Comments on: Teaching Yourself To Cook At Home: Ten Tips From My Kitchen To Yours

By: George

George — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 01:54:42 +0000

Trent, thanks for the cook book recommendation. I’m going to buy a copy of How to Cook Everything. Hopefully, I’ll learn at least how to cook a few more things. ;-)

By: Robin

Robin — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 13:52:44 +0000

Before you go to a sotre and buy brand new pots and pans check out your local rural farm auctions. Those farm wives cook like mad for custom cutters and process their own garden goods so they have all the good stuff. And you usually get it for 1/4 of the cost at a store. Also you have the chance to talk to alot of farm wives and ask them questions about how to can, cook, etc. They are better than cook books!!

By: Kris

Kris — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:23:40 +0000

It may be expensive up front, but I’d even suggest taking a round of basic cooking classes. They’ll make you more confident in the kitchen and pay off greatly down the line.

If it’s not possible, then even one or two focused on basic technique (Knife Skills, Braising, etc.) could be a great boon to everyday cooking.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:07:15 +0000

When vegetables and herbs are about to go bad in my refrigerator, I just chop them up and throw them in a freezer bag. Then these are my go-to bags when it is time to make a chili, stew, or anything in the crockpot. I always seem to have bell peppers wrinkling in front of my eyes or only using part of an onion. They look and taste great out of the freezer and I find myself always adding them to various things (scrambled eggs, spaghetti sauce, corn muffins, etc.) for extra flavor and nutitrition. Even the stalks from the broccoli get saved and thrown in to a chili at a later day (unbeknownst to the preschooler).

By: dayatatime

dayatatime — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:57:29 +0000

I’ve also heard that the cookbook called “How to Cook without a Book” is a great tool for teaching you the fundamentals of cooking so that you don’t have to rely on recipes and you can be more enterprising with leftovers. (I confess I do rely on cookbooks and following instructions when I’m cooking for other people; when it’s just for me, I don’t mind winging it and experimenting. And I always eat leftovers, even when my experiments in cooking don’t taste or look all that great.) . It makes me think of Audrey Hepburn being able to whip up an omelette from Humphrey Bogart’s near-empty refrigerator in the movie “Sabrina.”

Online recipe sites are great, too, because of the comments and reviews section. baking911.com has helped me out a lot.

By: viola

viola — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:39:23 +0000

To make kitchen clean-up easy, I take the plastic grocery bags which I get for FREE, cut one on a side so it’s big & open up , and put that under my cutting boards/work area. Then when I’m done, just fold up the bag & throw away, all the mess is gone (or most of it).

#1 cooking tip: Don’t cook things to death! And don’t cook everything on high! Over cooking food takes more energy (gas/electricity), takes more time, and food won’t taste or look as good. Of course you want chicken to be thoroughly done, but believe me that doesn’t take burning it black on the outside.

To make frozen veggies just like fresh, put in a strainer & run water over them. Do this in the beginning of cooking so they can thaw out while your chopping etc. They’ll taste better & cook faster.

I use a pressure cooker a lot…it’s “reverse” of a crock-pot. It takes things that need to cook for an hour, especially vegetables, and cooks them in 15-20 minutes. A good quality one will last a long time….I have a “Presto” brand with the weight on top that goes back & forth (kinda noisy) & has safety release valve, but there’s also more modern models that have a dial. I like the original weight-type because you can see it’s pressured.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:08:34 +0000

I’d say that canned tomatoes taste way better than off-season “fresh” tomatoes.

The most helpful thing I did when I was beginning to cook was read food blogs. I find that they’re easier to use than cookbooks/magazines because they generally include commentaries on the recipes, giving more details on the steps or include possible substitutions/additions. Plus, I’d find a handful of new recipes to try every few days.

By: Steve W

Steve W — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 01:43:40 +0000

Here are my money saving home cooking tips (I home cook frequently; eating out is a joy and a savings killer).

1. The Joyce Chen microwave rice cooker & vegetable steamer is a miracle worker and only $12! My wife loves rice and is a disaster trying to cook it by hand. No more.

2. Preparing dried beans in a slow-cooker will save you many $$$ and the beans will be perfect. Careful, though, not to overcook them, or they will turn to mush. I love Bush’s Best Beans, but dried beans are easily 1/5 the price.

3. Grow your own herbs, like dill, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme & sage, and harvest through the summer to save for the winter. It’ll save you much money, and fresh herbs will dramatically improve your cooking. They’re basically fancy weeds — easy to grow and require little space or work.

4. If you bake your own bread or make your pizza dough, use a starter that ferments via wild (i.e. FREE) yeast. May be hard to do if you live in the city.

