Learning to cook regularly - any success stories?

[Scrub Jay]

I'm not a natural in the kitchen and I rely heavily on convenience foods (Trader Joe's mainly).

 

Anyone here used to be like me but now cooks daily, feels comfortable in the kitchen, etc? Inspire me, please. :)

[Mnemosyne]

:lurk5:

 

My husband is currently the cook, but I'll transition into cooking our meals soon... I just can't cook!

[TammyinTN]

I would start by getting a couple of cookbooks and just working through them. You can do this! :thumbup: Also, maybe read a couple of cooking blogs that show pictures of the process....Ree's is a great inspiration.

[Rebecca VA]

I went to cooking school for a semester before I got married. Best money I ever spent. I learned how to use knives correctly -- in fact, the school made us purchase a set of high-quality knives -- and how to make sauces and glazes, how to saute, broil, use different cuts of meat, use yeast doughs, etc., etc. We learned to set a table properly and organize and disinfect a kitchen in a professional manner.

 

All that information is available in books. Learning from books may not be as much fun as going to a class, but it's a lot cheaper and can fit in better with a busy mom's schedule.

[Dandelion]

I'm not someone who started off as a natural in the kitchen either. Like you, I used to rely heavily on convenience foods, as well as eating out/take-out multiple times a week. I worked full-time as a restaurant manager while I was in college, and didn't cook for years - I ate my meals at the restaurant 5 days a week and had take-out or microwave meals on my days off. Yah. :huh: That set the stage for my relationship with cooking in my adult life (and not in a good way).

 

The catalyst for change in my case was discovering DS's food sensitivities a few years ago. He doesn't have serious food allergies, but his behavior is significantly affected by various foods. A blood test confirmed sensitivities to 9 different foods, and we removed all food additives as well (artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, etc.) based on our observations. Long story short, this discovery led to our eliminating most processed foods along with the foods DS is sensitive to. I now cook 90% of our meals from scratch with whole food ingredients. And I've come to feel very comfortable in the kitchen, by virtue of spending so much time in there. :tongue_smilie:

 

I think the key is having an important reason to change. Just thinking "I should cook more" isn't compelling enough for most people. Think about why it's important to you or your family. Improved health? Personal mastery of cooking? Anything can be a valid reason, as long as it's important and inspiring to you. Start from there and then set small, incremental goals.

 

You can do this! :)

[Sasharowan]

I still don't do as much in the kitchen as I need to, but I cook a lot more than I used to. My catalyst was the kids getting interested in cooking. That meant I needed to learn skills in order to teach them, seek out and find proper tools rather than using whatever is available so as to prevent injuries to the kids. But mostly, having someone else there to talk to, discuss what went wrong and what we can change next time makes it funner for me. Also the kids are older and less likely to complain because it is "different".

[Mergath]

Before I got married, I couldn't cook anything. In all seriousness, I didn't even know how to boil water. My mom wouldn't let me into the kitchen as a kid, so I didn't learn anything. Then, when I was pregnant, I started reading about nutrition, organic food, all that stuff, and realized that I'd better learn how to cook.

 

It didn't happen overnight, but I consider myself a darn good cook now. I make everything from scratch, including bread and cakes and stuff, and I haven't found a recipe that has intimidated me in a couple of years now. I didn't get to take any cooking classes (though it sounds like fun! :)) but learned from reading cookbooks, blogs, and a good deal of trial and error.

 

One thing that's important is to have decent tools. If you're trying to learn how to cook but you're improvising constantly because all you have is a scratched frying pan and a teaspoon, it's going to be miserable. The tools don't all need to be super fancy, but you need to have the right ones. Hit the dollar store and get wooden spoons, a basting brush, ladles, a meat thermometer, all the things you'll need. A good enameled cast iron dutch oven is amazing- darn near impossible to ruin a piece of meat in one of those things. You don't need to run out and break the bank on a le Creuset, but a decent one will make your cooking experience a million times better. If I could only have one cooking item, it would be a dutch oven. Food processors are also extremely handy.

 

And make sure you're cooking foods you like. Cooking a new recipe is much more fun if you can't wait to get it out of the oven and have a bite.

 

I also like to set the table nicely, make everything way more fancy than it needs to be. :p If you spend hours slaving away in the kitchen, but then have to plop your food onto paper plates and eat next to piles of papers, it takes some of the fun out of it. Hit the thrift store and get placemats, pretty serving bowls, whatever will make you feel a bit more like Martha Stewart. :)

[Ann.without.an.e]

I was raised in a convenience food family and we ate out alot. When I got married I couldn't boil water. We were poor college students though so we had to eat cheap. I bought a Betty Crocker Cookbook and taught myself. If you can follow directions, you can cook. Just be patient with yourself!

