Are you a good cook?

Get a good cookbook. Try The Way To Cook by Julia Child. Very straightforward, and it's designed to teach you a few basic skills and then build on them. Read the cookbook before you pick a recipe to try.

Learn to cook your favorite foods one by one.

If you like burgers, start there.

Also if you have friends who are good cooks ask them to show you.

A friend taught me how to roast a chicken now I can roast anything.

Another friend taught me how to make a delicious spaghetti sauce, not I can make any spaghetti sauce.

I made baked ziti last week after reading about it here. Revolting. Truth is the kitchen is the husbear's domain and it shall stay this way. It gives me no pleasure to cook so this is probably the primary issue.

Dear one, if you're not an artist, start with the basics.

Follow the fucking recipes to the letter.

But, first, check your oven temperature and make sure you have the necessary basic tools you need. You can't flip an omelette with a butter knife. If baking or roasting is involved, whether a bread or a chicken or a boneless chicken breast, buy and use a thermometer.

Use simple recipes to start. It's safe to go for stews and other amalgam dishes, because if you're following the recipe there's less room for a big failure.

And, some things I wish someone had told me before I taught myself to cook:

1. Learn to make a roux as a basis for sauces and general thickener. Once you stop burning it (if you burn it) with very small batches, you can keep some in the freezer and use it as you need it for thickening sauces and soups, starting Creole or Cajun dishes, and other fixes. In fact, if you like Louisiana cookery it's a great place to start if you're feeding others because you can quickly get a good reputation by FOLLOWING THE RECIPES.

2. Use only reliable recipes from great cooks. Stick with the basics and avoid trendoid crap. Don't get creative with herbs and spices until you know them intimately.

3. Recipes will tell you to do it, but remember that things cook at different times. So if you try a stir-fry order your vegetables from harder to softer. Otherwise it's rock and mush.

4. You have to brown beef and skin-on chicken (and duck, but you're not using duck, are you?) first, whether for soups or other mix-it-up dishes. Dropping raw meat into cold water with vegetables will get you what you deserve. Unless you're using onion for flavor.

5. Garlic burns fast.

6. It's good with most spices (mostly that refers to seeds, whether whole or ground) to bloom them in a little heated oil on the stove. Just a bit, because like garlic they burn fast.

7. Under-salt when cooking and add as needed when done. It's easier to add than to remove (although there are ways to de-salt things).

8. R2 is right about working with someone who knows a particular dish you like.

9. And if that's you at R3 one wonders why you're wasting our time. Oh. You're that girl. Should have known.

I would say to get / buy two good knives: a large one and a small one (paring). I have a Mac santoku and a Mac paring knife. Each cost about $150. The paring knife was kind of a splurge. Not saying you have to spend that much. I was cooking for many years before I upgraded to those 2 knives (had mom's hand-me-downs before that).

I have no other knives than those two.

Walmart has them for 88 cents each.

Try a stew like ratatouille. It sounds all French and fancy, but it is actually very simple and requires no fancy cutting skills. (Ignore those tarted-up recipes on YouTube that do fancy layering -it should be a peasant dish, not an art project.) No special pots or tools required, and you can proudly serve it to company.

R4 offers some great advice. Do know, however, that roux is made in varying shades depending on the dish. Cajun cooking, for example, traditionally uses a dark brown roux. Good rule of the thumb: the darker the roux, the less thickening power it has.

Good points R2!

I am a good cook but mostly because I enjoy it and that is the key. Another? Having all your ingredients measured out and there in front of you. All the little bowls and flatware may be intimidating (and in the beginning it will be a pain to wash it all), but your preparation (what the French call mise-en-place) will pay off and you will never go back. This is, for me at least, the key to putting together a nice dinner. I feel that my food finds favor with guests, but I feel that I'm accomplished because I can make everything come together at the same time. I can do some pretty fancy stuff, but having everything hot and ready is what makes me feel that I am good.

I have very good quality knives and learned how to hold them properly for control. I also have several small cutting boards made of a white composite that can be sanitized in the dishwasher.

I order groceries from While Foods and have them delivered, usually Friday afternoon.

I have learned to cook meat “low and slow”, letting it sear properly in the pan before moving it. I also use a high temperature cooking oil to limit smoke forming. I use a very good digital thermometer to test meat for doneness, for safety. I use tongs to handle meat in the pan.

I love eggs and cook them all ways (also “low and slow” to keep them tender and custard-like). I also boil them in just a little bit of water, and let them steam in a covered pan while I shower. I turn off the heat once the eggs boil in an inch of water, cover the pan, and they finish cooking in the steam and hot water. It works well. I put some in the fridge and chop them in salads with roast turkey for lunch a few days each week.

On weekends I make more advanced dishes, and I’m getting very good with pan sauces. I have a small whisk and small wooden spoon, and these are handy. I use a lot of chicken stock to make sauces in the pan, and when you deglaze the pan with stock, it’s easier to clean up after (spray with Dawn power wash and put in dishwasher on “soak” overnight).

Some pots made by a company called Staub are very durable. I use them in and on top of the oven, for everything, including chili, soups and now a simple bread made without kneading or proofing overnight. It’s like a rustic Roman bread, and really good and simple to make.

Buy simple kitchen implements made of high chromium stainless, because they come out nice in the dishwasher. Also white porcelain that goes into the oven and can also be used to serve food.

If you can, buy small amounts of produce, so that you can eat it before it wilts or rots. Skip carbs a few days each week, and they will taste amazing when you eat them on weekends.

You don't need to spend money on knives, just get the Victorinox or Mercer or Global stuff and a pull-through sharpener and a honing steel and you are good to go.

JFC, OP isn't looking to become a sous chef. He doesn't need to buy $150 knives or make a roux, FFS.

OP, check out some recipes on Food Network that look interesting to you. Start with Ina Garten or Pioneer Woman. Their recipes are usually pretty basic and will yield a good result.

R5, it’s much cheaper to go to a good steakhouse and steal their knives.

R11 so much anger. And for what? The shitty Pioneer Woman?

Am I a good cook? So far, no one has died.

I learned by watching my mom (Home Ec major in college) and my grandmother who could whip up a meal from scratch, carry on a conversation, and have it all ready on time. Basic food and nothing fancy. We never ate anything from a box, except cereal in the morning.

I like watching America's Test Kitchen to learn new recipes and techniques. Sometimes they make something that should be easy and add extra steps and ingredients.

I love my new husband Stephen Cusato on his Youtube show. "NOT ANOTHER COOKING SHOW" which is fun and he's so sexy. I agree with others, start with a couple dishes you enjoy, and get them really good before you move on and up to new dishes.

I love cooking because I enjoy a nice meal made with care, plus cooking at home is a great way to save money and I'm a total Yankee!

