What's the best way to learn to cook?!


Question: What's the best way to learn to cook!?
How did you learn!?Www@FoodAQ@Com


Answers:
I am excited to be able to answer this for you!

I started cooking for my family when I was a teenager - I would use some of my mom's cookbooks, trying new things every chance I got!. My mom loved it because she got the night off, and my dad loved it because there were new and different things all the time!.

A lot of my experience has come from just practicing, and being willing to try new things!. Of course, you want to start with simple, basic recipes!. This will help to increase your confidence, and prepare you for more complex things in time!.

If you don't have any cookbooks, I'd suggest that you look for OLD cookbooks at thrift stores and garage sales!. This is where you will find tried and true recipes to help get you started!. I don't recommend looking online for recipes because it is WAY TO EASY to get sucked in too deep too fast - there's just too many choices for a beginner - it can be scary! On TV, however, Alton Brown's show called Good Eats is an excellent source of basic cooking knowlege (with scientific back-up)!.

Good luck!Www@FoodAQ@Com

Buy the joy of cooking and try to cook things!. I failed miserably at first, but learned how some of the steps I skipped (because why would I need to refridgerate the dough) were very importatnt!. also, learn how to cook individual ingredients and see what they need!. Like, broccoli needs to be gently steamed or cooked lightly!. You will begin to recognize smells of when something is done and the sounds of the heat being on too high, etc!. I would suggest learning or trying to learn how to make pancakes from scratch, doing a stir fry, baking chicken, and making a soup fro scratch!. You will hopefully fail at some things and begin to learn a bit about the chemistry of cooking!. I still have much to learn, but I am beginning to understand why I fail when I do and then I know better for next time!. I also hate cooking from recipes, but they are a great place to start!. You should also do a little exploring of ingredients!. My husband and I like to go to the store and smell the spices!. This is easier at a health food store where the spices are in bulk and they have big jars of things!. I cook a lot by smell!. First, I smell what I already have, then I smell something else to see if it will match!. Go light on the spices, though!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Read simple receip books!. It tells you step by step what you put into the thing your cooking!.

Start out by cooking simple things like boiling a potato so you can make mash potato, or how to cook an egg things like that and when you get the hang of that you can move to actually making a meal!. Good luck an props to you for wanting to learn and when you do it will be fun and come very easy to you!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Well!.!.!.I learned from my mother ( in Germany)!. I was 3 or 4 years old and my mother just put me in the kitchen, on the bench in front of the kitchen table and let me play with all the ingredients!. She explained how to use them and she let me make the doughs or mix something together and so on!. Until I grew and could do more important work like cutting veggies or anything else that had to be cut and then later on she let me use the stove and the oven to try out my own!. Mostly it came out great!. Now I am a passionate cook and baker and there is nothing I don't try!. I even invent my own recipes which I will put in a cook book and it is close to be published!. I traveled a lot and use everything I have learned in other countries into my creations!.

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I learned a lot from watching cooking shows on TV and reading cook books, but it can't compare to what I've learned in culinary school!. If you want to cook professionally, you don't necessarily have to go, but it will help you move up a whole lot faster in the industry!. If you don't want to cook professionally, you can still take community cooking classes at your local culinary school, or at William Sonoma, Whole Foods, etc!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

I started cooking after I got married since as a kid, I helped my father outside on the farm rather than my mother indoors with house stuff!. Most every can, box or bag of ingredients has a recipe on it!. When you are shopping, pick one that looks good, get the stuff for it and try it, following the directions exactly!. also, read cook books!. The good ones have lots of information in them, cooking terminology, measuring tricks, etc!. also, watch the food channel!. I recommend Good Eats and Emeril Lagasse and anything with Tyler FLorence in it!. Most of the Food TV channel has great informative stuff!. also, cook, cook , cook!. Yeah, you will make some mistakes, probably some really doozies but that is what the dog(or the trash) is for!LOL Start simple and go from there!. Does your mom or grandma like to cook!? Ask them for help and to teach some basics!. also, check local community colleges!. they sometimes offer adult courses and some could involve cooking!. have fun!. I love to cook now and became a chef, even though I couldn't fry an egg till my husband showed me how!!Www@FoodAQ@Com

The best way to learn to cook is to cook!. Get a cookbook for beginners or a basic one and choose something that you understand!. Salads are a good place to start!. Roasting a chicken isn't hard!. Keep trying!. Before you know it you'll know how to cook!. You'll make mistakes, we all do, but don't give up!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

foodtv!.com or allrecipes!.com

Have a look at those to get some ideas!. they even have a difficulty rating system, so start with the easier ones!. learn what you like, what you dont, and especially you will learn what spices work with what!. From there, you will just get ideas on your own, it's crazy!.

