I am terrible at cooking and don't know what I'm doing. I can follow many recipes but always awkwardly and I'm sure I'm not doing basic shit right. How I can get better and learn the fundamentals, short of attending classes/cooking school?
I don't own a recipe book, but feel like I am probably missing the tools (both physical tools and fundamental skills) that I'd need to really use a cooking book properly. For example, basic shit like how to use a chef's knife, when to use a cleaver, how to fry food in a pan, how to tell when certain foods are done, how and when to simmer vs boil foods, etc. I'd eventually like to learn when and why to use one spice over another, different ways to cook different foods, what foods go well together and so forth, but really what I need most right now are cooking skills and knowledge of how to use different kitchen tools.
>I am probably missing the tools (both physical tools and fundamental skills) that I'd need to really use a cooking book properly so, you can't read?
William Brown
The most important thing is learning cooking techniques. Don't worry about chopping skills or what knife you are using right now. The most important thing is learning how to properly cook things. Watch YouTube videos on learning how to sear, look at charts that tell you how much heat/time you need to cook different foods. Don't be an idiot and try to cook everything on top of the stove. Learn to oven finish. Don't be a slave to teflon. Learn to use a cast iron skillet, and also learn what NOT to cook in it. Also learn to clean and maintain it.
Juan Long
Google's results are a bunch of magazine articles with random suggestions. I am not looking for someone to tell me to buy parchment paper or freeze an extra loaf of bread when I find something I like on sale. I'm looking for direction in where I should go to learn the fundamentals, outside of a cooking school.
How would you suggest someone learn different cooking techniques? I've come to realize that my parents aren't really much help. My mother can cook up meat, vegetables and potatoes, which I can do just fine, but that's about it. My father just puts everything on the grill, even when there is really no need to grill it, like whole ears of unshucked corn and chopped broccoli. I really don't know anyone who is good at cooking who could teach me the basics around a kitchen. Do you have anyone you recommend on Youtube?
Joshua Morris
Ask your mom AND/OR Watch PBS cooking shows
Zachary Reyes
Maybe I should phrase my question like this: "I don't know what I don't know. How can I begin to learn what I need to know?"
For example, I have been reading some posts on cooking forums about chef's knives (wanted to buy a good one with Christmas money) and people mentioned the pinch grip. That was literally the first time I heard the term. I read some conversations about cutting boards and someone mentioned mise en place. Again, first time exposure to this term. I can't even imagine the scope of what I don't know.
What I need, probably more than anything, is a syllabus, or some sort of overview of various types of cooking, various techniques and whatever else I need to know. A book would be nice, but I feel like it would need to be severely supplemented with a professional video of some sort. I can pick up tidbits from reading cooking forums, watching cooking TV shows, but at the end of the day, I'll still be lacking many fundamentals. Again, my parents are of little help due to their own lack of expertise. I'm sure I would learn a lot by attending any sort of cooking classes, but don't have the time or money right now.
Oliver Turner
Not op. I'm trying to learn how to cook on a wok. My roommates complain about the smoke and keep saying I suck at it. Apparently I'm using too much heat? Help
Colton Hill
I'd suggest looking for "The Joy of Cooking" and for Juila Childs "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". Both go (relatively) in depth about damn near everything you'd need to know about beginning to cook for yourself. Also it's not too much of an exaggeration to say once you've got the basics of French techniques down you're better equipped than 80% of home cooks, as it translates fairly well into almost anything else you'd want to make.
Adrian Ramirez
I suppose you could follow the videos on "food-tube". Emulate what they're doing for the first while.
OP, you can get by with 3 knives, really, and what veggies or meat to use them on will make sense to you by size, or else knowing that a crust does well with serration if the center is softer. 8 or 10" chef knife paring knife serrated bread knife Bend your knuckles/use the knife properly to avoid injury. You see, there's like 1/4 inch of nerve deficit or response time in those fingertips, so tuck them away. How to cut? What is the difference between dice, mince, slice, whatever? Get a basic cookbook. There's a reason there is a top 10 list for wedding gifts include 1 of 4 cookbooks. They contain the techniques and the basic recipes, including some etiquette: Joy of Cooking, Julia Child's Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, and most recently How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman.
