how do i learn to cook?

Answer 1

trial and error. or cooking classes.

Answer 2

I learned to cook by trying a recipe and then improving upon it. You get the recipes and basic cooking tips from online and in recipe books, and from family and friends. Simple is best. Learn a few basic dishes first. Throw some chicken in a baking dishes and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes until the juice run clear/insides are white not pink. Add some seasonings beforehand, any kind of herb rub, add a little moisture (water or wine) and keep it covered to lock the moisture in. Serve with a salad and garlic bread or whatever you know how to do (using easy, store bought sides at first is fine, it helps you concentrate on the new, main dish). You need some basic pots and pans and utensils. A good pot, a fry pan, a glass baking dish. I started for some reason with salisbury steak, and I have not made it very often again...I used too many pots and pans.

Try simple things that do not involve too many dishes. Buy a PRECOOKED ham, throw it in a shallow roasting dish, cover it with foil or a lid, add a little water first or later on, esp if it seems to be drying out, and cook about 15 minutes per pound at a preheated oven (325) until a meat thermometer (a good investment starting out...it helps you not overcook things and avoids undercooking) says it is at least 135 degrees. Throw some broccoli in a pot of boiling water (you usually only need enough water to cover the veggies barely) and let them steam a few minutes (cover on or off) until they are very green and they are soft when poked by a fork. Melt velvetta cubes in a saucepan and drizzle over the veggies if you prefer, or melt some cheddar over the broccoli in the microwave. Wrap some potatoes in tin foil, individually, and bake in the oven until the insides have cooked. Add sour cream. You have an easy meal right there that is filling and will boost your confidence. Try spaghetti, pasta salads, lasagna, tacos and fatijas, and other easy dishes first (follow a step by step recipe and you will not go wrong). Chicken is cheap and easy...I love boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You should learn a few simple dishes and then become more adventerous. I really don't know how to cook much, but I know a LOT more than I did four years ago. Dozens and dozens of more dishes. Yet there are many things I have not tried yet (I have never baked a pot roast or a turkey for example, pretty simple things). Seriously, get a few basic kitchenwares and a thermometer and don't feel bad if something burns or doesn't taste perfect. It takes trial and error like anything else.

Answer 3

COOKING CHANNEL. I leared how to cook when I was 11 just by wathching the cooking network. Not only do they teach you tricks and techniues, but they also give you fabulous and easy recipes. I would suggest watching 30 minue meals. Rachel Ray is such a helpful cook and will teach yuo everything you need to know. Also Micheal Smith from Chef at Home is awesme aswell. I am 15 and I know everything there is to know about cooking for my family!

Answer 4

When I was 11 years old, I had my mom show me. She was a terrific cook, and I learned a lot from her. The main thing to remember is...when frying, use a little oil, keep fire at medium stage, turn the food about every five minutes or so, to keep it from burning. When food is light golden brown, it is probably done. Most cook books can help you to.
Go to a book store...I'm sure they have a book called
.."Cooking, for Dummies"... they have books in other subjects in this series, so I'm sure they have a book like that.

Answer 5

Pick out the recipes that you want to learn to cook, buy the ingredients, and follow the directions.

After awhile you will learn what spices taste good with what foods. Then you will learn to add other things to your recipes to make them suit your taste. Experimenting with the recipes is fun once you learn how to do it.

Answer 6

try allrecipes.com. if you follow the directions properly, it shouldn't be that hard. i didnt know how to cook either but i learned through following recipes from there. you could also take cooking classes. another thing you could do is go over to one of your friend's houses who knows how to cook well and ask them to give you cooking lessons

Answer 7

Cooking shows are great. I recommend buying "The Joy of Cooking". It does not have pictures but it has recipies for everything. It's a very comprensive cook book that explains EVERYTHING. Also, you can buy name brand cook books which are very easy to follow.

Answer 8

I Want to Learn to Cook -- How Do I Begin?

