Learn Cooking by Yourself

Cooking can be an intimidating task. Whether you are single and on your own, or you are a teenager preparing to move out, cooking is an invaluable skill to have. Cooking at home can not only save your wallet from spending on fast food and take out, but it can also make a difference in your waistline, as home-cooked meals are typically healthier and more filling than fast food or otherwise processed food. To begin cooking on your own, you need to get a few simple supplies, master the basics, and practice consistently.

Steps

Getting Supplies

1. Secure cooking utensils. Cooking utensils range from high-end, fancy cookware, to simple items, such as wooden spoons. To start, you do not need to go all-out and purchase hundreds of dollars’ worth of items. Instead, get the basics, such as a whisk, stirring spoons, a metal spatula, and a scraping spatula.
2. Get basic pots and pans. A quick walk down a grocery store aisle will reveal a plethora of pots, pans, and gadgets designed to make cooking easier. Ignore all of this, and start with the basics, including a stock pot, a saucepan, and a griddle. These three items will take care of most of your cooking needs.
   • You can change these basics to suit your needs. If you plan to make small amounts of food, for instance, you can probably get by with a single pan that has high walls, rather than a separate stock pot.
3. Purchase measuring cups and utensils. Recipes require precise measurements, so measuring cups and utensils are an absolute must. You only need one of each, as you can wash as you cook, but make sure you have a full set of cup measurements (¼-1), as well as a full set of measuring spoons. For ease, you should also get a glass measuring bowl that goes up to at least two cups.
   • Some recipes require cooking utensils to be aluminum-free. When choosing measuring cups and spoons, opt for ones made of either a high-quality plastic or stainless steel.
4. Purchase at least one good-quality paring knife. Low-quality or dull knives can make cooking a chore. Before you begin cooking, make sure you have at least one good-quality, sharp paring knife with which to complete your recipes. Sharp knives will mean the difference between diced tomatoes, and a smashed, pulpy mess.
5. Get at least one simple cookbook. Secure at least one cookbook that covers the basics. Purchase one designed for beginners, as these will not only provide you with an array of simple, effective recipes, but will also give you an introduction into cooking terminology and supplies.
   • Purchase a cookbook geared toward beginners and the types of dishes you’d like to learn. A good choice might be “Italian Cooking for Beginners,” if you’d like to focus on pasta dishes or sauces.
   • Read reviews before purchasing a beginner’s cookbook to make sure it is right for you.
   • If you don’t have access to a cookbook, you can use phone apps such as Epicurious and Cooking to truly master your cooking craft.

Mastering the Basics

1. Review safe cooking guidelines. Although cooking doesn’t not have to involve biohazard suits and meticulously-applied gloves, there are some safety rules that must be followed. Never allow raw meats to touch other foods, for instance, and always clean your cooking surfaces after you’ve cooked to prevent bacteria growth and cross-contamination.
   • Prepare your meat separately from any other food items. This means using a different knife, a different cutting board, and even a different countertop or surface.
   • Although vegetables and fruits do not pose as high a risk, you should still sanitize surfaces that have come into contact with them. The presence of food particles indicates the possible presence of unwanted mold and bacteria.
2. Follow recipes exactly. Although it may be tempting to make alterations or substitutions as you cook, follow all of your recipes exactly as written. When cooking, there are many chemical reactions and flavor interactions that go into making a dish excellent. Until you fully understand how these chemical processes work, and feel comfortable mixing your own flavors, adhere to the recipe.
   • Later in your cooking career, you can improvise and add to (or detract from) dishes, but you must master the basics first both to refine our tasting palate and to develop an instinct for cooking.
3. Start with breakfast. Breakfast dishes are often some of the simplest ones, and the recipes hardest to mess up on. You can start with making different types of Cook Eggs, for instance, move on to basic pancake and waffle recipes, and gradually move up to baking and more complicated recipes.
   • Making your own breakfast will also help you develop the habit of eating breakfast each day, which is proven to help in weight management and staying alert throughout the day.
4. Move on to making simple meals more decadent. As you learn to master the basics, begin to add some flair to simple dishes, such as sandwiches or steamed vegetables. A grilled cheese, for instance, lends itself to experimentation with different cheeses, fruits and vegetables, and types of bread. To build confidence, practice making simple, easy dishes more decadent and unique.
   • Although you don’t want to become too reliant upon shortcuts, simple shortcuts such as using pre-made pesto, or pre-made salsa can keep you from becoming too stressed or overwhelmed to continue learning to cook at home.
   • When you find something you like, you can look up a recipe and practice making it yourself without pressure.
5. Try your hand at soups and stews. Soups and stews are an excellent next step as you build your cooking repertoire, as they are also difficult to go wrong--provided that the recipes are simple and straightforward. Start with something simple, like vegetable broth, and gradually work your way up to harder Make Soup in Your Blender and stews, such as broccoli and cheese soup.
   • Soups and stews are both excellent for days when you don’t have a lot of time to cook. You can place all of your items into a large crock pot, turn it on low, and let it sit overnight or throughout the day, and return to a ready-made dinner in the evening.
6. Move on to casseroles. Once you are comfortable with simple soup and stew recipes, you can move on to making casseroles. While casseroles are more complicated than soups, breakfast foods, and items like sandwiches, they can still be quite forgiving due to the nature of their appearance (all mixed together), and the bounty of flavors most casseroles provide.

