How can I become a better cook?

Question

I love to cook but I want to become a really good cook and become better at it. What is a good way to become one?
What recipies should I follow, I find Kraft recipies to have a lot of steps and be complicated. What are good recipies for dinners and desserts? What recipies have you founf that work for you?

Answer 1

Being a better cook takes several steps. You can take some classes in a specific type of food, you can purchase cookbooks that look interesting, you can peruse the internet and find all sorts of things that make cooking interesting and taste good too. Personally, I think that being a good cook is about being passionate about the culinary arts. You don't have to be a fancy cook, or a gourmet cook even, but when you cook with love and interest, your foods will automatically taste wonderful and the folks you are feeding will think you are awesome!

Answer 2

Loving to cook is going to take you far. When I first got married (over 20 years ago), I barely knew how to boil water. Keep trying new things. If you have someone experienced to ask, that also helps. Keep your eye open in different magazines because a lot of articles and ads will have simple to follow recipes. Maybe keep a journal of steps you use that work out, until you get more familiarized. There is also an old cookbook that has very simple recipes in it that I used to have and I think it was called "The American Encylcopedia of Cooking." Many packages will also list recipes or websites. Eventually, you will learn to figure out ingredients in some of the things you eat, and don't get discouraged if things don't work out the first time around. If you have friends online, that's a great way to exchange recipes as well. Good luck.

Answer 3

There are a lot of options fro becoming a better cook. Classes, experimenting with new recipes, watching cooking programs. One of the best things you already possess. the love of cooking and the desire to be even better. One of the best suggestions I can give to you, when you are in the kitchen and don't know what to make, play. Seriously. I have some favorite recipes and from time to time, I don't have all of the ingredients, I substitute or just look at what I have and start tossing things together. I've learned to tell by the smell if I need more seasoning and I use spices and fresh veggies to flavor dishes instead of all the salt. Just have fun.

Answer 4

I use www.allrecipes.com My hubby always loves to remind me how when we first moved in together he was a better cook than me and all I could do is make french toast and microwave pizza.
This website is perfect b/c you don't have to just hope the recipe is worth making and pray it looks like the picture and tastes good.
Every recipe in there has been reviewed and rated, so you see before you make it what 10 or 300 people think of it. So the secret is just picking things that have the 5 star rating, which is the highest.
I have got incredible recipes off of there and now make all the time. I never thought i'd be able to make a lasagna better than my italian husband! lol. They have EVERY thing from quick and easy to gourmet recipes. Almost everything you think of is on there, so you should give it a shot.

Answer 5

The main thing is practice, to know your oven (how long you need to pre heat it and how long it takes to cook a particular dish)

When reading a recipe understand what can be omitted or substituted.

Start with simple dishes to get the knack, and sometimes a well cooked simple meal will be the best.

Remember a simple dish can be spiced up at the table with a dash of this sauce or that.

As a cook we have never had it easier with the range of sauces that can be bought at the store.

Why bust a gut to make a satay or chili, Mexican Asian sauce when it can be prebought.

My guess is that you will get some really complicated recipes in your answers

In the army we were taught KISS

Keep
It
Simply
Stupid

Answer 6

Don't laugh... When I first married my husband, I couldn't cook to save my life. I could manage spaghetti and jarred sauce and that's about it. Then he went on deployment for around 7 months, and I watched A LOT of Food Network--I even fell asleep with the stuff playing on the television. Weirdly enough, it worked! To this day, I tell people I learned to cook thruogh osmosis.

A good all-purpose cookbook (like Better Homes & Gardens or The Joy of Cooking) is a fantastic reference--it has explanations and tips for everything from making self-rising flour to how to cook various vegetables and meat cuts.

Answer 7

Believe it or not, I have really improved my cooking skills by watching some of the shows on the food network. I usually keep it to shows like Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, the Barefoot Contessa. Some of the other shows cook things that my family would never eat. You can look up great recipes on Food Network.com and All Recipes.com.

Answer 8

Find a good cookbook. Something like the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Books like this have "special helps" sections and also have pictures of cuts of meat and stuff like that. When you are not cooking, and have a little time, read these sections. You will learn the meanings of food terminology and will enjoy cooking more and more as you learn.

Answer 9

follow recipes! i was a horrible cook until this past year! yep i'm admitting it! you see i had to cook as early as 6yr. old for my little brothers. and i really had to teach myself. when i'd ask how to cook something my mother would say"you've watched me...now go cook it." lol i'm not kidding! anyway up until last year i realized i cook like a 10 yr old cooks. lol just winging it! so finally i decided to get some good cook books at 1/2 price books and i follow the directions. things are tasting alot better now! and i dont think this revelation would have occurred if it wasnt for the foodnetwork. so thanks to them i'm cooking well.

Answer 10

Lots of school districts offer community education classes at night on cooking. They are usually very inexpensive and taught by local catering professionals and chefs.