Have you just moved into your first place and need some tips on how to be a great home cook? We’re here to help you with some ideas to get you started on the right path.
Cookbooks
The thing that’s wonderful about cookbooks is that, if you can read, you can cook! If this is your first time using a cookbook or cooking regularly, pick up one that has some easier recipes for beginners. You can test some popular chefs’ recipes on web sites like Food Network or All Recipes to see what you find attractive and what you find intimidating.
What Your Mother Taught You
Now this can also be expanding on what your father/grandmother/grandfather/aunt taught you. These people you grew up with can be great guides for helping you learn to cook, especially since they know family recipes, shortcuts and tricks.
Common Preparations
Even though this will be much more try and try again than being an expert right off the bat, new things are always fun to learn. For instance, if you’ve never used a food processor, get one that’s reasonably inexpensive (in other words, don’t start with Cuisinart) and try using it to make dishes. Food processors are great for making salsa, bread dough and anything else that requires quick chopping. Pureeing vegetables is easily done in a food processor and becomes the type of skill that translates well to holiday dinner preparations.
Arm Yourself
What we mean by this is buy the best quality equipment and food that you can. You don’t have to spend $300 for a German chef’s knife, but you do have to get one that’s got some good quality to it. A solid set of pots and pans is essential as wellm along with equipment like spatulas, wooden spoons and whisks.
Watch TV
This is one time when watching TV is a good thing. Watch a lot of cooking shows and take note of how chefs prepare their food, and see if you can repeat that in your own kitchen.
Classes
This is a fun way to meet new people and learn a new skill. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to make five star Italian dishes, see if there’s an Italian cooking class being given at a local restaurant or community college.
Harder Recipes
As you continue to learn and hone your skills, start using new equipment and trying harder recipes. The only way you will succeed and excel is by trial and error. Every professional chef, whether on TV or in a restaurant, continues to experiment with new dishes, sometimes failing miserably.
Never Stop Trying
No matter how proficient you become in the kitchen, never stop learning new things and trying new equipment.
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