[AnIslandGirl]

My family will tell you that the best thing I make are reservations... unfortunately they are not really kidding.

I have gotten better though, but it's still a work in progress.

[tadah]

Here's a fun and inspiring read along these lines (I got it from the library):

 

http://www.amazon.co... counter school

 

My cooking is a work in progress too. But my family really appreciates my efforts.

[KungFuPanda]

Cooking is one of those things that gets easier the more you do it. Get a collection of simple recipes that you like. It doesn't have to be hard. Some of the Rachel Ray 30 minute meals are tasty and easy. I like her Comfort Foods collection.

 

Planning is also important. It's much easier to get in there and cook when you KNOW what you're making and have all of the ingredients on hand. You have the option of chopping ALL of your veggies for the week at once, and that makes meal prep faster all week long. Around here,I have a little down time after lunch. I like to prep what I can early in the day so that dinner goes together quickly later (when I'm more tired, hungry, and grouchy).

 

ETA: If you're up for a VERY filling and fat-laden meal, the Pioneer Woman has some wonderful stuff. I'm very visual, so I appreciate the step-by-step photos.

[Mekanamom]

I agree... Simple recipes using mostly whole food ingredients is what gets me by. I'm not a natural cook, but I can follow good, basic recipes.

 

Rodale's Whole Food's Cookbook has been a hit with my family: http://www.amazon.com/Rodale-Whole-Foods-Cookbook-Ingredients/dp/1605295434/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362333404&sr=1-2&keywords=Rodale%27s+cookbook

 

(Also kitchen gadgets that make my life easier. Right now the big convenience appliance at my house is the Instant Pot, which does everything from pressure cooking to slow cooking to steaming rice/veggies... And it has a timer so I can pop everything in there when I have time, and set it to be finished when I want dinner to be done.)

 

Since you are already shopping at Trader Joe's, consider using their pre-chopped veggies/onions/garlic, etc. to start out with. They have a lot of pre-chopped and/or easy to use ingredients available.

[Ann.without.an.e]

sorry, I tried to edit and it double posted.

[Renthead Mommy]

No matter how bad you are in the kitchen, this will make you feel better about yourself:

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/people-worse-at-cooking-than-you-food-fails

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/people-worse-at-cooking-than-you-food-fails

 

It is 37 People who are worse at cooking than you!

 

Some of it is hysterically funny and some is just downright sad. A few had to be pintrest fails.

 

 

 

Bet you didn't know that you can char part of your pasta completely black while it is still in an entire pot of boiling water? l know, I was as amazed as you when I dumped that out into the strainer.

I think more of us have gone down this road than you might have imagined. First, what kind of foods do you like? Second, I would focus on starting slowly, maybe finding two or three recipes that you like, which you can focus on for the next few weeks. Third, I'm a huge fan of crockpots and leftovers. It's pretty easy to throw a bunch of stuff in the crockpot in the morning, and have a nice hot meal for dinner, and leftovers for later.

 

There's a zillion cookbooks, so I hesitate to recommend some, but can't help myself: Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Anything" isn't nearly as intimidating as it looks, and has many basic recipes. When I was starting out, I really liked "The Monday through Friday Cookbook", which spent a lot of time talking about what to stock in your pantry, so that you always have a couple of possible meals you can make without a trip to the store, and how to plan for leftovers. It may be out of print now, though.

[pehp]

I think it was Julia Child who said that if you can read, you can cook!

 

I taught myself....really the most important thing is learning the basics. With enough practice you will get to the point where you rarely use recipes because you have skills. To-wit...tonight we are having trout....roasted carrots and potatoes....broccoli....no recipes required.

[Cosmos]

I went to cooking school for a semester before I got married.

I went to cooking school also.

 

This is fascinating to me. I sort of thought "cooking school" was one of those things that only existed in movies. I suppose I knew that culinary schools existed, but I've never known anyone who went to one. Do they exist only in big cities or what?

[Joker]

I couldn't cook when I was first married and we ate a lot of boxed crap. I started by saying I was going to cook our dinners from scratch. After I became better at that and more comfortable, I moved on to the other meal times and snack stuff. I have a lot of cookbooks and spent a lot of time on the internet. I also asked my mom a lot of questions as she always was cooking while growing up. She sent me a scrapbook full of recipies that I grew up eating with step by step instructions.

[Mrs Mungo]

Martha Stewart has an Everyday Food Magazine that I subscribed to for a long time. It was great because I got new ideas (with lots of photos and simple recipes) every month.