I've posted several NOT ANOTHER COOKING SHOW videos here -without much love. Nice to see someone else appreciates the joys of Cusato, R15!

Just make sure your knife is sharp, make sure that you cut things the same size when they're going into a dish so it doesn't look like mish-mash throw together weirdness and for the love of god season things adequately with salt when required.

I'm a fair cook, not as accomplished as others on this thread, but I can make tasty and attractive food from several countries. I learned the most from watching the old Jacques Pepin show. He's down to earth and really shows the basics of chopping, mashing garlic, etc.

Start with simple stuff. It may sound good, but you don’t need to make a beef Wellington if you’re just learning to cook. I agree with the above posters re: follow the recipe (read it COMPLETELY through before doing ANYTHING); do all of your prep work (chopping, etc.) first; have sharp knives (they don’t need to be “investment” knives at first, but being sharp sure makes life easier.)

Sofrito

You can buy all the cookbooks, and all the $150 knives you want, but they won't make you a good cook unless you learn to actually taste your food. Learn the smells and tastes of ingredients, and taste your food as your cooking so you can know how much of what to add to make it right. You won't learn it from a book.

Make reservations.

One pot dishes are great to start with. Stews and casseroles. Throw everything in, pop in the oven for an hour and a half, then you have an easy and delicious meal. Simple dishes like omlettes next.

Build on that with soups, then make Ragu for Italian dishes, then more complex dishes.

The most difficult I find are things where you have to time every element to finish at the same time. A full English breakfast where you have sausage, mushrooms, bacon, baked beans, toast, grilled tomatoes, fried eggs, all to cook differently for different times can be the hardest.

So start easy and work your way along.

I'm a good cook. I don't do fancy, but I do tasty food. I rarely use a recipe and don't measure. I don't bake since that does require recipes and precise measurement.

R12 you think you’re going to cook with steak knives?

Scrambled eggs and toast.

Of course, I’m a good...

I’m floored that no one has yet mentioned the most important part of cooking. The first step. The.... genesis, if you will, of any great meal is the wine you drink while you cook! You can buy two bottles of it, one to try before the meal is served to ensure it is properly paired for the food.

And there is no shame in availing yourself of some helpful hacks tab seem everpresent nowadays: Blue Apron and Hello Fresh come to mind. Not only do they open your eyes to horizons of fresh new ingredients and flavors, but one can learn some solid techniques too. And the packages come with recipe cards To help you duplicate dishes you like.

Once you get past the idea of “I can’t cook,” start to experiment with ingredients and flavors. But watch the salt... the advice upthread is spot on: its easier to add salt later to a plated dish than it is to remove salt as you plate the dish.

Bon chance and Bon appetit!

I've been cooking more and my good to bad tattoo is 60:40 I'd say.

Ernst, what's your very favorite thing to eat?

r9 wrote :

[quote] I have learned to cook meat “low and slow”, letting it sear properly in the pan before moving it.

Boiled chicken. My mother could boil it and it would turn out tender, flavorful and just right to be, after cooling, cubed for chicken salad.

Mom was generous with her tips and instructions, but damned if I recall watching her and asking her for precise timing instructions to make sure I timed it right to pull it from the boiling water.

and yeah, I google recipes for basic boiled chicken and I'm doing something wrong because mine turns out dry and tough.

Getting back to r9, now I'm thinking that before I boil the full chicken ( I use a whole roaster chicken) I should sear it in oil first.

Or, after reading this, is the general consensus that I should give up because it's above my skill grade?

r31 Cut up the chicken or buy parts. NEVER do an actual boil, poaching at a simmer is a much better idea. It allows the heat to penetrate more evenly, the interior gets cooked without seriously overcooking the exterior.

I wonder if all the chemicals/drugs that are pumped into chickens affects the finished, cooked product?

Thanks, Bronze. Now that you mention it, when I glanced at it when Mom was "boiling" it wasn't. It was simmering.

"Boiled" got stuck in my neurons.

r32, my Aunt was a very good cook and she said chickens nowadays aren't as flavorful as they used to be when she was young and cooking decades ago.

I never thought of the chemicals/drugs that industrial farming uses as a potential cause.

Keep it simple to start. Sheet pan recipes are not hard, also try making soup or something in a Dutch oven like a stew. Always read the recipe all the way through *before* starting, have your ingredients out and prepped before you turn on the stove, do not multitask, focus on following the recipe.

Chicken is not something you want to cook low and slow. Once it's cooked through, that's it. Stop cooking. Low and slow is for beef cuts that have collagen you wish to extract.

R31, you want a poached chicken. You have to flavor the water - I use kosher salt, pepper, garlic and a bit of thyme or rosemary. And there’s a technique to drop a breast into the boiling brine, wait until it boils again and turn off the heat. Then let it sit in the hot water for 15 or 30 minutes, I forget. For chicken salad, though, I like to roast the chicken breasts on the bone, with skin on. It’s much tastier.

Follow some foodie accounts on Instagram and try their recipes, or at least get inspired by the pictures. I swear Instagram has made me a better cook over the past few years. Just one account that I like is called @onceuponachef but there are zillions. I also like Nigella Lawson.

You do poach chicken low and slow, R36. Until it is cooked to the minimum safe temperature and then you take it out.

Make a nice, hearty soup. If it turns out well, it will give you confidence and give you a good foundation to try other things. Try making your own chicken stock. You can freeze it and use it for other things (like more soup!).

I’m a good cook but I have a couple friends that were terrible. I talked them into watching America’s Test Kitchen on the website. They both have improved a lot.

There is a channel on Youtube called "Food Wishes" that is pretty useful for an inexperienced cook. The guy is called "Chef John" and his videos are very direct, no televisual screwing around or time-wasting. He has a mildly irritating voice, it's become part of his signature style, I guess. He typically never even shows his face, just the food and his hands working with it. He has millions of followers and has put up hundreds and hundreds of recipes in that past few years. Some of them are too much for a beginner, but you can learn a LOT about cooking from watching his simple, direct, and short clips (most are under 10 minutes). He's a good cook.

I am not OP but am a bad cook who came here looking for helpful advice.

I think giving up is the best advice. I cannot even understand most of what people are writing and I think if I have to look up all this stuff, maybe it just is not my gig.

I think cooking is something that has to be learned with someone more experienced in the room. There are so many variables in recipes that the inexperienced cook can mess up. If you buy something that is not exactly the right ingredient, or get a measurement a little wrong, or misunderstand a direction--then you ruined the whole thing.

For an inexperienced cook like me, recipes are hit or miss and if you miss---you just wasted time and money and probably will never be able to figure out what you did wrong.

(Still regretting the chopper, thermometer, etc that I bought for one recipe that failed and that are not likely ever to be used again.)

