of course i know how to cook

How can I learn to cook?

Feb 18, 2019 · Follow each step in the order it’s written. Measure and put things in at the right time. Cook it for the stated amount of time. If you make too many changes, the recipe may not turn out. Good cooks and chefs can improvise; beginner cooks should stick to the recipe.

What are the basic recipes everyone should know how to cook?

Learning how to cook at home can be liberating, fun and at times overwhelming. Use these recipes and tips to find things you love and feel great about cooking. Eggs Over Easy. 6 …

What is the first cooking skill every person should learn?

1. How to chop an onion. The cornerstone of so many dishes, learning to chop an onion efficiently can speed up dinner preparations no end. Take a few moments out and learn how to slice like a pro with our how to chop an onion video below. We've also been discussing ways to keep the tears at bay; apparently, sucking on a teaspoon while chopping will keep your eyes dry.

Should you learn to cook without recipes?

Since I know how essential cooking is to becoming a foodist, I created an online course to teach you how to cook without recipes in just 30 days. I spent over five years fumbling my way through different cooking techniques and slowly building the confidence and intuition I …

Basic Knife Skills

Most recipes require at least a little slicing and dicing. If you’re nervous about using kitchen knives (or get daunted watching chefs perfectly chop a butternut squash in 10 seconds flat), don’t worry. With a little practice, anyone can master good cutting techniques.

Stovetop Cooking Basics

Your stovetop is a crucial part of your cooking arsenal, and many meals—from pastas to stir-frys —are fully or partly made on the stove. If you’re not up on all the cooking technique terms, here’s what a few of the most common ones mean:

How to Roast Chicken and Vegetables

Roasting can be one of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to cook just about any meat or vegetable. Just throw your ingredient of choice onto an oiled or parchment-lined pan, add your favorite spices, and pop the pan in the oven .

How to Grill

You can take advantage of this popular cooking technique even if you don’t have a backyard: Grill up a feast outdoors on a charcoal grill or indoors on a grill pan on your stove. Either way, lightly oil the grill grates, heat the grill up until it’s sizzling, then put your meat, seafood or veggies on.

How to Cook Eggs

Eggs are among the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen—they’re essential for baked goods, and they can be served up dozens of different ways, from scrambled and fried to hard boiled or poached. The cooking techniques for eggs are definitely worth mastering.

How to Cook Grains and Pasta

There’s no need to master a slew of techniques for cooking every kind of grain imaginable. Here’s an easy way to cook a variety of whole grains—including farro, barley, brown rice and quinoa (which is actually a seed).

Stocking Your Kitchen for Cooking Success

Having the right kitchen tools and equipment on hand will help you get the job done correctly and efficiently, no matter which recipe you’re tackling. But you don’t need to invest in a huge rack of knives or a super-deluxe set of pots and pans to make great food.

Victoria sandwich

Everyone loves a classic Victoria sponge, especially when it's homemade. This is definitely one of the first recipes everyone should know how to cook when first starting out. You'll feel like a pro in the kitchen once you've made this delightful treat and you can get your whole family to sample some too.

Cottage pie

Smothered with a creamy mash topping and packed full of tender meat and gravy, cottage pie is another classic dish to master. We're rating this dish as a medium skill level just as you have two things to watch over and make at the same time, but if you've got multitasking down to a fine art, this recipe is going to be an easy one for you.

Chocolate chip cookies

A batch of freshly made chocolate chip cookies will beat a pack of shop-bought any day. Just cream the butter and sugar and chuck in the rest of the ingredients and mix - it really is that simple. You can even get the kids to help you make them too.

Lasagne

A lasagne is perfect for preparing in advance, in fact it usually tastes better when made the day before. Just rustle up this layered dish ahead of time and pop into the oven a little while before you want to eat it, then sit back and relax.

Roast chicken

There's nothing quite like a traditional roast chicken with all the trimmings to get the whole family round the table on a Sunday. Streaks of bacon, a smidge of butter and homemade stuffing is all you need to add a mass amount of flavour to your bird. Just remember to keep a watchful eye on the clock when it comes to cooking.

Stuffed chicken breast

If you fancy trying something new with your chicken breasts, stuffing them is a great choice. You can add so much flavour to your chicken and you can sneak in some veggies for the kids too. Stuffed chicken breasts make an impressive option if you're cooking for friends as they look fancier than they are.

Chicken and mushroom pie

Pies are much easier to make than you may think especially if you cheat and use ready-made pastry. Making the filling from scratch is the most important part of the pie - you can control what goes in, be it fresh veggies or a homemade sauce.

Learning to Cook at Home

You want to invite more people over for dinner, but there’s only one thing holding you back:

Start by sticking to the recipe

If you want to learn to be a better cook, you need to start by sticking to a recipe. You may think that you can make changes and substitutes or not measure your ingredients, but until you’re confident that you you know what you’re doing, don’t stray from the recipe.

Buy a quality knife

I can’t tell you how important this is. If you’re doing all of your cutting with a dull knife, that’s not only inefficient, it’s dangerous.

Take a cooking class

Cooking classes are one of my favorite ways to learn to cook. And you have two choices when it comes to taking classes: in person or online.

Give yourself a cookbook challenge

Did you ever watch the movie, Julie and Julia (or read the book)? Picking a cookbook and working your way through it, recipe by recipe, is a great way to grow in your cooking skills.

