My new year resolution

[Penguin]

Other than start a cult and spread my unholy gospel across the land, I also want to learn how to cook.


I'm getting tired of eating at restaurants and fixing frozen pizzas.


Does anybody have any suggestions on how I can start cooking?

[Jimminy Crimson]

Does anybody have any suggestions on how I can start cooking?

Usually starts with turning on the oven/stove.... or firing up the grill! :texan:

[BajaOklahoma]

Our Parks and Rec dept offers a large number of classes. Some are for kids, some for adults and some for seniors - just make sure you get in the correct age group.

Some of the local grocery stores offer classes - Central Market, Whole Foods. I'm not sure how basic they are though.

Check the yellow pages for cooking schools.

And the Community Colleges also offer some good classes on various subjects.

[jk the sooner fan]

i learned to cook out of necessity.....when i was a single dad with 2 teenage boys!

[Rogue]

Do you have a friend that likes to cook that lives nearby?
If not I'd seriously just find a few easy recipes and try 'em out.

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p99/cjrogue/Temp/ic-arise.gif

[whatsername]

Just go for it. Practice makes perfect. What kind of stuff do you like? I have a couple of soup recipes that are easy and you can't mess 'em up. I'll share if you're interested.

[Rogue]

I cooked in restaurants in HS and college. I can really hold my own in the kitchen. I have a few "panty-dropper" romantic recipes if you're interested.

[King Crimson]

buy a decent knife, a good sized cutting board, and you can these days get a passable 10 pc set of cooking pans/stock pot for 150$. having equipment that is versatile is key. You could get all of the above for around 200$ at decent quality at Bed bath and Beyond....that's a good investment/buy in if you are serious about it. the increased interest in cooking has generated a decent mid range of cooking equipment....used to be just cheapo and top of the line.

watching cooking shows is helpful and free....not so much for "recipes" but for watching what they are doing....which most people don't do. like, heating the oil in a skillet before putting in vegetables to sautee...etc.

buying used cookbooks is a pretty bargainy way to build a recipe "database" and pick a cuisine you like (say, italian....or soups).......the internet book sites are full of em at bargain prices.

making a decent tomato sauce for pasta is about the easiest thing in the world.

just go for it.

[Rogue]

Rachel Ray is a good beginners cooking host. Her food is usually simple, good, and the kind of stuff you'd actually whip up for regular food vs. the gourmet stuff that you'd make for a date or something.

[Preservation Parcels]

Good for you! What do you want to be able to make?

Ask family and friends to share recipes and techniques for things you enjoy.

There are some great websites with all kinds of recipes, including copycat restaurant recipes. Ones that are well-tested, rated and reviewed, filled with instructions or illustrations, and have adjustable serving sizes are especially helpful.

www.allrecipes.com
http://www.recipezaar.com
http://www.cooksrecipes.com/
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/
www.epicurious.com
www.americastestkitchen.com

Try checking out a few library cookbooks to see which one fits your preferred style. Then, make your own cookbook of things you really like by putting them into a 3 ring binder or setting up a folder on your computer.

America's Test Kitchen has a good program on PBS and some very good cookbooks. They teach both the how and the why along with equipment reviews and food brand reviews. Their cookbook, The New Best Recipe has a lot of intelligent, tasty, and not overly fussy stuff. It's $18.99 at Costco, but it may be at your local library for free.

Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart, along with all the Food Network shows have their own websites.

Enjoy!

[proud gonzo]

food network

cookbooks

a kitchen

YWIA

[walkoffsooner]

learn to cook you will never look at roadkill the same. Everything is a possible dish.

[SicEmBaylor]

I've never cooked a thing in my life, but don't you just follow the directions/recipe?

[OklahomaTuba]

the one thing I find difficult about cooking is doing it for only one person. But left-overs of really good stuff is never bad.

[Tailwind]

Look up a few interesting recipes online and try them...all you have to do is buy the right stuff and follow the directions.

[King Crimson]

the one thing I find difficult about cooking is doing it for only one person. But left-overs of really good stuff is never bad.


yeah, that's tough, i know. buy ya some tupperware and make a little extra. a lot of stuff freezes well.....like lasagna or stew or soups or egglant/chicken parm. pasta leftovers are good the next day. i don't use one, but you can just microwave that stuff and your good to go.

one of the easiest things of all time are enchiladas--takes maybe 30 minutes total and you make 3-4 servings. but, you need a baking dish. a grocery that sells rotisserie chicken can also be yer friend here....then all you do is mix up your fave filling.

[Penguin]

Whenever I watch a cooking show, there are usually 50 different ingredients, 3 saucepans are going, and there's something in the oven. Also, there is always something that needs to be chopped up, or some "pinch" of some ingredient needs to be tossed into 1 or more pans. The dude is cooking 3 courses at the same time, along with 2 or 3 sides.


Yeah, that's a little overwhelming. "Just follow the recipe!" That's like 5 bajillion times easier said than done.

[Rogue]

Keep it simple at first. While it's cold out, soups are a good place to start. Everything goes in one pot on one burner. Sure there's lots of chopping involved, but you can get the hang of it.

Maybe we need a quick assessment of your skeelz to properly assist.
Can ya grill a steak?
Can ya shop an onion?
What kind of "tools" are in your kitchen?

[GottaHavePride]

I've never cooked a thing in my life, but don't you just follow the directions/recipe?

YEah, but if you don't know what it's supposed to look/smell/taste like you might not be able to tell if you're doing it right.

Penguin, you have a chick friend that can cook? (Preferably a hawt single friend? ;) ) Ask her to help you cook something so you can try stuff out with someone watching you that knows what's going on.

[OUinFLA]

go to a cooking class at one of the upscale department stores.
pssst, it's also a way to meet chicks.