"Struggle Meals" is now on Hulu. A cook who takes advantage of flavor packets from takeout places. Maybe not fancy but a great place to start.

r42 I'm a big Chef John fan. You're right, his voice IS distinctive, and some people find it off-putting. He tries to be humorous, and mostly succeeds, BITD there'd be an audible rimshot, for effect, but that's fallen by the wayside.

r43 NEVER give up. The best advice has been mentioned several times: Start small, and build on your successes. You'll burn things, drop things, forget things, but's it's all a learning experience. If good food is what you're after, perseverance pays off.

r44 You are correct about having someone looking over your shoulder when learning how to cook. Invite a friend over whose cooking abilities you admire, ask the friend to suggest something basic to prepare, and you can both go at it. A shopping trip to a supermarket might be a good way to start. Even if you don't get a gold star right away, you will have gained knowledge, and a bit of confidence.

You may have Julia Child's over there, but we have the two best TV cooks over here. National Treasure is a much over used expression, but in these cases it's very just.

Dame Mary Berry and Delia Smith have been teaching the UK to cook for decades. They're on YouTube, and what they don't know about a dish isn't worth knowing about. Here's DL fave Taron Egerton....on how to poach an egg...

Lots of good advice here, and I would repeat everything R23 said. A great idea is to get a slow cooker. Soup is easy as well. Baked fish is incredibly easy, take most individual serving size fillets, place in a glass or porcelain baking dish, and season with salt, pepper, and some thyme, a drizzle of olive oil, or butter, and cook for 12-15 minutes at 375*/400*. If you like your fish a bit overdone, go for twenty minutes.

Any protein combined with some vegetables, and some diced potatoes can make easy "hobo packets" or "en papillote". Wrap items in parchment, then thick aluminium foil. So many easy ideas online, no clean-up, and guests feel special receiving their own little package.

Broiled and grilled meats are easy as well for a beginner. Just set the timer, and get a meat thermometer.

I just made some fucking swedish meatballs from scratch, bitches!!

R1 jumping back in to say that my reason for suggesting Julia Child's The Way to Cook is precisely because she teaches the reader how to cook -it's not just recipes. Sadly, most of what passes for cooking shows on TV and online is really just food porn. You watch people do it, but it in no way prepares you to do it yourself. Julia Child taught people how to cook through her show, The French Chef. She told you what to do, how to do it, and WHY you do it that way. Through the years she embraced new technologies like food processors and microwave ovens, and she wasn't afraid to revisit her own recipes to update them based on what you find in today's grocery stores. R47 is right to point out a similar POV from Mary Berry and Delia Smith -both wonderful cooks who actually teach people how to do it.

OP, don't give up. I have grown as a cook immeasurably over the years, and you can too. Cooking is a set of skills, and anyone can learn them. I went from being unable to bake a cake that wasn't a brick, or make an omelet that wasn't rubbery and crusty, to being at someone's home and (when the host bemoaned not having any hollandaise for her asparagus) being able to pop into the kitchen and make a perfect hollandaise sauce without a recipe -without the food on the table getting cold. (Thank you, Julia!) Cooking well is more about knowledge (and courage) than knives.

r22 = RACIST!!!

¡Sofrito!

[quote]I just made some fucking swedish meatballs from scratch, bitches!!

Well, smell YOU, Queen Silvia!

OP start by trying to boil water and not burn it.

really, master pasta and eggs and then go from there.

Drain pasta, but do not rinse.

I think you can make a lot of great meals if you just break down your three meal components: protein, vegetables, starch.

Protein: it's easy to bake fish or chicken with some seasoning. Literally just put it in the oven. Work your way up to grilling, which is also easy, and that's all you need to do. You can also grill your vegatables.

Starch: if you cook rice, use chicken broth instead of water to give it some flavor. Add some drops of flavored oil and some spices to the rice. Potatoes are easy - chop them up and boil. Quinoa is also super easy.

Vegetables: put some olive oil in a pan and chop up some peppers, mushrooms, roma tomatoes and then add cut up spinach or other greens. In 5-6 minutes, you're done.

You can also buy indian or asian sauces at the store - just add protein and vegatables and make some rice.

These are all relatively healthy meals and it doesn't take much skill at all. It's basically just heating up food in its basic form and adding spices and seasoning. You don't need fancy recipes - most of which aren't healthy at ALL.

P.S. to R56: and reserve some of the pasta water for thickening the sauce as needed.

Blooming the spices is good advice. Or rub them in your palm for a few seconds so they get warmer and crushed.

I am a good cook because the women in my family were all *excellent* cooks and it seems like I inadvertently picked up some of their habits. But when I was in my twenties and cooking everything on my own, I learned to just practice practice practice. Its okay if it doesn't work the first or second time, it's just food, don't feel like you are under pressure to produce the perfect dish each and every time.

For example, I have always been able to make a great roast chicken but was terrible at chicken breasts. They were dry and awful. So I decided to make them every day until I mastered it. It took about five days and then taaaaa daaa, I got it!

So give yourself permission to make some mistakes along the way.

So how do you cook the chicken breasts to perfection?

I’d like to reiterate what someone else said upthread. Lightly salt when you cook. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out.

When baking, follow the recipe to the T. Anything flour, salt, sugar and yeast based is all chemistry. If you go too much or too little on any ingredient you have ruined the recipe. Use All Purpose Flour. Bread flour is just that, for bread as it contains higher gluten than the rest. Cake flour is more dense. Self rising flour contains salt, so keep that in mind.

Regarding utensils, make sure you have plastic measuring cups. The ones that come in different sizes. Those are good for dry ingredients. The Pyrex 1 or 2 cup measuring cup is good for liquids, so it’s good to have both. Don’t waste your money on appliances or utensils you use once or twice, not only are you throwing away money, but they are also taking up precious space in you kitchen.

Regarding knives don’t get anything expensive. I got a set off Amazon for around 30 dollars and love it. Also, do not get a wooden knife block. Those are one the dirtiest things in you home that rarely, if ever, get cleaned. The wood normally isn’t treated and will absorb water and other thing and will mold and warp. And under any circumstances, DO NOT put your knives through the dishwasher. If you take care of your utensils they take care of you.

Regarding recipes a good way to learn something is to search for copycat recipes. If there’s a chain restaurant where you have a favorite dish, look up the copycat version of it. If you want to make your version of Hanburger Helper, that’s easy too. Just get hamburger, whatever pasta and seasonings and it’s cheaper in the long run because your not having to buy a box every time and have most stuff on hand.

The biggest thing about cooking is don’t overthink it. If you do you won’t get anywhere. Also, Rome wasn’t built in a day. You’re not going to master it overnight. Make mistakes and learn how to fix them.

