10 steps to easy cooking

Do you consider yourself “culinarily challenged”? Do you want to feel more comfortable in the kitchen? Here are a few ideas that may make cooking less complicated, a lot more interesting and fun.

1. Read the recipe completely

Make sure what you are getting into before you start. It is not uncommon to find a recipe telling you to do something that you didn’t expect. It may say, “marinate for 4 hours” and you want to be eating in 45 minutes. Sheesh!

2. Get all the ingredients out and together

Make sure that you have everything. Even though you think that butter is in the fridge, or that you absolutely know that you have carrots, pull all the stuff out and assemble it before you start. Avoid that frantic run to the supermarket.

3. Keep your knives sharp.

Tools are important in any skill and knives are the most basic of tools for a cook. In order to work properly, knives need to be sharp and remain sharp. If instead of cutting a tomato, you are squashing it, your knife is way too dull. Many local kitchen stores sharpened knives.

4. Don’t cut yourself!

Well, you can seriously damage yourself with either a sharp or dull knife. Learn how to hold a knife and how to position your fingers to keep them out of the way. Of course, don’t burn yourself either.

5. Buy the best pans that you can afford.

You want the best tools to have the best cooking experience. Yuh, they can be expensive so buy one a year, or ask for it for a holiday, or special event. Put what you want on your wedding registry or gift list. Do some research and find out what you want.

6. Try something new.

Remember when you were a kid and you said “ I don’t like that”, yet you never tasted or even tried it? Well, you are too old for that now. If you don’t know what fennel is, make a fennel salad. Don’t know what edamamme are? (they are soybeans) try a recipe with them. Otherwise, what are you going to do when you go to someone’s house and they are serving the dreaded stuff?

7. Don’t be afraid to make a mess.

Cooking is a messy business. Stuff goes everywhere. It ends up in the stove, on the floor, in your hair, all over the place. You often use fingers to sift, mix, knead or shape things. Wearing an apron can help, but that will end up being a mess too. So, have a nice time cooking, getting stuff all over the place…. then clean up later.

8. Install a kitchen fire extinguisher and learn how to use it.

I once watched a friend burn his kitchen down. There was no fire extinguisher. Enough said. However, take it one step further by actually using an extinguisher and getting familiar with how it works. If there is a pan fire, simply cover it with a lid. Don’t use water. Of course, install a fire detector nearby.

9. Consider cooking as a community service.

A lot of us have become more involved in community service and volunteer activities and cooking for others maybe something to consider. Whether you cook for an elderly relative, a neighbor or a sick friend, you will find someone in need. So, if you are making a recipe for 4 and serving only 2, package up the leftovers and deliver them to someone in need.

10. Have fun cooking.

All in all, cooking does not need to be a chore. Have some friends over, stand around the kitchen, cook, and tell stories. Make pasta and throw flour at each other. Make something interesting and see how your friends react. You have to eat, so make it a whole new cooking experience.