Current Events > What are some good things to learn as a beginner cook?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I just made chocolate chip cookies and spaghetti last month. I think I'm gonna make mac n cheese next. Any good recipes too? Like regardless if I'm a beginner or not.

Just build your skills.
Never stop experimenting.
Build your confidence.

It's kinda like photography, music or other arts.
Sometimes you make mistakes, but you are always learning.

Start by kicking up your Spaghetti game...that a good start.

• 1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons
• 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons
• 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons
• 3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons
• 1 cup = 16 tablespoons
• 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces
• 1 pint = 2 cups = 16 fluid ounces
• 1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups = 32 fluid ounces
• 1 cup butter = 2 sticks = 8 ounces = 8 tablespoons = 230 grams

I know you meant recipes but this stuff is always good to know.

The right oil for the job. Of course, the most effective way to learn that is by discovering the wrong oil, several times.

Nothing wrong with taste testing to check that you're adding in salt or sugar and not the other one.

I knotched up my spaghetti about two weeks ago.

Instead of just adding salt and pepper to the hamburger, I now include more spices.

Onion and garlic powder, minced onions, parsley.

For toppings, mozzarella cheese, parmesan and pepper flakes.

I need to find a really good recipe.

So yeah, it's still a work in progress though but I definitely enjoy spaghetti more when it's extra loaded like this.

baking and cooking are two different things.

Minced onions for base of nearly everything. Butter + any vegetable you probably can never go wrong. Hamburger helper doesn't really count as cooking.

Repetition of familiar and simple dishes (outside of Spaghetti- a child can make Spaghetti) will lead to decent experience. And then after that, expand your horizons.

Really, it would be great if you can learn from someone. I had the fortune of learning from my mom at the age of 12-17 how to cook Japanese dishes, then from my wife, I learned her dishes, and then after that, we both experimented and learned together. We both can make about 35-40 dishes total.

Add spices. Even something simple like garlic or onion powder. Just spice your shit up

Paprika. Sage. Garlic powder.

These three ingredients are legend-tier.

Taste a bunch of spices by themselves to get familiar with their flavor profile, both toasted and raw

On that note, blooming spices in oil typically brings out the most of their flavor, since many flavor compounds are fat soluble

If you're truly a newbie, IMO, learn basic stuff you can cook in a frying pan. For example, you can start with eggs if you've never cooked eggs before. Try making fried eggs, scrambled eggs, deviled eggs, etc.

Pasta and rice dishes tend to be pretty easy although they can get complicated if you're making Thai dishes or something like that.

Oh yeah, learn to cook non instant rice

I struggled with brown rice for awhile, before I realized the idea of adding just the right amount of water is bullshit. Just cook it in a full pot of water like pasta, and strain it when it's done. Comes out perfect every time

There is rule:

-Be clean
-Be neat
-Make sense
-Be careful with the food.
-Don't waste the food.

And than what I suggest for someone new in The Cuisine is to follow receipt and easy receipt. Than you can go to harder. But simple one can be much better. There is tons of website for receipt; take your class.

Gwynevere posted...

Oh yeah, learn to cook non instant rice

I struggled with brown rice for awhile, before I realized the idea of adding just the right amount of water is bullshit. Just cook it in a full pot of water like pasta, and strain it when it's done. Comes out perfect every time

Yeah I learned that too. I would just add more water as it boiled and look at it to tell if it's done.

Oh, and unless you're baking or making some very complicated dish, don't measure. Season to taste lol. But that might take some trial and error in the beginning, so you might want to measure until you get the hang of what's a teaspoon versus a tablespoon etc.

If you want me I get a bit fancy, you can check out Gordon Ramsays YouTube channel too. He actually has a good amount of videos about how to make simple dishes.

Steffenfield posted...

I knotched up my spaghetti about two weeks ago.

Instead of just adding salt and pepper to the hamburger, I now include more spices.

Onion and garlic powder, minced onions, parsley.

For toppings, mozzarella cheese, parmesan and pepper flakes.

I need to find a really good recipe.

So yeah, it's still a work in progress though but I definitely enjoy spaghetti more when it's extra loaded like this.

You are on your way.
I would change out the hamburger for Italian Sausage...uncased.
Also Basil and Olive Oil.

Work your way up, but surprisingly Broccoli works well in spaghetti.
Also, Angle Hair and Linguine are your friends.

Chicken Wings

Lemon Pepper Chicken.

This is a as simple as well. But it will save you a ton of money. At Hooters a order of 6 wings is 12 dollars . 48 wings from Sam's Club is 23 dollars.