I should have included in my post that no one is hopeless when it comes to cooking. If you've only just begun, tune that negative crap out. Cooking isn't brain surgery or physics, although it does sometimes involve a bit of chemistry. Anyone with the will, and some patience can achieve some level of competence in short order, especially with cook books and cooking videos. Try to have fun along the way, and enjoy the creativity. Some of the most satisfying and popular dishes take no advanced skills.

Most books and people here seem to assume that you are working in a large kitchen. Many of us live in small apartments and do not have the storage for so much stuff. If I get additional measuring cups and dutch ovens etc. that means something I have now has to go.

Stuff like flour can only be bought in large packages. Will I use enough to make it worth it? Or will it just sit there for years taking up room that could go to more frequently used food.

Baking chicken and fish is not simple. I just went through a bunch of baked chicken recipes online and they seem intimidating. One recommends using a thermometer (do you stick it in the meat? Or do they mean the kind that sits on the shelf? If you stick it in the meat is it supposed to be 400 degrees--is that possible?)

R63 Are you the OP, or another beginner?

Love this thread. It is fun to remember when I couldn't cook a damn thing (my partner at the time was so pissed off that I thought 'cooking' was broiling a steak and baking a potato, lol) and how I gradually, very gradually learned the basics of making jambalaya (Emeril), stuffed pork roast (Jamie Oliver) and then other cooking shows that didn't make too big a deal of everything. I gained confidence by trying things that weren't too complicated or easy to ruin. The other day I ruined the Mexican Wedding Cookies and so I put the gooey stuff over sliced apples and it came out like apple crisp. Just try--it's a great hobby for covid times. Good luck!

Another beginner.

Lots of failed attempts over the years.

I really love food so my failures bug me.

Smitten Kitchen has a lot of simple recipes, can recommend. She also posts video tutorials often on her IG stories.

Pasta is easy AF.

Just cook in boiling water then add anything to it, especially butter and olive oil.

Veggies, sauce, meat. You can throw anything in, and it can end up a meal.

I consider myself an experienced cook but have found watching YouTube recipe videos have improved my skills. Watch a few videos and study the techniques and how ingredients are combined and used. Start with simple recipes they can help you understand cooking in ways that a printed recipe can't.

R63 If you trust your oven's thermostat, and it's operating correctly, you do not need a thermometer for roast chicken. Man has been roasting birds longer than meat thermometers have existed! You're overthinking it.

Set oven to 425* to preheat, if your oven isn't electronic, give it a good 30 minutes to come up to temp. Place seasoned bird in a roasting pan, and shove in the oven. After fifteen or twenty minutes, turn oven down to 400*. Average size birds from American supermarkets (around 3.5-4lbs) will be done in an hour and 45 minutes, and you can leave in for two hours and there will be little difference. Wait 10 minutes or so before carving.

I prefer it falling off the bone, and it's easier to carve and serve that way. The chicken will not dry out. You don't even need to baste. Shut the door and forget about it. It really is one of the easiest, most foolproof mains, even for a novice.

You can try trussing, spatchcocking, basting, putting compound butters under the skin covering the breast, and stuffing the cavity when you feel more confident. Or not! The chicken will still taste good with plenty of salt and pepper, sage, Thyme, or a proprietary Poultry Seasoning like Bell's. Save pan drippings to make a simple gravy. You don't even need a fancy rack, a large cast iron skillet will suffice if you're just starting out with little equipment.

And you can purchase small containers of flour at many shops. If you're buying flour for thickening/cooking, and not baking, purchase the Wondra brand flour in the canister (looks like breadcrumbs canister).

Be brave.

This thread might prove helpful.

Thank you R70. Someone above said I needed a thermometer.

I do not understand a lot of the terms you are using and I had not even considered making a whole chicken. I probably will do something simpler where I do not have to buy a rack or a cast iron skillet or any special equipment.

R72 (Ernst?), what would you roast a chicken in (since you think of a roasting pan and a cast iron skillet as "special equipment")?

R73, I had not thought about that. I was figuring just chicken parts on a cookie sheet.

I do not have much storage space so all my cookware has to fit in the oven when not in use. I did not know what a roasting pan was until I googled it just now.

And I now know why someone brought up a rack earlier. That would never have occurred to me. I am guessing the meat or fish being roasted has fat drip out.

That is not something I would have thought of. Maybe if I read the recipes more closely that would have picked that up, but on a quick read I did not catch that.

R75 I guess this depends on the recipe but I know some people use a baking dish or Dutch oven, and put either rolled up alu foil or an oven safe plate upside down under whatever they are roasting, to lift it. In some recipes you can just put it straight in a baking dish or Dutch oven.

You can buy cheap aluminum pans for 4 for a dollar at Dollar General. Use once and throw it away, and no one at the potluck steals them!

Thanks R77.

This is the kind of thing that makes me crazy whenever I try cooking something complicated. I just never know what equipment will work and what will not. If I have to buy a roasting pan or dutch oven, I would probably just not try. But if those cheap aluminum pan will work, it is more doable.

And no recipe tells you that.

Those cheap aluminum pans can be a disaster. I was helping a friend get dinner on the table once, and he asked me to slice the ham. I picked it up in one of those aluminum pans and the ham fell right on my shoe, ruining it.

r78, what would you like to learn to make most of all. Just one thing. Maybe we can help you.

The dude? is starting off new. You "cooks" need to KISS.

To be honest, it is hard to narrow it down.

I know fish is hard to cook but if I could make salmon or any other fish I would be happy.

Of course, I am aware that I am going to get ridiculed, but since you were nice enough to ask I felt I had to answer.

I’m a good (microwave) cook.

r78, I heat the oven to 400 to cook salmon. I buy 6-8 oz. pieces which I cook one at a time. I use an enameled cast iron baking dish, but you can use any baking dish, really, in which the salmon will fit. I put a piece of parchment paper on the baking dish. It doesn't have to be neat; you just want the salmon not to stick to the pan. I sprinkle the salmon with S&P, then roast it for eight to ten minutes. You may like it more cooked than I do (I like medium-rare). The rule with fish is roast 10 minutes per inch of height

While it's roasting, you could assemble a salad to eat with it.

You could start cooking some other vegetable on top of the stove before you put the salmon in. I start cutting, then boiling, potatoes for mashed about half an hour before, but this is about the salmon. Learn to get that right before doing sides any more complicated than salad.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for the tips, everyone!

I’ve been trying to learn more lately. We subscribed to Blue Apron and I have totally screwed up a couple of the meals. Also, the other day I was making broccoli soup and it was inedible.

My husband and I were trying to cook and eat at home more. He’s the kind of person who doesn’t even have to look at a recipe, I am the opposite.