 

Other suggestions:

Make a meal list for the week and stick to it (include a couple of convenience meals while you are transitioning).

 

Clean up after dinner. Nothing makes me rely on convenience foods or go out to eat more than having a mess to clean up before I start cooking again.

[Alice]

My Mom swears that the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook taught her to cook. She gave me a copy when I moved out. It is a very good basic cookbook. It literally has a recipe for boiling eggs. It probably relies too much on processed ingredients (canned soups for example) and the recipes aren’t the most modern or exciting. But it’s a good place to start.

http://www.amazon.com/Better-Homes-Gardens-Cook-Edition/dp/0470560800/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

I also really like the Make it Fast, Cook It Slow book for slow cooker recipes.http://www.amazon.com/Better-Homes-Gardens-Cook-Edition/dp/0470560800/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

My husband is a much better natural cook than me but I have gotten more confident over the years. I’d say pick a few things that you already can do and expand. Can you make pasta? Teach yourself a recipe for making a spaghetti sauce, maybe even doctoring up a jarred sauce with some veggies and meat and spices. That’s one meal. Learn to roast a chicken (something I was afraid of for a long time but is like the easiest dinner every). Take it slow and you’ll get more confident. It’s like anything else where the more you do it the more confident you will get.

[Scrub Jay]

So many great tips here, thank you! I already ordered a couple of the books suggested. :)

[bnbacademy]

I went to cooking school for a semester before I got married. Best money I ever spent. I learned how to use knives correctly -- in fact, the school made us purchase a set of high-quality knives -- and how to make sauces and glazes, how to saute, broil, use different cuts of meat, use yeast doughs, etc., etc. We learned to set a table properly and organize and disinfect a kitchen in a professional manner.

 

All that information is available in books. Learning from books may not be as much fun as going to a class, but it's a lot cheaper and can fit in better with a busy mom's schedule.

 

What books would you recommend? Any specific titles?

[Rebecca VA]

Here's an excellent book about keeping a home clean and organized. There are several kitchen and food chapters.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Home-Comforts-Science-Keeping-House/dp/0743272862/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362400980&sr=1-1&keywords=home+comforts

 

Most good cookbooks will teach you the basics. Your best bet is to go to your local bookstore and look through some of them yourself. You will probably find one or two that really resonate with you, that speak to your style. I personally like the America's Test Kitchen cookbook:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Test-Kitchen-Family-Cookbook/dp/1933615486/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362401363&sr=1-9&keywords=america%27s+test+kitchen

 

I wholeheartedly agree with the poster who recommended using the best cookware you can afford. My cooking swag improved when I traded in my Revere Ware for All-Clad d5 from Williams-Sonoma. I love to hang out on the W-S website and read their catalogs -- I get great ideas there, and I love watching their online videos.

 

Which brings up another helpful resource: cooking shows on TV. They will definitely inspire you. You'll see how a pro does things: setting out all the ingredients beforehand in little bowls, reacting to cooking emergencies, etc.

[Ottakee]

My Mom swears that the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook taught her to cook. She gave me a copy when I moved out. It is a very good basic cookbook. It literally has a recipe for boiling eggs. It probably relies too much on processed ingredients (canned soups for example) and the recipes aren’t the most modern or exciting. But it’s a good place to start.

http://www.amazon.co..._pr_product_top

 

I also really like the Make it Fast, Cook It Slow book for slow cooker recipes.http://www.amazon.com/Better-Homes-Gardens-Cook-Edition/dp/0470560800/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

My husband is a much better natural cook than me but I have gotten more confident over the years. I’d say pick a few things that you already can do and expand. Can you make pasta? Teach yourself a recipe for making a spaghetti sauce, maybe even doctoring up a jarred sauce with some veggies and meat and spices. That’s one meal. Learn to roast a chicken (something I was afraid of for a long time but is like the easiest dinner every). Take it slow and you’ll get more confident. It’s like anything else where the more you do it the more confident you will get.

 

GET THE PLAID COOKBOOK. I got one as a wedding gift and still 20 years later still use it. I was a cook at a nursing home making supper for 130 people at a time and then at assisted living centers cooking for 60..........and I still refer to the book for how long to cook baked potatoes, etc.

 

Crock pot meals are great. Even if you do start out using some convenience foods, etc. in your cooking it is still likely much healthier and cheaper than going with prepared meals or eating out.

 

If you give us some ideas on what your family likes to eat (or not) we could give you some easy recipes to try.

[*********]

Me!

