Tips For Getting Started
If you're new to the world of
cooking, getting started can be an overwhelming task, and paging through
a cookbook can feel like trying to read a foreign language.
If you simply choose a recipe and try to cook
it, you might not have the basic skills required, and you also have no frame of reference.
If it turns out poorly, it's hard to know if it is just because it's not
a very good recipe, or if it's because of your own mistakes.
Build Your Repertoire
of Recipes
If you are a beginning
musician, you may only be able to play one or two songs. In fact,
depending on how often you practice, it may take you months or even
years just to perfect those songs. The same principle holds true for
cooking. You can't suddenly flip a switch and just "be able to cook".
You have to start with simple dishes, learn to perfect them, and then
move onto more complicated fare. In this way you can begin to build a
"repertoire" of things that you know how to cook.
Doctoring
Many of us
fall into the trap of trying to cook something "from scratch" because we
have a special occasion, like Thanksgiving, or a special party. However,
this can be a "recipe for disaster"! You wouldn't expect a first
year medical student to perform major surgery, so why would you expect
yourself to be able to cook an entire meal from scratch when you have no
basic skills to build upon.
The easiest way to get
started is by practicing the fine art of doctoring. When you start this
way, you're much more likely to come up with something that is actually
edible, and you'll also be able to practice some of the basic skills
that you'll need in order to cook your own dishes. Basically this means
that you start with something pre-packaged, and add to it to make it
somehow different, or fancier, or more to your taste. For example, maybe
you sauté an onion and some garlic, and then add a jar of pre-made
spaghetti sauce to the mix. Your imagination is really the only limit
here. As you get better at this, you can slowly make the creations more
and more your own.
Replicating Your Favorites
Another great way to get started is
by trying to re-create some of your favorite dishes. These may be
favorites from restaurants, something your friends have prepared, or
simply trying to make a home-made version of something that you can buy
pre-made in the grocery store. The goal needn't be to create an exact
match, you may find that you can make it even better by making a few
changes to suit you own particular tastes. Try starting with
something fairly simple. If you're replicating something from the
grocery store, you can get a good idea where to start by reading the
ingredients. |