I’m going to keep trying! Have a great weekend.

Hi Ernst! How are you doing? Does your 6'6" husband still fuck you often during the pandemic?

Thank you, R83. It does help

I see a lot of recipes refer to parchment paper, but I have never seen it in a grocery store.

Is this actually a grocery item? Or do I get it somewhere else? (I am assuming it is not stationary.)

And when people say "roast" I always assume that mean putting it in the oven as if I were baking. Is that correct?

Julia Child's shit summed up. A.) Start with butter. 1.) Serve the eggs super runny and gross. 2.) Make sure any beef dish is rare and extremely bloody or you'll burn in hell. 3.) Just get plastered with Merlot while you cook.

[quote] I see a lot of recipes refer to parchment paper, but I have never seen it in a grocery store. Is this actually a grocery item?

Yes. I find it in the aisle with wax paper and aluminum foil.

[quote]And when people say "roast" I always assume that mean putting it in the oven as if I were baking. Is that correct?

Yes. It means cooking with dry heat.

Nope

Thank you, R88.

I am one of those people who only knows as much as mother did in the 60s and 70s. So she would put meat on a cookie sheet and called it baking. So I usually assume that roasting, etc involve more than the recipe says, since they rarely come out right when I only do what is in the directions.

R87, You know nothing about Julia Child.

r90, how many people do you cook for?

Usually just myself, R92

[quote] I picked it up in one of those aluminum pans and the ham fell right on my shoe, ruining it.

R79, I can empathize. I'd be pissed if my shoe got ruined. But your post made me LOL, literally. Very DL post.

Re: salmon fillets, thawed overnight

I put it skin side down and turn after about 7 minutes or so. Then the skin comes off easily and I let the other side cook. I don't like the skin but some do. The other day I sauteed (heated up) TJ's frozen peppers and onions and added sliced green olives. I put this on for the last 7 minutes of cooking. It came out looking and tasting great and was so simple.

How long does defrosting usually take?

You "cooks" are really horrible teachers, and you have no clue why.

Parchment paper. Necessary? No.

And then Ernst, or who the fuck ever, has a "husbear" that can cook. His job to teach. Or just be the dishwasher and shut your whining!

You are all annoying on all accounts!

R96, take it out of the freezer and put it in the frig the day before you plan to cook it. You want it completely thawed or it'll cook unevenly. Also, put a little oil on the pan you put in the oven, but not too much because the skin will render some fat.

Bring meat to room temp before cooking.

If your heat is too high, the chicken will stick to the pan.

Ne touche pas - when working pastry you don't want to touch it too much, that will heat up the fat and cause it to melt. Touch with hands as little as possible. Never flatten with hands, always use your rolling pin.

Grease the bottom and never the sides, that way you ensure your cakes will rise.

Soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce... all of these things can be kept in the cupboard at room temperature. Saves space in the fridge.

Always remove the sprout from the garlic. Acid will make it turn an unsightly blue colour.

When making a soup that contains shrimp, use the shells and the heads to flavour the stock. Don't just throw them away.

Likewise with chicken fat and skin. Right into the stock pot.

When zesting citrus fruit for desserts, always toss with sugar and then rub in with hands. Helps to extract the oils from the zest and infuses the sugar. Much richer flavour.

When making things like tzatziki or japanese sunomono or other salads heavy with cucumber, take the cucumber, cut in half, scrape the seeds out with a spoon. then cut into appropriate size pieces, toss with salt and let sit to extract excess water. that way resultant dishes dont end up too watery because salt will cause the cucumber to "bleed" water and dilute the dish.

When doing stock, you don't need to peel vegetables for mirepoix. Use the offcuts. Throw the carrot in whole with peel, leave the onion skin on. Celery just throw the whole stalk in. Make sure to strain with cheesecloth afterward. Always leave the last few tablespoons in the pot because they contain the impurities. Richer flavour. Roasting vegetables first guves you a brown stock. Raw vegetables are for a white stock.

Same goes for roasting meat. No need to chop. Throw the vegetables in whole, maybe quarter the onion. Easier to remove.

Stir frying is done over highest heat. Keep the ingredients moving, don't stop stirring. Browning is not what you want. Just keep stirring. Add ingredients in order of cooking time. Add in small amounts so that heat remains constant. When doing meat, start with that, sear until cooked enough that it doesnt stick, stir fry until just cooked then remove to plate. Then do vegetables, then return meat to pan. Cook for a minute or two to marry flavours amd season adequately.

Never steam items so that the steam touches from the bottom, always steam in a dish, nutrients will be leached into the boiling water. If you can steam items in a sealed vessel placed into the steamer, even better.

When making a fried/rich thai curry with coconut milk, take the cream from the coconut milk and add to pan. Let cook over low heat to crack the cream--make separate into oil and solids. Paste is then fried in that for a few minutes. Then start to ingredients, cook the ingredients in that paste before adding stock and coconut milk.

Never boil stock. Always cook on a lower temperature or else it will become cloudy.

Rip basil by hand and add after cooking. Heat will kill the flavour.

If making a curry paste by hand, always pound in mortar and pestle before adding to food processor to release oils.

A good bechamel is made like a good estouffade. simmered without touching after all ingredients are incorporated. There will be parts stuck to pan but it results in a fuller flavour. White pepper instead of black pepper as to not discolour final product.

When stewing meat: cook until tender THEN season. Allow for absorption. For example. Simmer pork for 1.5 to 2 hours before adding salt.

Adding salt too early will dry out the meat. The meat can still be dry when cooking in liquid.

From a cookbook and good advice, shredded ginger should be like blades of grass. Thin as possible, that way the flavour is maximum and texture is minimum.

When cutting oranges, the easiest way is to quarter them and then cut out the pith in the center by making a slanted cut to remove the stringy middle. That way you waste much less. cut the peel off after cutting the quarters in half to make eight pieces by rolling as you cut.

When using citrus peel to make syrups, cut the peel off the fruit with the knife, then hold on board and make horizontal cuts to remove as much pitch as possible. Press the edge of the knife into the peel as you do this. You can remove 99.9% of pith this way. Throw the entire piece of peel into the syrup or stew afterward. Much easier to remove than shredded "zest" which can add an unpleasant texture to a final dish.

Parboil tofu in salted water before adding to dishes where it will be simmered to toughen it up and reduce breakage.

Use the proper knife for the job. Learn how to properly hold a knife in your hand. Also, learn how to dice vegetables properly. There’s many videos on YouTube to show you how.

Knife skills video so you don’t cut off all your fingers!

When you cut with your knife you use your knuckles to guide it. Fingers should be slightly curled inward. Cut straight up and down.