After you get into some world cuisine, you'll be buying an Indian cookbook, Italian, French, English, Spanish, Mexican....and eventually some spice profiles just make sense from recipes you've tried. Don't try to master that all at once, just make one meal after another. Or duplicate things you like in restaurants. Tell yourself "I'm going to make pho soup" and research it online and just do it. By the way, probably the best website for tested recipes from top chefs you can trust is epicurious, which is a Gourmet and Bon Apetit archive. Ignore allrecipes, which is an aggregator from bloggers.
Asher Nelson
Good Eats
Christopher Mitchell
1. Don't rush. Don't try to cut like pro chefs, don't try to toss things in a pan. Basically don't try to imitate fancy techniques you see. Take your time and practice. It doesn't have to be perfect at first. The more you cook, the more confidence you can take in your own abilities. Learn one technique at a time until you feel comfortable, then go to the next. Remember, even the biggest chefs were complete retards at the very beginning. The skill ceiling may be high, but everyone was at the bottom when starting to cook.
2. Tools: You need only a few to start out. Chefs knife can be used almost universally. Smaller knife (paring knife) for finer stuff or for peeling fruits and veggies. Serrated knife for anything with a crust or hard shell like bread, pineapples, crusty meat etc. A big wooden/plastic cutting board, a grater, a whisk, some pans and pots, some wooden spoons (to mix), bowls of various sizes, measuring cups, maybe some bowls,a weight scale, some aluminium foil/glad wrap and you should be good to go. Depending on the dishes you are going to make, you may need more/les.
3. Learn to create simple dishes and learn your way up. Go to Jamie Oliver/Gordon Ramsay/Food Wishes or any channel that is appealing to you. Choose a recipe that you think you can recreate. Compare the result with the recipe. Looks and tastes like shit? Spot the differences and adjust accordingly for the next time. Tastes good but looks like dog food? No worries, after a few tries you will become more skilled and you will look out for presentation. Looks good, tastes like sewage but you did everything correctly? No biggie, either you just didn't like it or the recipe is just bad. Not every recipe is for everyone. I tried a recipe from Gordon today and i was lucky that i didn't puke (FYI it was the oven-baked, saltcrust pineapple with basilicum mascarpone. Just horrible).
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Adam Stewart
>wooden/plastic cutting board i'd go with plastic if he'd only get one for getting started. i don't know if i'm being paranoid, but i don't cut raw meat on my wooden board
Jason Miller
4. Dont try to imitate restaurants. They use salt, oils and seasonings excessively. Good to eat them once in a while but unhealthy (usually) if eaten too often.
5. IMPROVISE. You want to eat something, but money is tight or you need some ingredients for a recipe and you think that you can't make it? Improvisation is the key to it. Use leftovers as ingedients, substitute missing ingredients and try out stuff in general. You learn more from your mistakes than from cooking a single dish to perfection.
6. No recipe is perfect. You can always improve your dishes. Try putting something extra or substitute it. Also, having pride in your cooking is in my eyes a bad attribute to have. There is always something better than your so-called signature dish. Listen to other people's recipes. You may find something you like. Or not. Try their recipe. Perhaps its unexpectedly good.
7. If you are short on time, it's no shame to use processed ingredients, like tomato sauce or stock cubes. If you have more time on your hands, try to make some homemade stuff, like pizza dough, bread, jam, tomato sauce, spice mix etc.
8. Try to limit you dishes to 1-2 cuisines. Obviously, you should start from your local cuisine and, assuming you are living in a western country, european cuisine. Then aim for neighbouring cuisines. Don't just go straight for japanese cuisine if you dont plan on committing yourself in cooking regularly jap. dishes. Aim for cuisines which have similar basic ingredients which you can buy from your local supermarket.
Carson Green
>having pride in your cooking is in my eyes a bad attribute to have. There is always something better than your so-called signature dish seconding this. there is nothing worse for getting better at cooking than to think you actually "mastered" a dish. always keep your eyes open so you can get even better over time. this goes for everything in life, btw
Eli Adams
>i don't cut raw meat on my wooden board I don't either. I have a set of 4 plastic flexible boards, though I have two great wooden boards, I'd rather clean the plastic, or slide it into the back of my dishwasher 90% of the time when I'm doing some raw meat.
