How did I learn how to cook/How did you learn to cook?

[IamFogHat]

I've been wanting to learn how to cook/bake/bbq for a while now, one because my girl doesn't cook and two cause I just genuinely think it would be an enjoyable and satisfying skill to have. Where did you cooks learn your craft, any tips for a guy who wants to learn?

[Chimee]

I read the back of the frozen pizza box.

[ANC]

I pretty much learned from watching my grandparents and my mother.. Then I went on to be a caterer and a butcher on weekends in high school.

If you're looking to get into it definitey watch some Food Network and try out some recipes you find.

Alton Brown has a great book with the essentials of cooking that should give you a good starting point. It called "I'm Just Here for the Food". You can pick it up here (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1584790830)

[Thebazile78]

I used to only be able to make canned soup and pasta.

That got really boring really fast.

Then, when I lived with my Orthodox Jewish friend, canned soup got really pricey.

So ... we both would enjoy watching Food Network.

I started looking at the recipes from 30-Minute Meals ... and those were among the first recipes I didn't screw up. So I built up my confidence using those recipes and now I feel like I can tackle anything. Also because that first year we lived together I tackled my mom's cookie recipes ... it's probably a testament to how emotionally fragile I was after 9/11 that I was able to spend a week plus mixing complicated cookie doughs and painting dozens upon dozens of gingerbread cookies with royal icing. (My Dit helped. She painted the camels from the Nativity set. No, I am not making that up.)

One of my current "standards" is a vodka-cream pasta sauce that I serve with penne .. in Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals 2, it's called the "You Won't Be Single for Long Vodka Cream Pasta." Despite the cutesy name, it's one of the hubby's favorite dishes.

[jauble]

Complete accident on my part, I just got a little older and hated eating the traditional college food. Find a flavor you like and start small and then branch out but dont be afraid to experiment (editors note: do not experiment while baking, follow directions to the t). As far as bbq is concerned read up a little but same thing experiment and dont be scared (do make sure it is cooked all the way through so grab yourself a meat thermometer). Good luck and if you have more questions I (and all the talented cooks of ronfez.net) am only a pm away.

[mikeyboy]

I just ask people on this board how to cook stuff.

[IamFogHat]

Before I get called out on it, this thread title should start with "How do I learn," not how did I learn.

[TooLowBrow]

I wait for mikeyboy to ask people on this board how to cook stuff.

[weekapaugjz]

i spent a lot of time growing up in the kitchen watching and helping my mom and my grandma. ive always enjoyed good food and the effort that goes into it.

pick up a cheap cookbook and start using some of those recipes and cater them to your own tastes. the more time you spend in the kitchen, the easier it becomes.

[razorboy]

I learned a lot from my Dad who is a really good cook. My Sis went to The CIA and I have learned tons from her as well. Anything else has just come from aimlessly fumbling around the kitchen.

[Devo37]

i still remember a bit of advice i got from an old neighbor the day i was leaving to live at college: if you want to learn to cook, get really hungry, then just go for it!

at this point, i pretty much follow the directions for recipes i find online or in a few cookbooks i have. i think the hardest thing to learn when i first started cooking for myself was learning the right amount of heat to use on the stove.

i still haven't figured out the perfect steak, even after reading lots of advice on the subject. i either over-cook it, or burn it on the outside and under-cook it on the inside. but i'm getting better!

[hunnerbun]

Food network is the best. I just watch the shows and if they make something I think I would like to try I check ot the website and try the recipe. There hasn't been too much I have been dissatisfied with.
When it comes right down to it whats the worst that can happen...you fuck it up and have to order out, either way you have learned something!

[Chigworthy]

I started adding things to Top Ramen at a young age. Then I started fucking around in th kitchen with my parents cookbooks. Lots of experimenting and horrible meals. I worked in kitchens for 6 years and learned a lot of tricks from trained chefs. Risk taking is a big part of cooking innovative fare, but restraint is a must for well-made grinds. Strive for simplicity with quality ingredients. Avoid using a lot of dried (i.e. irradiated) spices. Salt and pepper is a holy combination, accentuated with 1 or 2 fresh herbs appropriate to the dish. Avoid following a recipe to a "t", cooking is a personal thing. Read several recipes and create your own.

Also FoHat, learning to cook for yourself pretty much necessary to eat healthy.

[biggestmexi]

IF you really want to learn.

Do be a dish washer at a place. A nice place with some decent chefs. And yes they will be mean. That the kitchen way. Then just watch and ask and wash.
I kind of started a little early knowing i wanted to cook. I took every class my high school offered for cooking then started as a dishwasher at a local resort. Then moved up from there. Fry boy then to grill and sautee. Then moved to another resort and was line cook there as well. all i can say. BEING IN THE KITCHEN IS THE BEST PLACE I HAVE EVER BEEN. I miss it everyday. Around here though you cant really pay your bills on the pay you get from cooking. :glurps:

[nate1000]

IF you really want to learn.