Sharpening stone is never rubbed on knife. Knife is always applied to stone. Always sharpen with one motion. Never stop. Make sure stone is wet when you do it same motion same angle every time. Never start halfway on stone or knife.

NO circular motions. This is a cooking knife not a samurai's katana.

Jeff Smith has a Drunk Chicken recipe for R31. It turns out great, but picking boiled chicken gets old.

I prefer the covered “NO PEEK” pan fried breast and thighs method - add oil and butter to a hot pan on medium high setting. Place seasoned chicken in pan and turn down to medium. Flip pieces after 1 minute. Turn temp down to low. Put a lid on the pan. Set timer for 10 minutes. @ 10 minute mark, turn off heat. Set timer for 10 minutes. When timer goes off, chicken is done - motherfucking exquisitely done.

We did not peek at the chicken after that flip at the one minute mark. That’s the most important part of this trick.

When you need garlic paste you chop the garlic finely, throw a pinch of course salt on it , then take your knife and scrape the garlic against the board at around a 20 degree angle. The salt will act as an abrasive and help to "puree" the garlic. Press "down" with your blade as you do this.

Use the heel of your palm to press the knife.

If you want to make a fruit flavoured beverage with something like melon or strawberries, never cook the fruit in the syrup, chop the fruit, then pour the syrup over to infuse. This way you preserve as much of the flavour as possible.

R43, don't get overwhelmed, I think there are a lot of people here who mean well but are posting advanced stuff. The key to learning how to cook for most people is to start with very basic things.

I started out teaching myself how to cook by using boxed and prepared foods, which I'm positive most people do, even if no one here admits to it. It's what I recommend for anyone who hasn't really cooked much. Cook for yourself a few times using pre-packaged foods and see if you even want to keep doing that, or possibly advance to making your own. No shame if you don't.

Nowadays there are some meals you can get with all the ingredients picked out for you, sometimes even chopped, so that might also be an option to start out with.

When I started cooking, my bf at the time and I were dead broke, so a nice dinner for us was often something like chili made from two cans of store brand chili and one can of no-salt diced tomatoes. After a while, I started making from scratch, but still used cans of tomatoes, sauce and beans, plus a packet of chili seasoning. From there I went to making my own chili seasoning and cooking my own beans, using different meats and cooking with different methods, but all that progression took years.

And I can tell you from experience that if you reach a point where the cooking seems like a chore and drudgery, you won't do it at all, so you shouldn't pressure yourself into feeling like you have to do anything. Cook what you want on the level you want to be at.

Back in the day I'd suggest getting a really basic cook book by Better Homes & Gardens or a copy of How to Cook Everything, but these days I'd recommend finding easy recipes online and tinkering around. Maybe start with some DL fave Sandra Lee and her semi-homemade stuff, her recipes were the first I tried once I decided I wanted to advance past just heating things up. Rachael Ray gets a lot of flack but her old 30-minute recipes are usually very simple, too.

As for basic equipment, don't spend a lot on things you won't use. Thrift stores are great, and I'd recommend them before getting something cheap at Walmart or even Target, because that stuff will break on you in a hot second. I know this sounds crazy, but I've gotten two good cheap skillets at Menards and Orscheln, both hardware stores.

You'll get a lot of advice like the old "the only spatula you need is a fish spatula" canard, or "Morton kosher salt is the worst salt to use," or even "one $500 knife is worth more than a dozen $50 knives" kind of things, but don't worry about any of it. You'll find out what suits you as you progress.

The blog How sweet eats is a good source of basic recipes and tips too.

Prepare. Don't hurry any step. Follow directions first, alter the next time.

As for ingredients, utensils, equipment, and especially cookware---To paraphrase Vairst Letty: "Buy Best."

I am becoming good.

Lockdown forced me into it and with cooking videos and other tips I have made some very nice meals.

Best tip, NEVER overcook your pasta.

A baking tip, if able, get a scale and measure out ingredients by weight instead of volume. The increased precision goes a long way towards achieving your expected result.

Thank you, R131.

Reading this thread, I am thinking this may not be for me. I do not understand a lot of what is said which does not bode well. I grew up on my mother's unseasoned, flavorless, tough cooking, so I usually think of homecooking as chore to eat anyway. So it is not something I miss.

P.S. I do not know who Erst is and I am single.

R136, I like to cook but can 100% understand that other people simply don't like it. If you decide that you just don't enjoy it, I would recommend you consult with a nutritionist (not kidding) because you will be getting all your food from the "outside" unless you have a "husbear" who will cook for you.

The other thing you could do is "assemble" food, which I do when I am pressed for time. E.g., buy a few cans of black beans, frozen spinach, and feta cheese. I microwave the beans & spinach and then put some cheese on it. (With hot sauce and onion, too.)

Not a fan of the microwave. I do not even own one.

Some frozen vegetables, but mostly fresh just because they taste better fresh.

I mostly avoid meat and fish. When I make it, it never tastes good. Hate the clean up.

No one in my family can make a good meat dish. I think the shadow of our mothers leathery, dry, flavorless chicken, beef, and pork casts a long shadow. None of us ate much fish till we got older because at least my mother knew her limitations there and would not even attempt fish.

I have enjoyed cooking. But I cannot say I have ever really enjoyed eating anything that I cooked. I love food and it is depressing to have a disappointing version of something that was delicious elsewhere.

R112, great tip.

IMO, microwave ovens have gotten an undeserved bad reputation. They're useful and you can adjust the power. No, they're not the tool for everything. Professional chefs and cooks use microwaves. I don't understand the snobby attitude towards microwave ovens. (Not saying you're snobby, R138.)

I had one but ended up just using it to boil water for tea.

Maybe I did not know how to use it, but nothing tasted good coming out of it. The stuff I could heat up in it, is just as good cold.

I don't have enough room for it anyway, especially since it was just a tea kettle to me.

[quote]"Struggle Meals" is now on Hulu. A cook who takes advantage of flavor packets from takeout places. Maybe not fancy but a great place to start.

Frankie Celenza is nerdy-cute.

As much as people will poo-poo it Op, start with Rachel Rays 30 minute meals...youll learn the basics, some shortcuts and build confidence in your skills without spending hours in the kitchen and huge messes...you can then progress to more advanced recipes

Those Pioneer Woman recipes online generally work pretty well. Lots of pictures too (of the food and not her, happily).

Yes I'm a good cook. My idea of one is taking what you have on hand and making something.

I wanted to share a success.

Husband mentioned that he wanted spaghetti. I looked online for an easy recipe and found the one I linked. It called for using the slow cooker. I’ve never used it before, but Husband makes roasts in it all the time, I figured it couldn’t be worse than what I would have otherwise made.

It actually was really good! Husband came home and said it smelled good and asked what it was. He wanted some grilled veggies to go with it. He got out the grill (in the snow) and took care of those.