Aiden Baker
As long as you are very thorough when cleaning your cutting board, you should be fine. Restaurants usually have aplastic cutting board exclusively for raw meat and one extra only for chicken but that's because it's regulated kitchen hygene for restaurants. I use wooden boards, because i like them more but i am disinfecting them after each use. The advantages of plastic ones are the price and the fact that they are usually dishwasher safe, so you don't have to give a fuck.
Charles Scott
This is great advice right here. Well done user.
Carson Torres
OP here. Thanks for the advice.
Adrian Turner
You can actually get a long way with salt and pepper. Don't be afraid to use it.
Heat = flavour
Maillard reactions nigga.
Try this, preheat a pan on high with oil until it smokes a little, and put one on simmer temp with oil. Cook a little slice of steak in each one, see which one tastes better. Browned meat = tasty meat.
Don't buy recipe books, there are more good free recipes online than you could ever cook. Also when looking for online recipes always make sure they have many reviews that are highly rated.
The suggestion to use youtube videos to learn skills is also a good one.
Josiah Peterson
I literally do this for a living, and make good money
This is why chefs are so highly regarded.
90% of people are completely fucking retarded and cannot cook
>protip: its not hard to cook, you are just braindead.
Anthony Rivera
Great contribution.
Jonathan Phillips
Watch a bunch of gordon ramsay videos
Aiden Sanchez
Literally just watch cooking videos and start trying recipes. You might suck at first but just don't practice on anything expensive and it'll be fine. It's a lot cheaper than failing at culinary school.
Here, I'll link you some of the cooks/chefs I watch on youtube. I have shit taste but if you haven't watched much it's a place to start.
youtube.com/user/foodwishes (Somewhat popular here. actual chef but makes everyday and complicated foods) youtube.com/user/Maangchi (Korean food, traditional to modern) youtube.com/user/cookingwithdog (Japanese food. RIP Francis) youtube.com/channel/UCekQr9znsk2vWxBo3YiLq2w (Comedy, but actual simple recipes for mediocre-to-bad cooks) www.youtube.com/user/jastownsendandson (Historical recipes, mostly weird shit but interesting old techniques) www.youtube.com/user/hilahcooking (A variety of recipes, but she's from texas) www.youtube.com/user/runnyrunny999/ (Very simple stuff, dude's Japanese but has a variety of recipes) www.youtube.com/user/JunsKitchen/ (Mostly just shows off his knife techniques but there is a cute cat)
Half of these I'm not even subscribed too but I've enjoyed at least some of their videos, and you should honestly just watch a shitload of everything from amateurs to actual chefs.
this channel has lots of recipes you can try. It tells you exactly what to do and what ingredients to use.
The vids are short and to the point and if they're TOO short then the recipe is also in the info below the vid
Ive made a few from there, came out pretty good.
Hudson Gonzalez
>RIP Francis wh-what ? please say it ain't so
Jackson Bell
Yeah dude, you're gonna need to buy some stuff to cook. It's not very many things but you need a couple pots and pans, a couple knives, and a few gadgets. Gadgets that will apply to many different tasks. Never buy any unitaskers. Look up a set of kitchen tools on Amazon. Don't overcomplicate things, just stick to a few basics that can be applied to everything. Grater, whisk, spatulas and tongs.
For instance in your pic, what does he have? One pan, one knife, a whisk, cutting board, and a bunch of bowls.
Mise en place will definitely help you when you're following along with a recipe. Prof kitchens have tons of food preps but you gotta do all that shit yourself before you start cooking.
Above all, it just takes practice. Keep trying and figure out what you can do to improve next time you cook.
Henry Ross
If all you have is a microwave to vent the smoke, it's gonna stink. You kinda need a ventilation system if you're cooking shit on high heat, like woks are meant to. Also you need to use a gas range if you're using a wok. Electric/induction just don't work the same.
Gavin Lewis
Another thing that never gets said. You have to do all the jobs in the back of the house by yourself. That includes dish washer. The easiest way is to clean as you go. As soon as you're done with a bowl or whatever, rinse it off and stick it in the dishwasher/drying rack. Don't leave a huge pile of dishes in the sink that you're not going to want to clean. You gotta leave your kitchen clean each time you cook so you'll be more likely to cook again. It's part of the "tao" of cooking.