Anywho,
Cut your wings in two, and chop off the tip part.
Have a large pot of a oil or deep fryer.
Let the wings dry out and come to room temp.
Put them in oil at 370 degrees.
Cook until they are as done as you like them. I personally like them really hard so I put them in for 24 mins. But that is way longer than most people .
Get a bowl and put in olive oil and mix the Lemon people seasoning. And toss.

This should give you store quality wings .
--

If you want BBQ,teriyaki , or Hot

Add this step.
Before putting the chicken into the deep fryer add salt, pepper, and MSG.

Gwynevere posted...

Taste a bunch of spices by themselves to get familiar with their flavor profile, both toasted and raw

Plus their health benefits...

Gwynevere posted...

Oh yeah, learn to cook non instant rice

I struggled with brown rice for awhile, before I realized the idea of adding just the right amount of water is bullshit. Just cook it in a full pot of water like pasta, and strain it when it's done. Comes out perfect every time

LMAO, Ya pretty much.

Also, and this might be unpopular, but I don't overthink Cast Iron Pans.
I love them...but I don't overthink them.

cjsdowg posted...

Have a large pot of a oil or deep fryer.

You sure that's a good idea for some starting out?

Never put A1 on a fillet mignon, and charcoal grill it medium

SiO4 posted...

You are on your way.
I would change out the hamburger for Italian Sausage...uncased.
Also Basil and Olive Oil.

Work your way up, but surprisingly Broccoli works well in spaghetti.
Also, Angle Hair and Linguine are your friends.

Okay.

Thank you.

I heard adding eggs to pasta as well but never tried this.

SiO4 posted...

You sure that's a good idea for some starting out?

I am not sure it would be an issue. I have been using the big pot thing since I was really young. So I don't know if it hard for a new coming .

You're welcome!

Steffenfield posted...

I heard adding eggs to pasta as well but never tried this.

Maybe for a white sauce, but I would do it for a red, personally.

cjsdowg posted...

I am not sure it would be an issue. I have been using the big pot thing since I was really young. So I don't know if it hard for a new coming .

I just get sketched out by the idea of boiling oil in the house.
I should try in on an outside fire though.

Eggs as many ways as possible.

SiO4 posted...

I just get sketched out by the idea of boiling oil in the house.
I should try in on an outside fire though.

A deep fryer called a Fry Daddy would be perfect for you in that case. You have a oil line so unless you like throw something very wet in there it should not be an issue. (don't throw wet stuff in there)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4YB34jCmts

They talk bad about baskets here, but I have deep frier with basket and I like it .

Wash your hands
know that safe zone for temps
no cross contamination

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

..what

cjsdowg posted...

A deep fryer called a Fry Daddy would be perfect for you in that case. You have a oil line so unless you like throw something very wet in there it should not be an issue. (don't throw wet stuff in there)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4YB34jCmts

They talk bad about baskets here, but I have deep frier with basket and I like it .

That does look kinda cool.
Still I do have a larger and old cast iron pot that would be perfect for outside.

I do like fried food, but at the same time, it makes it more fun to eat it out, when I don't make it at home.

eggcorn posted...

..what

I agree. Its easier to just eyeball it. Every single time I fallow the directions on a box it comes out worse than if I just did my own measurements

Oh, and a slow cooker is good as well. A crockpot. Veggies, meat, broth and some seasoning.

Dump everything in, turn it on, and wait a few hours. Stir every so often.

wbloechel posted...

Crockpots are fuckin' life savers.

Truth!

I think my number one generic piece of advice is to just not be afraid of trying new recipes. There are a ton of different things out there you can cook that are basically all the same level of difficulty since they're essentially just

1) cut up a bunch of things
2) cook them, adding different ingredients at different times (for different cooking lengths)
3) put in some blend of spices/seasoning (well, kinda during step 2 but still)

once you get used to this concept you can make a ton of stuff from basic ingredients and you have a lot of room to just try out random recipes and hope you find things you end up loving

French toast. Whisk up some eggs, dip bread slices in, cook in a buttered pan until golden brown. Add maple syrup to taste.

Preheating is important.

When boiling water, use hot water from the tap. Cold water can take forever to boil and ruin the timing of your stuff.

Best advice I can give: if you're high, it'll always taste delicious.

Copper or aluminum pans if you want it to heat up fast. Cast iron if you want it to cool down slow.

celery, onions, and bell peppers cooked down will accentuate basically any savory dish