We have some left over. I’m hoping it holds up for lunch tomorrow!

there you go.

I'm famous in my village for my fried plantains with toasted coconut, pecans, and marshmallow fluff, topped with a generous drizzle of caramel sauce.

Please, you eat dirt.

I love good food and cooking when I feel I have enough free time and am relaxed. But at 58 and living single, even if I had a choice from my fridge in a purchased salmon steak or chicken breasts, I'll still usually go for the dinner bowl of Raisin Bran Cereal because it's so damned easier, less cleanup, and more comforting.

I'm learning a lot from this thead.

More fiber, too, r150!

R103 Read the labels fish sauce and oyster sauce labels say refrigerate after opening.

Keep your recipes simple and use inexpensive ingredients. Teaching yourself how to poach an egg, for example, should be stress free. Eggs are cheap, if you screw it up, try again.

You don't need to invest in a super expensive set of knives. Get a cheap knife sharpener, if your knife cuts through a tomato smoothly, you're good.

A glass baking dish with a lid is your friend. It's easy to clean and very versatile. You can see what you're cooking in your oven and how it's turning out.

I made this fettuccine Alfredo the other day. It was so good and so easy! Just make sure you use the GOOD Parmigiano Reggiano!

Learn about herbs and spices. They can make or break a dish, add interest, make it inedible if used too heavily or with something that it does not marry well with. I've had a few friends and lovers that believed the more herbs and spices added to a dish, the better. Not so at all. It's like over doing it with a spice that heats up a dish. Add too much and it becomes inedible. Knowing what enhances the flavor of something, along with what doesn't and you'll be surprised at what the right seasonings can do for your dishes.

My cooking tastes like feces

Always make your own mayonnaise. If you can’t do that, you are dead to us.

Perfect prime rib, super easy. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Your prime rib roast needs to be at room temp, so take it out of the fridge 2-3 hours before roasting, be sure to pat it dry with paper towels. Add a generous amount of Herbes de Provence to 1 1/2 sticks of soft butter, mix well. Coat the roast entirely with the butter mixture, top, sides, bottom. Generously salt and pepper the roast, you need to use quite a bit of salt. Put the roast uncovered in a roasting pan, bone side down, in the middle of the oven. roast at 500, 5 minutes per pound...then turn the oven off, do not open the oven door for 2 hours. This recipe will give you a perfectly prepared prime rib roast, somewhere between medium and medium rare...pink throughout. You don't need to rest before carving, the roast will be warm, but not piping or sizzling hot. TIP...once I put the roast in the oven, I wait a minute or two to let the oven get back up to 500 before starting the timer...and do not open the oven door! I even put a post it on the oven door so I wouldn't absent mindedly open it.

You just follow a recipe. Never fails. Most even have videos to go along with the directions.

Find something to good. Google online. Pick something with 5 stars

Get the ingredients.

prep the ingredients. (chopping and measuring out)

Follow directions to cook.

Eat.

Rarely goes wrong.

R159, that is not what I would call "super easy" because it seems to raise a lot of questions.

--How do you mix herbs with sticks of butter? Do you melt it or just mush it up? --What do you mean "coat?" Do you pour the butter on? Or soak the meat in the butter? Or do you spread it on like butter on toast? --When you say "salt and pepper the roast" do you mean just pour or grind salt and pepper on the roast? How much is generous?

R160 says to "just follow a recipe" but a good part of the time they do indeed fail. I think it is because the vocabulary is so open to interpretation. A word like "coat" can mean so many different things. That's why people always end up fighting when they try a new recipe together--too much is open to interpretation.

My cookbooks are all older without any video, but maybe R160's suggestion to find recipes with a video accompanying them might be helpful.

I learned to cook when I was a teenager - my mother taught me the basics. Both parents worked, so I would come home from school and prepare dinner every day. It was basic things: roast beef, chicken, pork chops, potatoes, rice and vegetables. But as I grew up, I would tackle more complex recipes. Cooking is not as hard as people think. Start with the basics and work your way up. You can experiment as your gain confidence. As I've gotten older, I've regressed and I now prefer very basic, simple foods again. I don't like overly-spiced or overly salted dishes.

However, if you want to get into baking, such as cakes, cookies, pies, desserts, etc, you need to follow the recipes exactly. Weigh your ingredients. Baking is exact and it involves chemical reactions. It's rather unforgiving.

r161, I stated soft butter, so room temp, not melted. mix the herbs into the soft butter with a fork or spoons, easiest to spread the butter mixture onto to roast with your hands. I said soft butter, so you're not going to be pouring anything.

Clearly some of you lack common sense.

R159's recipe for a beginner cook is so ridiculous. First of all, she's telling an inexperienced cook to start with a cut of meat that costs between $120 and $200.

The 500 oven and let sit for 2 hours only works if you have an oven that is insulated well, and the prime rib is a certain size, neither too large or too small, and it wasn't too chilled when it went into the oven.

A beginner cook needs something more foolproof, with explicit step by step instructions on how to proceed and what results to look for.

A beginner prime rib would be browned outside the oven (possibly inside the oven), then roasted at 250-300F until a meat thermometer registers about 115F to 120F in the dead center of it, which might take 3 to 6 hours depending on size.

Then how do you carve it, R159? What if somebody's piece is underdone, what do you do? Should you rest the meat before cooking it? What about afterwards? WHERE'S THE FUCKING GRAXY, R159?

I did not know what you meant by soft butter. I thought it was something to look for on the box.

Don't worry, this thread has taken away any real hope for making a recipe work. I think you really need someone who knows the vocabulary to be in the room with you.

^^^I thought soft was a type of butter, not a description of temperature.

[quote] However, if you want to get into baking, such as cakes, cookies, pies, desserts, etc, you need to follow the recipes exactly. Weigh your ingredients. Baking is exact and it involves chemical reactions. It's rather unforgiving.

R162, I have to disagree, to some degree. Certain things, like carrot cake, are not so exacting.. I imagine other quick-bread-type things (banana bread) would also be not so exacting. You can vary quantities a little, swap out nuts, dried fruits, etc. I would make sure you have leavening (baking soda / powder / egg), though.

My 5 1/2lb prime rib was on sale for 38.00. The recipe calls for 500 degree oven for 5 minutes per pound, so a 5 pound roast would be 25 minutes, a 10 pound roast would be 50 minutes....get it? The high temp roasting sears the outside of the roast. To carve, just trim off the bones and carve the roast in slices. The sides of the roast are a bit more well done. There are dozens of variations of this recipe on Youtube, again it's super easy.

Mandy & Kathryn Patinkin

Easy = Vague

If you already know how to make it---this will be perfect.

If you never made it before, maybe it will come out okay.

