Artwork by 13-year-old A.L.M.
Think of how much time and money people are willing to spend on food. They’ll wait in drive-thru lines, put up with restaurant’s almost complete reliance on seed oils, and pay high prices for decent tasting food. So if you endeavor to become a good cook, never underestimate the value and importance of what you’re striving to do. We eat several times a day, we look forward to or dread upcoming meals, and the quality of our food even dictates how we look, feel, think, and act.
Eating is a big deal.
If you can eat well and help others do so, the value you’ll bring forth is almost priceless.
If you’re single and want to feed yourself properly and for less money, learning to cook the basics well is useful.
If you’re a woman (or man) who wants to cook the majority of your family’s meals, learning to cook the basics well is essential. One person in a household dedicating themselves to this task makes everyone in the family healthier and happier. It used to be the norm that mom did this and she usually knew how to cook before she got married. The last few generations have not had the traditional homemaking skills of the past. This has left many of us to tackle this task alone and in a hurry.
Growing up, I sometimes cooked for my large family. I would follow a recipe and ask my mom questions as needed. I didn’t practice cooking however, and realized later that while I was willing to spend three hours following a recipe for a cake or homemade pretzels, I didn’t know how to fry an egg or cook a steak. So when I got married and immediately after had twins, I found I had little time to properly learn. As a result my family’s diet suffered. For those who already know how to cook, making simple foods while busy is easy. But when there are a few key things you don’t know, and you have not practiced, it’s common to feel like a failure. And since none of us wants to spend time, money, and energy on failed attempts, it can often lead to quitting before we turn the corner and reap our rewards!
Tips on How to Get Started Learning to Cook
Connect With Your Motivation
Motivation is crucial for many a challenging thing. Surround yourself with the words and mindset related to your goals. Read why home cooked food is best. Listen to podcasts on the topic. Inform yourself with the poor ingredients in restaurant and fast food so you can be influenced away from eating out so often.
Imagine yourself being able to cook well. Envision the scene where you masterfully whip up a favorite meal and set it on the table before yourself, a friend or family member before digging in.
Note how much money you may save by cooking for yourself or family. What would you do with the extra savings?
Know that when you’re in control of ingredients, you are bound to eat better and will improve your health. Do you want to feel healthier? And have more energy? Cooking is customizable to your personal needs and goals.
Resources for Learning
Use YouTube videos if you’re a visual and verbal learner. Use books or online recipe tutorials for beginners if you prefer to read. The best thing for some would be someone to help you learn in person. If you have such a resource, ask them for their help!
Show Up Dressed for the Job
A weird but serious tip I have is to get fully dressed before you cook. At this point, I’ve logged so many hours in the kitchen, I can make lots of meals in a robe, but you likely need a more reliable outfit. And even so, I prefer to be fully dressed or else I find I get sloppy. Soon, you’ll be able to mindlessly cook well but for now, you need to focus and it helps to properly dress for the task. Put on an entire outfit and comfortable shoes. Also, put on an apron. Nothing gets your head on more for food business than an apron. Drink a glass of water, make sure you’re not too hungry, and then get started. I promise this will help. Anything we show up to learn in an official and ready manner helps us do better.
Less is More, at First
It’s fun to create a masterpiece, which takes lots of time and effort, but just like my ability to follow directions well as a teenager didn’t at all translate to feeding my family as a young adult, you need to focus more on every day foods when starting out.
Make a list of essentials you like to eat at meals which you can afford to eat regularly. Every family will have a different list but for mine it looks like this:
Breakfast:
- fried eggs
- scrambled eggs
- bacon
- sausages
- keto pancakes/waffles
Lunch:
- soups
- salads
- keto bread for sandwiches
Dinner:
- casseroles
- stews
- fried or braised beef/fish/pork/chicken cuts
- steamed or sautéed vegetables
Desserts:
- keto cookies/bars/cakes/custards/pies
Drinks:
- tea
- hot cocoa
- eggnog
Action!
Most importantly, you then need to act. Buy a non-stick pan, which is great for beginners. If you want a healthier pan get a stainless steel or cast iron or carbon steel pan. Click here to watch this video about how to make a pan function without any food sticking. Buy a spatula, a mixing bowl, a whisk, and some butter, ghee, lard, or tallow.
Start with eggs. Learn to cook them a few different ways. Master them. If someone comes over for breakfast, give them the nicest eggs of their life!
- Ensure you don’t undercook your eggs (unless that is your aim) by keeping the heat low.
- Don’t overcook eggs. Rubbery eggs are devoid of the tender luxury that eggs have the potential to offer you. Unless you like rubbery eggs that is, then please, proceed, and bless your heart.
- Practice every morning. This consistency will not only give you the repetitions you need to build your cooking muscles but also serve to increase your discipline overall. We need to be able to cook when we don’t feel like it. Even when sick.
- Feed others! This will help you cook more tidily and with care. Most of us naturally put a bit more effort into what we’re cooking and how we’re plating food when doing it for others.
Next
Once you’ve mastered eggs, or whatever first food you started with, move on to another type of food. This could be fresh baked bread, steak, soup, beans–a staple of your choosing. As an example, if you choose bread, try a few different recipes and then master your technique and get into a habit of weekly bread making. If you’re learning how to cook steak, pick one you like, research how it is best cooked, and then practice until you’ve got it down. By selecting foods that make up your regular diet, you will be feeding yourself and loved ones while you learn. It’s tempting to start baking lots of desserts, but limit these so that you can provide sustenance and then have your pleasure with treats. Or alternate between meals and treats, it’s up to you. Just make sure you eat some real food.
Branching Out
You will know when you’re ready to cook and bake more types of foods because you can make the basics without wearing yourself out. Once you’ve mastered a few types of foods, they no longer tax your energy so much and you can make them while chatting up others and even doing some multi-tasking in the kitchen. This stage is magic because it brings comfort and confidence. Singing and dancing in the kitchen? Yes. You can come to enjoy yourself and not mess up dinner. I’m not the most enthusiastic cook but I have become one who feels pleased to be in the kitchen several hours a day. It used to feel like torture but competency breeds contentment.
You Are a Home Chef
From here you continue the journey of one of the most necessary and appreciated skills of all time. Feeding yourself and others well is something you won’t regret. Do take the time to master your personal basics as they can feed you indefinitely. Can anyone ever tire of perfectly cooked eggs and bacon or homemade waffles with fruit compote for breakfast? I doubt it.
Last bit of advice is to keep it simple. You don’t have to have a restaurant menu variety of foods. You can eat many of the same meals over and over again, particularly if you’re choosing highly nutritious foods. You’ll learn to tweak ingredients and flavors over time.
Bon apetite!