learning to cook?

[Functional]

In my near mid life period I've really started enjoying cooking. My issue is I don't know anything other than some really basic stuff and following recipes. I can usually pull off what I find online but I don't know "why" certain things/flavors went together and what other methods are available to try stuff on my own.

 

I looked into community classes and since its mostly lab stuff its all in person 1 full day a week. Having a full time job and 2 kids at home its not possible to do it that way.

 

Any of you have better suggestions on how to get some guidance to learn more about all of this?

[gim]

Trial and error.  Don't try to make it too complicated at first.  Start with the main course which is usually some kind of protein and add a side to it.  Then add a vegetable.  You'll find out which meals you generally like and which ones you don't.  And which ones take more time and prep.  I make a grocery list every week before I go based on which meals I plan to make the following week.

 

I started cooking when I was in HS because my parents required that I learn how to, and make a meal for the family once per week.

 

"You wanna live here, you contribute to meals and chores.  Or there's the door."  I chose to start cooking lol

[padlin]

For me it’s trial and error. Find something I want to be able to make, find a recipe that sounds and looks good, has ingredients that I have, and make it according to the recipe. Try it out and make notes on what to change next time. I have a spring clip binder and a small notebook and use both. Many time I toss the recipe and try another, sometimes it just needs some tweaks.

Mostly I find ideas when we travel. We make a point of eating where we can get good local dishes, the ones we like we try to learn after we get home. It helps a lot when you know what you are trying to recreate.

[Tennessee Boy]

I’ve enjoyed cooking for a long time.  I’ve recently started using a very modern approach to recipes.  I use ChatGPT AI.  You can ask it for recipes and discuss the results with it.   I had a bunch of mint growing in a pot last year.   I discussed with ChatGPT the many ways I could use it to make Chocolate Mint ice cream and ended up with the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted.   
 

Warning:  If ChatGPT decides to take over the world as some have warned it could,  it might start by poisoning you. 😆

[A-Jay]

My Dad's side of the Family is Italian.

His Mom made everything from scratch.

She taught my mother how to 'cook'.

I like to eat so I hung out with Mom, and she taught me. 

I was happy.

I still have her 'cook book'.  (like gold Jerry, Gold) 

My wife's Uncle Jerry tells everyone he learned to cook in self defense.

 

"Cooking is the gift you give yourself and those you love.”

A-Jay

 

[Tennessee Boy]

4 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

"Cooking is the gift you give yourself and those you love.”

A-Jay

Oh that’s good.

[gim]

22 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

like gold Jerry, Gold

 

[Catt]

58 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

"Cooking is the gift you give yourself and those you love.”

A-Jay

 

My Father's Day present, my Birthday present, & my Christmas present is all the kids/families home safe & I cook for em.

 

I'm the cheif cook & bottle washer around here!

 

I find YouTube to be helpful but like everything on the world wide web ya gotta sort through some.

[Mobasser]

Trial and error. Start with some easy recipes your family will like. Most of the secret to cooking is heat control.

[Jar11591]

I recommend taking a scientific approach, and read the book called “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat”. It doesn’t just cover which ingredients go together, it goes over the science of why flavor, texture, and other combinations work or don’t work. I consider this learning to cook, rather than just following recipes. Once you know how and why things compliment each other, you can create your own recipes. This is what I consider to be the basis of actually creating a dish, rather than just reading a recipe that someone else created and following instructions they’ve written down. Creating a dish from scratch that turns out delicious is so rewarding. 

[TnRiver46]

@Jar11591, my wife likes that book and I think there’s also a Netflix series by the same name. I’m in charge of eating 

[fin]

 

Gore???

 

2 hours ago, padlin said:

Find something I want to be able to make, find a recipe that sounds and looks good, has ingredients that I have, and make it according to the recipe. Try it out and make notes on what to change next time.

 

This is what made the biggest change to my cooking. I used to try recipes, get discouraged, give up and eat out, then repeat. That's a recipe for disaster. I don't have a lot of recipes, but I have perfected the ones I have, at least to my taste.

[Jar11591]

@TnRiver46 I’ll have to check the show out. The book is great. 
 

@fin I suspect the “gore” rating is for animal carcasses being prepared or something along those lines. Don’t want people being traumatized seeing a terrifying raw chicken leg 

[TnRiver46]

@fin, pretty sure that’s the one ! I’ve had to sit thru it 😂 , thank god for bass resource so I can read about fishing while it plays 

[Catt]

[Functional]

@Jar11591 thank you I'll be looking to pick that up. The more scientific approach is what I was going to gain. Not to sell myself short but I can definitely cook like a normal person. I do 95% of my houses cooking because it works best for our schedules and I enjoy it. Also thanks @TnRiver46 now I have a new show to watch. 