 

I started cooking at age 12, when I was responsible for making dinner for my family of 6 every day. Now back then, it was stuff like hamburger helper, frozen corn, and canned biscuits. Not exactly what I wanted to feed my *own* family once I got married and had kids. :p

 

So, I started small. Pick one thing at a time that you want to improve or learn, and work on that. For example, it wasn't till I was married for 9 or so years that I ever made homemade bread. I was intimidated by it. Now, it's easy, but I've been doing it for a couple years.

 

Pretty much any recipe you could ever want can be found online. I like Allrecipes; there's ratings, you can search for a recipe by what ingredients you want to use, and lots of good reviews on the recipes, too. They have lots of how-to videos, too. You can always google for how-to videos as well, and youtube has a TON. I find watching someone do something to be more helpful than written directions sometimes, especially if it's something *completely* new to me.

[Rebecca VA]

About cooking school: I went to a Johnson and Wales satellite school (which no longer exists) at night and on weekends. I only went for one semester -- because during that semester I met my future husband and I no longer had time for cooking school -- but it was excellent training. I really loved it.

 

I've been looking for something similar for my own daughter, and I just can't find anything. You'd think the D.C. area would have something, but it doesn't. Poor thing -- she tries to cook, but her food doesn't always turn out well, and she makes such a mess, but she will NOT take advice.

[Lady Marmalade]

I remember the days of convenience food. I clearly remember being new marrieds, and playing with the three different NEW varieties of Kraft mac and cheese. I remember discovering that you could make boxed brownies with a liquid other than water, and an era of brownie eating commenced.

 

And then my DH's younger brother was diagnosed with high cholesterol. His dad has had problems for years, and when both DH's brothers started sharing about their cholesterol problems, I became determined to not let that happen to my DH. I was certain that the family's problems were related to diet. I started subscribing to Cooking Light magazine and visiting the cook book section at my library.

 

That motivating factor has changed our lives. I feel good about what I feed my family 99 percent of the time. I am an extremely confident cook now- a few years back I was even developing my own recipes that were featured in a local paper on a regular basis. Some of my favorite books to this day are Mark Bittman's books- his How To Cook Everything Vegetarian is probably my favorite- there ARE different and new ways to cook grains, veggies, and legumes. And we're not even vegetarian!

 

I would also add that if you have time, watch some cooking shows. Not the food competition shows, but the shows with someone actually cooking. Barefoot Contessa, Giada, Rachel Ray, for example. Watching the food network back in the day when it had actual cooking shows on all the time also helped a lot.

[Arcadia]

I cooked the family meal when I was eight and my mum was exhausted from pregnance and working as a RN. I just started with the easy stuff like cooking chicken rice using the rice cooker. Than the harder stuff like cooking porridge/congee where you have to watch the flame. Cooking class (part of home economics) was a compulsory subject in 7th and 8th grade in my public school so I got to learn more stovetop cooking and baking.

I learn how to cook not from books but from watching the cooks at the food courts. Start with dishes/recipes with the shortest ingredients list than add spices and more ingredients as you get comfortable,

[somo_chickenlady]

My husband actually taught me how to cook. I wasn't allowed in the kitchen growing up, so he had to even teach me how to make mac & cheese and ramen noodles. He still does the majority of the big meals, like roasts, soups and stews, etc, but I have quite a few dishes that I am really good at. I rock at cooking bacon, I am really good at making spaghetti with meat sauce, and my salmon patties are awesome, for example. It was mostly through trial and error that I learned, and I did make a bunch of mistakes along the way. I wholeheartedly agree that a well stocked kitchen, as far as tools and equipment, makes a world of difference.

[Mom-ninja.]

I hate to cook. Hate it. Hate it.

 

Yeah, hate to cook.

 

Then I developed an autoimmune disease which dictates that I have to cook from scratch 99% of the time if I want to be able to afford any food.

 

Now, I cook every day. No. Scratch that. Sometimes my dh cooks.

 

It gets tiresome. It gets annoying. It gets frustrating. Oh well. No choice. Do I like to cook now. Nope. I just suck it up cause that's life.

 

 

What's funny is that my mom will make little snide comments about how I've *finally* learned to cook and bake like she's some kind of professional. She can't make a single thing if it doesn't come from a box, can, or bag. Snort. She taught me nothing because she knows nothing. Yet, she comments as if she taught me all I know about cooking and baking from scratch....gf too boot. She wouldn't know gf if it smacked her in the face.

[VeganCupcake]

I don't really enjoy cooking, but subscribing to a meal planning service has made it a lot easier for me, since I don't have to think so hard about what to make every day. I use the Fresh 20 and we really like it.

