need general cooking advice from wise women....this is really starting to get me down!!!?

Question

ok i admit i was brought up a little spoilt and my mum always cooked for me then my ex always liked to cook so ive only started to cook recently with my bf of 6 months. i love to bake cos thats structured and easy but im struggling with cooking and its really getting me down. im such a perfectionist and i hate that all the new stuff im trying out doesnt come out perfect first or second time round! i tried making a big breakfast for my bf on sunday and the fried eggs burnt to the pan, the mushrooms were not cooked...etc. i tried making a pasta bake and that was crap..i feel sorry for my bf as he has to endure this all! was it like this for you when you first started to cook or is it just me being a big failure in this? any tips? thanks. :-(

Answer 1

My best recommendation for you would be to log onto :
http://www.videojug.com/tag/food-recipes
I send everyone I know to this site, and they come away with a great knowledge of cooking.
It talks you through every stage of cooking what you want, on a video and gives you the ingredient which to buy.
Put it in your favourites then you will be able to refer to it when ever you want to know how to cook something.
Good Cooking!!

Answer 2

It's always hard to "learn" how to cook when you haven't really done it before. First of all, when your boyfriend comes home tonight tell him you love him for putting up with all your kitchen disasters, and don't worry, everyone has them.

Try making simple things. And try not to do too many things at once. If you want to make breakfast, cook the meat first and keep it warm by putting it in a low oven (around 200 degrees). Then you can concentrate on making the eggs without distraction. Making scrambled eggs is always easier too so maybe try those first, while you get the hang of the oven and the temperatures it cooks at. Biggest mistake most novice cooks make is cooking everything too high so turn down the temp. Medium is usually a pretty good place for most things. Also make sure your egg pan is non-stick.

For dinners, try making pasta. Pasta is always super easy. You can make an easy pasta sauce by cooking some onion and garlic in a saucepan (over medium), when the onions are soft add a can of diced tomatoes. Bang! Pasta sauce. You can always add hamburger or another meat (garlic sausage is good) to it as well. Then you just cook your noodles and toss it together. If you're cooking meat, consider cooking it in the oven. It's usually quicker and you're less likely to burn those pork chops than if you were frying them in a pan.

Remember, simple is always better. You can take all your favourite ingredients and turn them into a casserole. If you like lasagna but it seems daunting, try making noodles, hamburger, pasta sauce (canned is good too) and cheese. Throw all ingredients in one pan and bake for half an hour. It still lasagna, but more like "lazy man's" lasagna.

Ask your mom, too. I'm sure that she'd love to help you out, give you some pointers and recipes that she has. She knows your abilities and will be able to pick out things that you can do.

Don't get discouraged. Once you get a few good meals under your belt you'll start to have a lot more fun in the kitchen. The main thing is learning how to control the temp on the stove (always better to cook something a little slowly than too quick) and how to put flavours together. You already know what you like to eat so you can start trying to recreate those dishes in a more simple way. And every great cook always has kitchen disasters, so don't worry. As long as it's "somewhat" edible, you're all good!

Answer 3

Don't be so hard on yourself, honey. Cooking well is an art that can only come from practice. I remember having the same hard times myself, many years ago. Just try not to cook the eggs too fast and I would saute the mushrooms in butter before starting the eggs. If you are scrambling the eggs, a certain amount will remain stuck to the pan sometimes. If you stir them more, less will stick. Use a little cooking spray and it will help. As for the pasta bake, I have no clue. That is something I don't even cook. It sounds as if your heart is in the right place though, so just keep on trying and learn from your mistakes. There are all kinds of cook books you can acquire and that will help you bunches. Hang in there and know you are not alone. The skills will come with practice.

Answer 4

Spray your pan after it is heated right before you put in the food or it will burn.

While baking in a glass dish NEVER add cold water to the hot dish. (I forgot this one time and had to order pizza that night because I had glass all in the food and in my hot oven.)

Instead of trying to get it right the first time around take a day (or more) to practice. Try different things. If something doesn't turn out right think of what could have been wrong and try again. If you really get stumped as to why it didn't turn out right send us another question maybe we can help.

Try not to make something for your bf that you haven't practiced with first.

Make sure you own a meat thermometer and use it every time. You definitely don't want food poisoning.(That could put a real damper on your relationship)

Maybe you could spend a day with mom cooking a big meal for dad and bf(or whom ever you decide to invite).

As far as being a big failure every woman has had to throw away a masterpiece that went wrong. No real reason to worry there.

If you want gourmet and want to spend money then you could take some cooking classes.

When cooking omelets cook everything except the eggs then add the eggs last so you don't over cook the eggs or under cook everything else. A lot of things are like this you have to figure out what is going to take longer to cook and add the ingredients accordingly.

Answer 5

If you want to learn how to cook, subscribe to Cook's Illustrated magazine. They explain to you how they got the best result, what kind of tools/pans they uset, etc. It helps when you don't understand basic cooking principles. They explain a lot of cooking methods and why they used them.

The trick to cooking is to watch everything (especially on the stove top). Don't leave anything unattended until you have a better feel for what you are doing. Even when you are baking, set the timer to go off a little early and check to make sure it's not already cooked, in case your oven runs hot.

Always follow the recipe, but don't beat yourself up. A lot of 'celebrity' recipes were created in a professional kitchen and were never tested on real, regular people. They may not be that great in any kitchen. You are better off to try recipes from a good Jr. League or other charity cookbook because those women have carried those prepared dishes to many a function, and were prepared in an average kitchen with average pans and average tools.

