Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Teaching Yourself to Cook: a short list of advice


Its not ideal but I'm teaching myself to cook and learning to love it as I get better at it.  I'm not a person that naturally loves to cook or a person who hates it.  My mom never taught me how because she didn't much care for it and it took me until now in life to realize she pretty much has 12 recipes that she has rotated out in different orders for my entire life.  My sister loves to cook and is naturally good at it and it comes easy to her.  I'm stuck somewhere in the middle.  I love the idea of cooking but I don't know much.  My dads side of the family is Cajun and everything happens around a table in their life, my Aunt Shirley can make something in 2 min that it would take me all day to make.  So at the age of 34 Im learning to cook and am on the verge of loving it but not quite yet but here is a little advise I have learned so far.

1. Pull your hair back - I don't care how great your food is if someone finds a hair in it none of that hard work matters.  Put your hair up or pull it back or something.

2. Give it time - It wont take as long the second time you make a recipe and it will take half that time the third time and eventually your flying through it.

3.  Keep a book (or Blog) of recipes you like -  I have started one for fast and easy and one for takes awhile but turns out delicious

4.  Get good Kitchen Soap - I never washed my hands so much until i really started cooking.

5.  Invest in at least one good knife - I was given a Cutco and I really think it was the turning point for me to be able to enjoy cooking.  It makes everything soooo much easier!

6.  Don't wear nice clothes to cook in - come on your not on food network.  Get comfortable and wear something you can get messy in.  Its probably going to happen so be prepared.

7.  Get a conversion list for measurements - I have one on this blog somewhere. I use it and its simple and I printed it and laminated it and keep it on the inside of my cabinet in a plastic sheath and pull it out when needed.

8. Cook stuff other people like - so you don't have to eat 12 pots of beans by yourself!

9.  When you mess up laugh about it. Its going to happen.

Thats all I have for now but i'm betting I'll think of more as soon as I publish this.

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