 

My goal is to be able to 1) look at what we have on hand and use it to the best of my ability (makes picking an online recipe tough) and 2) being in the mood for say fish and habanero peppers and being able to come up with something good. 

 

@Catt going to have to save those cooks for a night the wife is out of the house 😂. She a bit more vanilla when it comes to food but I'm turning her around. 

[VolFan]

I’ve been cooking since I was about 6. Mom worked overnight, dad during the day and there was some overlap so somehow I ended up doing a lot of cooking. I had the Betty Crocker/Better Homes and Gardens red and white checkered cookbook as my reference. I love to cook and even did it professionally for a few years. The America’s Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook is the single best reference for how and what to cook how. I use if for ideas, motivation, and reference. Buy that and read it. It will make a world of difference and you can tell what you’re interested in.

[J Francho]

There's plenty of bad YouTube videos out there. If you can get PBS, check America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Country, Milk Street, Patti Finnish, and Lidia. Those shows all have cooking books that more than just recipes. The book mentioned above is pretty solid as well. 

[MediumMouthBass]

Despite what you might have heard cooking is very easy! Making food that tastes good is the hard part.😂

 

I started cooking at a young age (just basic things). But for many years i didnt cook and ate almost all of my meals at fast food places or dozens of local restaurant chains, and it got expensive but also extremely unhealthy.

I would go out an eat 2000-5000 calories in just 1 meal, i never counted calories but now i do several times a day. When its bulking season i only eat 2600-3500 calories in total for the whole day split into 5 meals (3500 divided by 5 is 700 calories per meal). Its extremely unhealthy to eat at most places these days.

So i had to do something, i started wanting to make healthier meals at home but i also wanted to eat the same food that i really enjoyed so i found copy cat recipes from the restaurant chains i ate at quite alot. I would change the recipe either slightly or alot, to make it conform to my diet (as much protein as possible while reducing the excessive amount of carbs sugar and calories they had).

 

Example: I could make a $20 dinner for $5-8 and have it go from 3500 calories to 1200 calories.

Cooking is a great way to save money if done properly, (check several different stores prices and compare, sign up for their coupons and deals and make lists). And also you know whats being put into your body, and can control its calories, fat, carbs, sugars, protein, etc....

 

From doing this for awhile, along with watching several cooking tv shows (some entertaining and some educational) i picked up quite a bit. Following the recipes is a good way to start off, and gives you quite a base to build on.

What i would suggest is to put cooking shows on in the background while you are doing something else, the human mind is amazing and youll retain some of the info.

If you are too busy for that put in earbuds/headphones and listen to a cooking podcast, read books. As many books as you can. Eventually you will realize how much of this or that you need, how this will make that taste, and then create your own food from scratch.

 

You can also find groups nearby that teach cooking, not just colleges and schools do it.

[Functional]

@MediumMouthBass I didn't even think of podcasts. Got 45 minute commute each way. Any recommendations I can take a listen to?

[MediumMouthBass]

@Functional sorry i dont, i havent used podcasts for cooking but im sure there are some good ones.

[casts_by_fly]

One resource not noted yet is serious eats and the food lab. Kenji is no longer there but they have kept his articles up.  Everything he’s written is gold. A few of the others on staff have good stuff. Read through it to learn the ‘why’. 
 

https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-5118015

 

as to general approach, trial and error. Pick some recipes, learn some techniques, master some basics per a recipe.  Then experiment. Making a vinaigrette salad dressing?  Try lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, and rice wine vinegar. You’ll see the differences between the flavors and learn what you like. Want to make a great sauce?  Pick a ‘mother’ sauce that you like the flavor of and make it. Then try a variation next time. 

[PondProwler9000]

Youtube, cooking blogs and forums... go figure. That ChatGPT sounds really cool.

My personsal favorite...

https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/

[Deephaven]

First tackle knife skills.  Seriously the most important thing.  If I laid out a recipe for you and it took 3 hours to prep you won't make it.  Once you can prep like a beast the rest comes so much easier.

2nd learn how to salt.  This is step 1 for most cooking schools.  Kosher only and anytime you add anything you season 

3rd make sure to follow mies en place.  Prep everything first then cook.

 

After that it depends a bit on what cuisine and things you want to make.  

I have one other i would add that many would argue, but learn how to cook most things on really high.  You have to be attentive but it builds great flavor.  Some things, like eggs, you wouldn't do that in general but most proteins need the maillard reaction to taste good.

 

On that domain, as you look at recipes if there is fat and no acid it is not a well rounded recipe.  90% of YouTube is bad and sorting through it is tough.

[Catt]

3 I like on YouTube 

Jacques Pepin

Emeril Lagasse

Justin Wilson