Practicing Your Skills

1. Make at least two meals per day at home. To effectively learn to cook, you must do so often. Make a commitment to completing at least two meals per day at home when you are starting out to get your “sea legs,” so to speak, and build confidence.
   • Avoid complicated recipes that call for 2-3 hours of prep. Instead, shoot for recipes with only 30 minutes of prep time to keep your interest level high and your cravings low.
2. Make a meal plan. When you are starting out, you will most likely need some routine and simplicity in place. To streamline your cooking, make a meal plan for each day of the week, and set aside or mark each recipe you choose. That way, cooking is not a chore.
   • Meal planning helps you feel some confidence and strength in your cooking, and it also makes grocery shopping a lot easier each week.
3. Make new dishes at least once per week. When you are just beginning, every dish is a new dish. As you begin to grow comfortable with the food items you’ve mastered, incorporate one new meal each week to keep your meals fresh and interesting, and to keep building your skill.
   • Again, the key is to practice, not to make extravagant dishes. Your new dish can be as simple as graduating from a frittata to a quiche, as long as you are incorporating a new skill.
4. Cook for your family and friends. Start small, by hosting a brunch or similarly low-key event. Inviting family and friends to try your dishes will give you confidence, and will force you to truly focus in and hone your craft to avoid embarrassment or unsafe cooking practices.
   • When cooking for family and friends, choose a recipe (or recipes) you have truly mastered and feel confident in.
5. Complete meal prep ahead of time. As you work on practicing your craft, prep your meals ahead of time. One of the biggest pitfalls in home-cooked food is the prep time. Between cutting vegetables, creating stock, and fluffing rice, you can quickly run out of time to make your meal.
   • Chop your veggies in advance, make a stockpile of chicken (or beef or vegetable) stock, and make a large batch of grains to eat throughout the week.
6. Make time for your meals. Once you’ve cooked your meals, make a nice ritual of eating. Create a ritual surrounding all of your meals, and make them special. This will encourage you to continue cooking, and will make not only the process of cooking fun, but also the process of eating and savoring.
   • For breakfast, open the blinds, turn on some music or a podcast, and prepare a cup of coffee or tea.
   • For lunch, you might set your plate next to a cloth napkin, and sit down to eat and ruminate.
   • For dinner, you could light a candle and eat in dim lighting.

Tips

• Start with easy recipes and move onto more difficult ones.
• Never vary cake or baking recipes. These, out of all the recipes, are most prone to failure when you fiddle with them.
• There are a lot of free YouTube videos put on by professional chefs that you can watch, as well.

Warnings

• When you are starting out, you may have more food waste than you’d like. If you are too bothered by waste, you can offer your leftovers or accidents to an animal at home, or to a composting service.
• You may get discouraged if you don’t master everything quickly, but learning to cook takes time. Give yourself time to learn without pressure.
• Don’t cook for family immediately; this is one of the last steps for a reason. Only cook for others once you feel confident in your abilities, as this may put too much pressure on you and give you a sour taste for cooking.

Related Articles

• Follow a Recipe when You Don't Have All the Ingredients
• Pan Broil Meat
• Cook Rhubarb
• Make a Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Sources and Citations

See also

• Follow a Recipe when You Don't Have All the Ingredients
• Make a Citrus Glaze (for Baking)
• Pan Fry
• Make Stocks for Soups and Sauces
• Substitute Commonly Used Ingredients
• Cook Sponge Cucumber
• Boil Artichokes
• Make Half‐Popped Popcorn
• Make Dinner Without a Kitchen
• Cube Sweet Potatoes

Read more ...

What links here

• Contribute to a Potluck if You Can't Cook
• Cook for Just Yourself
• Eat Cheap While in College
• Incorporate Fat Burning Foods Into Your Diet
• Make Homemade Food