5. Wine-in-a-box. There are very high quality table reds for $15 for 3 liters (go for the Australian shiraz’s). That’s a high quality $3.50 bottle of wine that won’t go bad for 6 weeks after opening. I drink a Pinot Grigio in the summer for $7 for 3 liters (Glen Ellen, I think). It’s a good solid table white (quality reds are much harder to come by a lower prices than the $15).

6. Cook in bulk and freeze, freeze freeze…

By: Teri Pittman

Teri Pittman — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 20:07:08 +0000

I realize it’s not for beginners, but a pressure cooker is a huge time saver. We do beans and grains like rice with ours. It is also great for tenderizing meats. Just cook briefly (maybe 15 minutes) in the pressure cooker and then roast or fry in the usual way.

By: Mariette

Mariette — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:37:07 +0000

These are great tips! I used to be a chef and you definitely only use a couple of pans and knives that are your favorites and that’s it. Having good tools is important to and can make cooking more pleasurable. With knives it’s also important to realise that preference in knife brands is often a personal thing and you should try out a couple in the store, ask to hold them and see how they fit in your hand. It’s no good buying a giant 12″ chef’s knife if it is too big for your hand or intimidating – because then you won’t use it. See what you feel comfortable with. Also, there is no one best brand – there are about 5 or 6 great ones and which you pick, is entirely personal choice – I myself have a mix fo three different knife brands because they were the ones that I prefered in that particular size and for the purpose I knew I would use them.

As for cleaning – yes do it as you go! The tornado kitchen after cooking can really put you off from wanting to do it again, because it’s the cleanup you dread, not so much the actual cooking.

By: Jenl

Jenl — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:00:30 +0000

A man who knows his way around a kitchen is a good thing. A man wise enough to clean as he goes…well that just leaves me speechless.

I wholeheartedly agree on the pots/pans and knives issue: go for quality over quantity!

By: Laura

Laura — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:57:24 +0000

I really liked this post because I’m working on my cooking skills. I took for granted my family’s home cooked meals and now realize not only were they healthier, but they tasted better than the prepackaged food.

By: Adam

Adam — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:55:32 +0000

Man, the point about cleaning up as you go is key. The first few times I cooked, it looked like Godzilla had gone to town in my kitchen! Now, by the time whatever I’m making is simmering/baking/roasting or whatever, I’ve put everything away and cleaned the counter. My girlfriend always says it doesn’t look like I cooked at all!

By: nunsuch

nunsuch — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:49:40 +0000

For a more advanced technique book, I’d suggest Jaque Pepin’s “Technique” books. I have the 1971 “La Technique”, but I guess that’s been updated with “Complete Technique”. Anyway, some of the things he describes are pretty tricky, but well explained.

Oh, and boning knives are *very* handy if you buy whole chickens and part them yourself (as I do)

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:44:43 +0000

Actually frozen vegtables and fruits are often as good or sometimes better than fresh, since they are picked and packed at the peak of their ripeness/freshness. In the growing season it’s ideal if you can get fresh veggies and fruit, but in the winter frozen is sometimes the only way to get the food you want.

Also, if you’re really a novice at baking and cooking to take it easy at first. If you’re eating out all the time, it’ll be enough to start making boxed pasta and canned/jarred pasta sauce before diving into making it yourself. Try making a few boxed goods (brownies, cakes, muffins) at first just to get a feel for things. It’s less overwhelming for a lot of people and it’s good practice.

Plus you’ll be able to appreciate the taste difference once you start making things completely from scratch yourself.

By: T'Pol

T'Pol — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 17:44:00 +0000

I totally agree with the “kitchen cleanup” tip. That is what I have difficulty with, most of the time and I actually do enjoy cooking. Thanks for all the nice tips.

By: Michael Langford

Michael Langford — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:48:09 +0000

Don’t buy pans/pots or knives in sets.

Always buy them individual. You’ll have 1/2 the supplies that cost 3/4 as much and work 2x as good.

I mean, how often do you REALLY use the boning knife? Wouldn’t you prefer a better chef’s knife?

–Michael

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:47:54 +0000

I love it when people say “local grocer”

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:44:13 +0000

You mentioned fresh ingredients over frozen or canned. Good idea when they are in season and cheap, but some fresh ingredients out of season can be very expensive.

If you have the ability to buy fresh produce in bulk and can it yourself, that’s probably the best option. Next best is to buy frozen – there are usually no added preservatives to frozen produce and a vast majority of the flavor and nutrients is maintained. I would definitely recommend that you at least check out the frozen option at your local grocery when doing price comparisons.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:43:48 +0000

I am also a *huge* fan of Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything” and I don’t think I could get by without it.

For secondary cookbooks, I can highly recommend Alton Brown’s books (”I’m Just Here for the Food” and “I’m Just Here for More Food”) for those of you who are interested in the physics of cooking or baking.