I would suggest mexican cuisine to start, as many items are easier to make, and many ingredients are easy to find unless you live in a small town!. Start with quesadillas with a homemade guacamole, and work your way up to pupusas, mole chicken and tamales as you get more comfortable!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

I was always interested!. I guess I learned the basics from my mom!. But mostly I am self-taught!. I love to eat!. I love to take care of other people My senses of smell and taste are also pretty good, so a lot of it is coming up with an idea and trying to make it happen!.

If you're new to it and don't have a mom/neighbor/friend who can show you the ropes, turn on the TV and watch Food Network and then grab How to Cook Everything from the library!. Happy cooking!Www@FoodAQ@Com

i learned to cook from watching and helping my mom cook all my life!. i love cooking! the best way is to just grab a cookbook (probably one with the guide at the front) and make sureyou have whats on your list and get going! I love to experiment!.!.!. I know enough about spices and herbs to test them out where they arent required!. or sometimes, i just take a bunch of ingredients that are hanging in my cupboard (random things) and try new dishes!.

the more you cook the better you get!Www@FoodAQ@Com

I think the best way to cook is through watching others!. I personally have learned throughout my entire life by watching my parents!. I also used to watch the food network a lot, so that taught me some too!. Now i learn even more by trying new recipes!

Remember practice makes perfect! =)Www@FoodAQ@Com

just to do it and learn from your mistakes i started at nine because my mom was in a bad car accident and now I'm 17 and i think I'm a Dont good cook just follow the instruction's and as you get better note what you like and don't like and you change it next timeWww@FoodAQ@Com

Watch a few shows, I like PBS ones the best because they are simple and traditional!. Than just do it!. You have at least 3 times a day to practice, every day for the rest of your life!.
Always think "What do I taste" and "how can I make this better next time!."
I like to follow these three rules (unofficial Italian rules)
1!. Get the best ingrediants, fresh and in season!.
2!. Prepair them simply so you can taste them!.
3!. And dont screw up (ie dont burn them or put too much salt ect!.)

Edit: Best books!.
Mark Bittman's "How to cook everything"
Check out his quick demostrations on
http://topics!.nytimes!.com/top/reference/!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Hands on is always the best way!.
I can't stress this enough!.
We have a restaurant and gourmet market
( thesandybutler!.com) ( check it out) and when a person interviews and tells us he went to "Johnson and Wales" or the American Culinary Institute" we always put his app on the bottom of the pile!.
When a person comes in with a resume of restaurants he cooked in, then we're interested!.
Start from the bottom!.
Become a prep person!.
Then go from there!.
Pick out a nice restaurant and not a chain( if you can)!.

The best part,
you get paid to learn!Www@FoodAQ@Com

Cookbooks and cooking shows helped me!. The shows give you a nice visual on how things should be looking, and the books provide you with the technical stuff!. The Food Network is great for me!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Watch/helping my mother!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.joined 4-H!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.trial & error!.!.!.!.!.experience (best teacher)!.!.!.!.!.cookbooks!.

When I was learning!.!.!.!.didn't have 'all these cooking shiows' on TV!.!.!.!.(did have TV!.!.!.!.!.but only limited channels!.!.!.4!.!.!.!.I think!.!.!.!.no cable/satelite!.!.!.!.!.the 'good old days')Www@FoodAQ@Com

In the kitchen with my mom and grandmother!. Its just trial and error!. You can get some cook books to help like cooking for dummies !. Good luck!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

watch the food network
it gets you inspired!.
i started cooking by watching that!.
or start with some simple food
cooking classes never really workWww@FoodAQ@Com

Practice, practice!.!.!.!.it worked for me!. Good luck!Www@FoodAQ@Com





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