Beginner cooks come in all ages, ranges of intellect, motivations, and genders.

The decision to learn to cook is important. Once you acquire control over what you eat, you'll reap multiple benefits: eating food you make yourself costs less and if you learn well, your dishes will taste great and sport a good nutritional profile.

Yet for all the sound reasons to learn, the excuses and imagined pitfalls of cooking come fraught with anxiety. What if it burns? What if the courses aren't timed right? You're positive you're not a "natural" at cooking. Knives seem big and dangerous. You hate chopping onions. You prefer life when it has no dirty dishes.

If you've tried cooking before and gave up, you may have started in the middle. Rather than attempt a TV chef's beurre blanc over duck breast with fruit coulis, better start with first things first -- with the Eight Immortal Chores.

These eight tasks are the underbelly of cooking. They've very unglamorous and make cooking seem like a lot of chopping. Well, cooking is a lot of chopping. But if you chop an onion like a pro, then chopping onions won't faze you in the slightest ever again.



The Eight Immortal Chores Are...
1. Chopping onions
2. Mincing garlic
3. Slicing mushrooms
4. Seeding and chopping tomatoes
5. Peeling potatoes
6. Washing lettuce for salad
7. Preparing carrots and/or celery
8. Mincing parsley
Over the next couple of months, we'll get to all of them. This month, we're starting with -- gads -- the onion.
To chop an onion, you'll need a cutting board and a chef's knife about 6 to 8 inches long. Do not be afraid of big knives. A large knife is safer than a small knife. When the blade of a knife is longer than the diameter of an onion, it will be able to cut the onion completely in half. Why cut an onion in half? Because it is round and rolls all over the place -- and this isn't safe.

Halve the onion by cutting it through its "poles," meaning from the root (the hairy end) through the opposite end. (The onion also has an "equator" around the fullest part of its middle.)

Place one of the halves on your cutting board, flat side down. Notice that this piece will not roll.

Peel off the papery skin down to the first white layer. You are now ready to slice.

With your dominant hand holding the knife, use your other hand to steady the onion. Situate this hand (let's say it's your left hand) so your left pinkie rests near the root. Curl the fingertips under just enough to allow the naturally-formed flat section of fingers -- between the first and second knuckles -- to literally touch flush with the knife's blade. Holding a piece of onion with your fingertips will seem awkward, but you'll fall in love with the idea that it's a lot less awkward than cutting off a finger. Spend five minutes moving the knife up and down as it rests on this flat section of the fingers.

Now, position the blade so the point is aimed at the onion's root as it rests between the knuckles of your other hand. Slice down, going to, but not through, the hairy end. Keeping the root intact helps the slippery layers of onion stay intact, too. Continue making cuts all the way across the onion piece.

Next, turn over the knife blade so it's parallel with your countertop. Place your left palm on the onion, wrist over the root, and hold the onion steady, keeping fingertips up. Draw the knife through the onion in horizontal cuts. About three cross-cuts work well. You'll be able to see that your knifework has formed a grid.

Finally, return the knife to its original slicing position and go back to the top of the onion. Slice down, through the grid -- and look! -- chopped onions will be falling on the cutting board on the other side of the knife.

When you get down to the root and the piece is too small to hold steady, stop. It's OK when you first begin to chop onions to toss this little piece down the disposal. Take the second half, and repeat the process.

The better you get at chopping onions, the quicker you'll get it over with, and move along to more delicious ends. Even very pungent onions will have little effect on you, because you'll be finished chopping before the first teardrop falls.

Answer 9

While you're first starting out, I would suggest getting some cookbooks for kids. The recipes are pretty basic and still tasty. Once you've mastered those then you can progress to more complicated ones.

Answer 10

Its pretty simple... take a cooking class.

Answer 11

Possibly take lessons in basic cookery skills.

You can also buy really good step by step basic, beginners cookery books.

If you follow the recipes carefully you should succeed.

Good luck!