Answer 6

No one is a good cook when they first start cooking, that's just part of life. But you can bake and some of the best cooks in the world can't bake anything. I fall in that category too.

Breakfast actually isn't an easy meal to make, lots of things can go wrong, The way I learned to cook was start simple, Pasta, then go to meats, hamburger, steaks pork chops, things you can fry up. Once you learn timing, the clock in your head will tell you when things are done.

Nothing about cooking is perfect, if you are a perfectionist forget about cooking, go to the CIA (culinary Institution of Arts) and take up Culinary Arts to learn to cut and cook perfect, not everything looks like it does on the food network, and nothing ever looks like it does on the box.

Get a job at a restaurant if your really interested in becoming a great cook, the more you learn to cook, from people not books, the better you are with books.

Answer 7

I'm taking some offense to this "wise women" question hehehe.
Everyone knows that men are the best cooks :) Hands down.
Look at any chinese restaurant and mostly any restaurant in america there is always a guy in front of the broiler or wok.

But at any rate, you just need to keep practicing. Get a nice 8 or 10 inch NON STICK pan (preferrably vollrath) and cook your eggs in that. Spend a couple saturdays watching foodtv. You'll get some good knowledge from that.
If you are putting mushrooms in your eggs, put some butter in the pan first and saute the mushrooms in that, THEN put the eggs in.

I worked in hotels/restaurants from the age of 15 to 22. So that was how I gained my knowledge.
Check out this site for good equipment to work with in the kitchen:
http://www.equippers.com

Also, you might find a fun cooking school to attend, like the one they have at "sur la table". If you ever have any questions about how to make anything, feel free to im or email me.

Answer 8

Hon, you've got great intentions and that's going to help you learn to cook and bake. Start simply. You can search online for recipes that look easier to make. Look on www.foodnetwork.com or www.allrecipes.com (as a start).

I grew up cooking and baking but still have found that the Betty Crocker Bridal Edition cookbook that I got as a wedding gift is a good reference to have. The directions are simple enough that even my husband shows more interest in cooking when he reads a recipe. Go to a bookstore and look through several cookbooks. There are sure to be some that you will 'connect' with and feel comfortable using. Ask family and friends to share their easiest recipes because you want to cook for your sweetheart. Before you start a recipe make sure to read through it first to make sure you have the ingredients and understand what you need to do.

Your man will appreciate your efforts. Ask him to be honest with you about what you are fixing but take note of your own tastes as well. If you want spaghetti one night, don't try to make a homemade sauce but use a jar sauce and add a couple of your own special touches (a sprinkle of Italian seasoning for instance). When you make a recipe and find that there are things you would change then make a note in the margin. Before long, you'll feel comfortable with the basics and want to start trying recipes or techniques that at first you would have stayed away from.

Have fun and don't see this as a chore but something creative to enjoy. Hope this helps.

Answer 9

Here are some visual cooking videos, you can watch and learn since I can't come help you!!...Browse the recipes and click on them. they will walk you through wait for the commercial to end. http://video.about.com/food.htm
You are making things harder than they really are cause your nervous! You are not a failure, we have all been there. It will come in time, you will find your niche. But as far as perfection you should loosen up about that cause no one is! We will help: as far as eggs you probably had the heat to high and need a little oil. no biggy. Let the oil get heated before you put the eggs in. If scrambling, break em in a bowl, get your pan med hot, pour the eggs in, turn it down. to make an omelet just let the eggs get somewhat done then pile all you ingredients on on flip one side over Don't cook it on high heat!

Answer 10

You know what, it's okay to struggle with cooking. I rather enjoy baking, like yourself, because it's, as you say, 'structured'. Cooking can be structured too. Just look around for a simple cookbook. Make sure that is specifies beginner, because there are some cookbooks that are just down-right difficult. :(

A great tip is to cook together with your boyfriend. I have included links to a few cookbooks for you as a beginner, and also for the two of you. Not only does cooking together help to strengthen your relationship, but it also gets a meal that you both created, and dims down the 'guilt' for making a bad meal thing that's going on.

Truly, all you have to do is laugh. Try new recipes, take pictures of the finished products and scrapbook them. Make notes on what you changed, and what you want to do better in. :)

Just remember, you aren't the only one in the world who has trouble cooking. Just keep swimming!

Just try your best, and don't give up. I'm quite proud of you that you came for help and I know you can do it!

Answer 11

First, buy a good cookbook - Joy of Cooking is great because it will cover just about anything.

Start with easy recipes and practise on yourself. You can't cook eggs on high heat ... so know your stove and start on low heat and turn it up and WATCH WHAT YOU ARE COOKING!

Once you have decided what you want to cook - try something simple like a soup or stew or chili - sit down and read through the ingredients. Make a list of what the ingredients are and make sure they are on hand.

One of the most important things you learn as a training chef is "mis en place". That means that when you begin to prepare a dish you need to have "everything in place". If your recipe requires one chopped onion, a tablespoon of chopped garlic, 1/4 cup of olive oil, etc. measure our your ingredients before you start to cook and they will be ready when you need them. This allows you to focus on the cooking.

My husband and I try to cook together at least once a week. It's great fun!

That's my best advice to you - be prepared.

Good luck.