Learn from friends

If you have a friend who is a great cook, ask her to teach you. It would be a great way to spend time together AND learn how to cook.

Watch cooking shows

No matter what you think about foodies or the Food Network, watching cooking shows is a great way to learn how to cook. And there are so many choices.

1. How to chop an onion

The cornerstone of so many dishes, learning to chop an onion efficiently can speed up dinner preparations no end. Take a few moments out and learn how to slice like a pro with our how to chop an onion video below. We’ve also been discussing ways to keep the tears at bay; apparently, sucking on a teaspoon while chopping will keep your eyes dry.

2. How to master basic knife skills

Once you’ve mastered chopping onions, it’s time to broaden your knife skills and get to grips with scoring, shearing, fine slicing and more. Our knife skills video demonstrates how to sharpen and handle a knife with confidence, while our guide to the anatomy of a knife will help you get the most from your blade.

3. How to boil an egg

Sounds simple but a perfect, runny yolk can be lost in a moment, so timing is key. The duration of a boil depends on how firm you want the eggs to be, but it’s always best to start with them at room temperature to avoid undercooking.

4. How to cook pasta

If you’ve been put off pasta by stodgy, stuck-together school dinners, it’s time to learn how to cook it properly. In Italy, pasta is always served ‘al-dente’, which literally means ‘to the teeth’ – boiled until softened, but still firm to the bite.

5. How to poach an egg

There’s no need to buy special pans to get perfectly poached eggs – they’re much easier than you think. Follow our video guide to poaching an egg with just a pan of boiling water, a splash of white wine vinegar and a slotted spoon.

6. How to melt chocolate

Using a ‘ bain marie ’ to melt chocolate might sound fancy, but it’s actually really simple, and will ensure you don’t ruin your favourite sweet treat by burning or splitting it. Our video walks you through how to melt chocolate properly.

7. How to make an omelette

For a tasty lunch or light dinner, you can’t beat an omelette. Beat your eggs until thoroughly combined, pour into a frying pan, and scatter over your fillings. Simple! To make it fluffy, drag the egg into the middle of the pan as it sets, as shown in our video on how to make the perfect omelette:

Learn to cook without recipes

The secret to building a cooking habit is learning to cook without recipes. This may sound like a magic trick, but it isn’t as hard as you think.

Introducing Foodist Kitchen: A program to teach you to cook without recipes in just 30 days

Since I know how essential cooking is to becoming a foodist, I created an online course to teach you how to cook without recipes in just 30 days.

Cooking changes everything

The quality of time you spend in the kitchen is just the start of how learning to cook without recipes will change your life.

Who should join Foodist Kitchen?

Foodist Kitchen is for anyone who is ready to make a real, tangible improvement in their life through cooking.

Who should NOT join?

Foodist Kitchen isn’t for you if you aren’t serious about learning to cook.

Lemon & Garlic Roast Chicken

"This is the best roast chicken I've ever had. I stuffed the chicken cavity with a sliced whole onion and lemons, and I stuffed sliced lemon under the skin of the breast meat. I've never had chicken this moist and so flavorful!"

Spaghetti & Tomato Sauce

"This was my first attempt at making spaghetti sauce from scratch, and this was a wise choice. This recipe was absolutely perfect!"

Pancakes

"My 12-year-old son likes to learn to cook stuff himself, and he followed the recipe and instructions under my supervision. These pancakes were quick and easy to make for him, and turned out to be good with whipped cream and maple syrup."

Perfect Stovetop White Rice

"I know for some it may not be a big deal, but for me, learning how to cook perfect rice is a big deal. I made this recipe tonight, and I'm so happy with the result."

Chinese Fried Rice

"Really easy, really fast, really great fried rice recipe. No need for takeout after you try this one!"

Poached Eggs

"Swirling the water is far more important than the vinegar. The swirling forces the whites back onto themselves instead of spreading out and turning frothy."

Banana Bread

"My 10-year-old daughter was looking for something to make and found this recipe. She made it all by herself and it was wonderful!"

1. Bon Appetit

Despite Bon Appétit's reputation (in some circles) as a highfalutin food publication aimed at decorous chefs, the magazine's video arm on YouTube is full of excellent, approachable videos that run the gamut from instructional to silly to — yes — the occasionally fancy aside.

2. Food52

Okonomiyaki, mid-preparation, care of chef Ivan Orkin of Ivan Ramen fame.

3. Munchies, from Vice

Munchies is kind of like the exact opposite vibe of Bon Appétit, with a focus on chefs and attitude over more traditional "stand and stir" shows.

4. "Binging with Babish" & "Basics with Babish"

Andrew Rea is the host of "Binging with Babish" and "Basics with Babish" — two excellent shows on his YouTube cooking channel.

5. Joshua Weissman

YouTube is full of home cooks with a camera, but a few of those home cooks rise above the rest — Joshua Weissman is one such creator.

6. J. Kenji López-Alt

J. Kenji López-Alt is a big deal in the food world, and he's usually found at Serious Eats. Due to the ongoing shelter in place order in California, he's been stuck at home.

7. Food Wishes

Chef John's Food Wishes is my personal favorite YouTube channel about cooking. Not only does he have years of experience, but he's a hilarious, quirky man.