[unsinkable]

How to Cook Without a Book is awesome. By Pamela Anderson, NOT the Baywatch one.

 

It gives you formulas for different types of meals, like sautés with pan sauces.

 

 

[Scrub Jay]

I've ordered a few books (used) now. Can't wait for them to arrive. :)

[MrsBasil]

I've used a few that have already been mentioned, Kitchen Counter Cooking School, How To Cook Without A Book, and Everyday Food, but the first major cookbook I got was Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything and that was so helpful for explaining how to choose and prepare produce, fish, and meat. My first copy is falling apart, food stained, highlighted, marked up with margin notes..I love it.

 

I moved out of my parent's house and in with my now husband at 19 and had been barely allowed in the kitchen. I focused on learning how to make a main dish while using frozen/canned veggies and a basic starch. Once I was comfortable with the main portion then I moved on to making multiple dishes and timing them.

 

Baby steps. :)

[Spy Car]

My advice? Forget about "recipes." They are an anchor that drag people down. Instead learn some techniques. See how frying, sautéing, steaming, boiling, baking, broiling and braising each have a different effect on the taste and texture of foods. Try it with a potato. Each way it will have a different result.

 

And do learn to use a knife. Preparing fresh food is much easier if you knife skills are good.

 

Then look for good ingredients to start with, and don't do too much to them. Buy what Is fresh and in season (and therefore more economical) rather than shopping based on a recipe list. Recipes can lead to bad food choices.

 

If okra happen to look great in the market, and you have no idea how to cook okra, then maybe you can look up a recipe. But what you will find is frying, sautéing, steaming, boiling, baking, broiling and braising will each have a different effect on the taste and texture of the okra.

 

There are no right answers or "magic recipes" when it comes to food. Better to use your imagination combined with quality fresh ingredients.

 

That's my two cents.

 

Bill

[Heather in Neverland]

Sandra Lee from the Food Network has a slew of different cookbooks that are so easy to use. Her show is called "Semi-Homemade" and I think it is great for people who need to cook yummy food for their families but don't have the time or the skill to spend two hours preparing dinner very night. Her 20-minute-meals book is full of my family's favorite dishes.

[LostSurprise]

Its easy to be overwhelmed. Don't be, a lot of cooking is just putting in the time, getting the experience, finding out what things look like and taste like at different stages.

 

I was where you are. I won't say I'm a great cook, but I'm a lot more confident now.

 

 

*It helped me to make a list of what I like to eat, what other people in my family like to eat.

 

*It helped to make a meal plan, weekly at first (monthly later), using the list of what people like to eat.

 

*Then you find recipes. How to Cook Everything, Cooks Illustrated, and Joy of Cooking have good general recipes. Check them out at a library first before deciding what you like best and then get one good quality generalist book. Allrecipes works well in a pinch if you can't find it in the book. Reading reviews can teach you about how people customize. Once you have a good general source in place you can explore techniques (baking, braising, roasting) or cuisines (Italian, French, Thai) and start adding things that work to your 'what people like to eat' list.

 

*Once you have some basic recipes down and feel confident about that, check out books like James Peterson's Cooking or his Essentials of Cooking. Like Anderson's How to Cook Without a Book, these books take what you've doing by rote and teach you the techniques involved. Then you can start throwing things together with a lot more confidence in your ability. Books like The Minimalist Cooks at Home or From Simple to Spectacular can also show you how other people customize a simple recipe maybe inspiring you to do that yourself.

 

*If the general cookbooks like Joy of Cooking or How to Cook Everything are too overwhelming go for something smaller, simpler. Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food can get you organized and explains basic recipes...like chicken stock...in a very narrative, explanatory manner. Mark Bittman's The Minimalist Cooks at Home deals with very simple dishes, then has a sidebar of ways you could customize the dish.

 

*Once you find something you like, add it to the rotation. Make it over and over again. That's how you really learn how to make something well. Think about what aspects you like about it, and what could be improved. Mess around a little.

 

*Read the whole recipe. If you're making something new read the recipe when you put it on the schedule, *before* you go shopping. Make sure you have all the ingredients and know what you're getting into. Is the timing right for whatever you have scheduled that day? Its easier to make new dishes on the weekend or when you have lots of time.

 

*Borrow cookbooks from the library until you know you'll use it often. Its easy to get start a collection of things that don't really work for you.

 

*Taste everything! Again and again.

 

*Use good materials for the things you can taste most in the recipe. Good meat (if you eat meat) and good spices are pretty vital. I'm not one to say you need great pans or knives or dishes, you can be a great cook without those things, but you can only go so far. We're uncovering the taste of the things we're cooking.