No nut I’m good at eating ass and sucking feet.

You can't get discouraged with failures. Figure out what went wrong and try the recipe again if you really liked it or wanted to make it. I've kept my interest in cooking by taking breaks from it and only cooking when I feel motivated and energetic.

Today I'm excited to make Black eyed peas and rice jambalaya. It's not that difficult, but I'm determined to make it right. Yesterday I made caramel flan and it wasn't difficult, either, but a favorite.

I have a hambone in my freezer and I’m trying to decide what kind of soup or recipe to make with it. R173 Mentioning the Black Eyed Peas made me think a hambone would be good in the recipe for them.

Some very basic things: grill a burger, roast chicken parts, grill a flank steak, bake a potato, cook rice and make scrambled eggs. Try one of these every week and start when you're rested, attentive and not in a rush. If something goes wrong, it's only food and you can try again next week. Everyone screws up in the beginning.

Kitchen essentials; a nonstick omelet pan, a sauce pan, a grill pan, measuring cups, measuring spoons, a silicone spatula, metal tongs, a slotted spoon, a cookie sheet, some mixing bowls, a whisk, a peeler, a colander, a strainer, a can opener, a silicone brush for basting, If you want to get fancy, get a dutch oven, too. This sounds like a huge investment but you can get everything except the cookie sheet, pot and pan at the Dollar Tree for $1 each.

When you decide to upgrade your collection, go to Oxo for small utensils. I think cheap can openers and parers are really annoying. Oxo and Mueller have vegetable choppers that will change your life. It's like a little veggie guillotine that yields perfect cubes of celery and onions.

I haven't specified a cookware brand but I don't think you have to start with the top of the line. Go to Target or Costco and lift the pans and see how comfortable you are with the weight and handles.

The secret of the chicken is the right rub. The flank steak is about marinating and cooking to the right temperature. The rice has to be rinsed first so the starch won't make it glop together. Very hard to mess up a baked potato. An omelet takes time but scrambled eggs are easy peasy; The burger is about the right percentage of fat in the meat and not squashing it so the juices run out. Read about five recipes or look at videos before you attempt each of these. The best will explain the processes--how much heat and for long will it take to get a nice char on your steak or burger without turning the proteins to ash.

Your next thread should be what to stock your pantry with--oils, canned goods, bread crumbs, stock, spices, etc. Maybe you can split quantities with a friend. Martha Stewart has lots of pantry lists.

For knives, go to Amazon and look at their budget recommendations. You can trade up later. Amazon also has a great little thermometer that folds like a switchblade. It's only about 15, You really need it for meat.

Take it slow. Have fun. Forget about your mother's lousy cooking. It has nothing to do with you.

Some very basic things: grill a burger, roast chicken parts, grill a flank steak, bake a potato, cook rice and make scrambled eggs. Try one of these every week and start when you're rested, attentive and not in a rush. If something goes wrong, it's only food and you can try again next week. Everyone screws up in the beginning.

Kitchen essentials; a nonstick omelet pan, a sauce pan, a grill pan, measuring cups, measuring spoons, a silicone spatula, metal tongs, a slotted spoon, a cookie sheet, some mixing bowls, a whisk, a peeler, a colander, a strainer, a can opener, a silicone brush for basting, If you want to get fancy, get a dutch oven, too. This sounds like a huge investment but you can get everything except the cookie sheet, pot and pan at the Dollar Tree for $1 each.

When you decide to upgrade your collection, go to Oxo for small utensils. I think cheap can openers and parers are really annoying. Oxo and Mueller have vegetable choppers that will change your life. It's like a little veggie guillotine that yields perfect cubes of celery and onions.

I haven't specified a cookware brand but I don't think you have to start with the top of the line. Go to Target or Costco and lift the pans and see how comfortable you are with the weight and handles.

The secret of the chicken is the right rub. The flank steak is about marinating and cooking to the right temperature. The rice has to be rinsed first so the starch won't make it glop together. Very hard to mess up a baked potato. An omelet takes time but scrambled eggs are easy peasy; The burger is about the right percentage of fat in the meat and not squashing it so the juices run out. Read about five recipes or look at videos before you attempt each of these. The best will explain the processes--how much heat and for long will it take to get a nice char on your steak or burger without turning the proteins to ash.

Your next thread should be what to stock your pantry with--oils, canned goods, bread crumbs, stock, spices, etc. Maybe you can split quantities with a friend. Martha Stewart has lots of pantry lists.

For knives, go to Amazon and look at their budget recommendations. You can trade up later. Amazon also has a great little thermometer that folds like a switchblade. It's only about 15, You really need it for meat.

Take it slow. Have fun. Forget about your mother's lousy cooking. It has nothing to do with you.

If you have a hambone and like split pea soup, that's the ticket. Very economical. Chop and saute onion, celery and carrots. Add a package of split peas, the hambone and stock. Heat to boiling and simmer for a couple of hours. Remove the bone. If you have an immersion blender, you can puree it but it's not essential. Salt and pepper to taste.

Or you could just throw it all in a pot, r177.

But the reality is that sautéing the mirepoix (diced carrots, onions, celery -- add something else if you want, it rarely hurts) with a neutral oil or butter first, and seasoning them on their own (in the same pot, no need to dirty something else) will elevate the taste of the soup.

Regardless, It's a great use of a hambone and it freezes well.

yea, but for a new cook...

R174, Ham, Navy Bean, and Potato Soup.

[quote] Yesterday I made caramel flan and it wasn't difficult, either, but a favorite.

Creme brulee or burnt creme (cream?) is also super easy & very, very delicious. Minimal ingredients. You do need some small, oven-proof bowls.

Here’s some more info if not already stated:

I am a microwave chef.

I am the bad cook, and reading R183, I ask what the point of this article is.

I think anyone attempting a recipe already knows all this. When recipes go bad it is usually that they are difficult to understand in some way.

Huh...R15 and 16...you can't have him he's mine. I've followed him from the beginning

R186, I wonder why he quit his food truck?

Master a few basic techniques and a few dishes. Rest is detail you can improvise.

Like -

cut vegetables the same size in the same direction.

Start garlic in cold oil and bring the temperature up (you listening r4?)

Don't overcook anything.

Always use only fresh ingredients, especially ginger. Lots of it.

Less is more.

Use MSG. Yes.

Fuck no! My cooking tastes like shit!

R4 - I drop raw chicken breast (no skin) into very, very hot water but before doing so, I always fry onions until they are glossy and then, if the recipe calls for it, crushed garlic. My avogolemon chicken soup always turns out great. What exactly is the point of the roux? Do you use it in stew or soup? I just make some stock and freeze it in cubes.

R187 He was engaged but they broke it off, perhaps they sold the truck or she bought him out???