8

Yeah! Check out Tastefully Simple! It is convenient and unique gourmet foods for people that cant cook! I love it. Just add some of their spices, make some soup, or one step beer bread. Everyone will think you are a chef!!
Good luck!!

Answer 9

i read cookbooks i've been cooking for over 30 years and i still have some flop's and some recipes sound good and they are not quite as good as they sounded so you have to change them to your own taste i get kraft magazines in the mail every month they have so simple & easy recipes ! practice!!

Answer 10

Oh hunny you cant cook huh...
you poor thing, you know that men say your only half a woman if you cant cook. Oh no did I just say that I;m sooo bad.
Well hunny just keep your mouth shut and you'll do fine.