Do be a dish washer at a place. A nice place with some decent chefs. And yes they will be mean. That the kitchen way. Then just watch and ask and wash.
I kind of started a little early knowing i wanted to cook. I took every class my high school offered for cooking then started as a dishwasher at a local resort. Then moved up from there. Fry boy then to grill and sautee. Then moved to another resort and was line cook there as well. all i can say. BEING IN THE KITCHEN IS THE BEST PLACE I HAVE EVER BEEN. I miss it everyday. Around here though you cant really pay your bills on the pay you get from cooking. :glurps:

QFT. I spent 10 years waiting tables and hanging around the kitchen, just watching. Picked it up through osmosis.

[Lady Resin]

When I moved out of my parents home, my mom gave me a Betty Crocker cook book and a can of sardines. My mom was at stay at home mom. She cooked and cleaned for all of us. I was clueless. Thank God the friends I have (mostley men) gave me amazing ideas for different recipes. Now I can't wait to prepare a great meal. Also check out www.allrecipes.com. Bon apetite!

[JPMNICK]

I pretty much learned from watching my grandparents and my mother..

then when i got my own apt I used to cook every night by following recipes. Some where good, some not so much. But i learned how ingredients make things taste.

[Legit Bill]

I started learning about spices and started reading cookbooks and planning out my shopping (yes lame), but you can't usually just cook a lot of those recipes on a whim. After a while I knew what common stuff to have in the house and was able to experiment a lot. Like a few others have said, the food network is a great place to learn. I learned how to do simple shit like cut up peppers, tomatoes, onions, etc. just by watching them.


EDIT: As for cooking on the grill, not everything has to be cooked on high, you don't have to open the grill every 2 mins to look at the food. It's really to me just an acquired knack to see the meat, I used to always get yelled at when we bought our first grill because I would cut open the steak to check it. Its really just timing, right amount of heat and a judgement call.

[JerseyRich]

I just ask people on this board how to cook stuff.

That makes you the Tenbats of cooking!

[JerseyRich]

PBS on Sunday afternoons has so many great cooking shows. America's Test Kitchen is a fantastic show and has a great companion website and magazine...as well as a bunch of books.

[Hottub]

Hunger was a great motivator for me. You can only eat so much Ellio's pizza and Encore pork product before you get burned out.
Money is also a great one. You pay 20 bucks for a meal you can make yourself for 5 bucks.
One of my first triumphs was eggplant parm.
But then you realize Ragu doesn't cut it. You MUST learn to make a good sauce. From there, the culinary world opens up.
I learned from my friend's Gramma, who used to own a restaurant on Coney Island.
You start with spaghetti, then move up to stuffing your own manicotti. Veal parm, chicken parm, etc.
I was also hooked on Veal (or chicken Marsala) Pretty pricey at the restaurant. I looked up a few recipes, did some trial and error, and came out with a marsala that rivaled ANY restaurant.
The power of the grill. Embrace it! More on that later.

And if you get stuck with a recipe, pm Bossanova. He used to be a cook at The Olive Garden.

[Lady Resin]

Also go to this site:

www.epicurious.com

[Jughead]

I learned to brown things first and that some vegetables cook faster then others in soup.. I have cooked almost every night for a long time ..I learned by just doing it..And making some mistakes and learning from them.........I Love Cooking....:wub:

[cougarjake13]

i dont know how to cook too much


so i suck

[ahhdurr]

Mostly by burning things. And being stuck eating burned things.

[JPMNICK]

Also go to this site:

www.epicurious.com

that is my fav site for recipes. they have great stuff

[Dingbat_Charlie]

I was just like you 3 years ago. Tired of take-out, curious about cooking, and looking for a hobby. I wanted to try Italian cooking, and just then my gf got this bad boy (http://www.amazon.com/Italian-Cooking-Encyclopedia-Linda-Frazier/dp/1901289087) as a gift. I read a few recipes and looked at photos, and they seemed delicious and not too intimidating. I started out with the pan-fried sole with lemon, then some sauces. I was amazed at how easy, delicious and fun they were. I've been cooking and experimenting ever since. I've still got much to learn but I love to read posts from the accomplished cooks here. I want to try some french stuff next - anybody have any french beginner book recommendations?

Also, I recently read Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. I loved it and recommend it for anybody with any interest in cooking or restaurants.

[RickMcCrank47]

you know what you like, so take those parts and mix and match with other stuff.

i make my own creations of classic dishes that i already know how to make.

i was lucky enough to grow up with an italian mom....she taught me how to cook a LOT, my grandmother too....

i say experimenting is the best idea....find what you want and just go for it...the interwebz and food network has everything you need (hi, im redundant)

[Chigworthy]

be a dish washer

Way to break the stereotype.

[EddieMoscone]

Learning homestyle cooking from my mother, then got more polished in the culinary classes I took while doing my hotel/restaurant management degree.

I like the combination of skills I got from that.

[biggestmexi]

Way to break the stereotype.

:thumbup:

[bigredd]

I had a single, working mom at home. That said, I learned watching and asking questions of my mom, grandmother and great grandmother whenever I could.

[furie]

i learned to cook while working in diners and such.

[Jennitalia]

i started out with some recipes my mom gave me, watching food network and looking online. i actually had a cooking lesson with justice4 all. but, mostly now, i get my new recipes from magazines like shape and self so they're delicious and healthy. or i'll fiddle around with a recipe adding this, omitting that.

registering was so much fun...i cant wait until i get all my cook/bakeware, i'm totally going to be holly homemaker.