Teaching yourself to cook.

[brassnuts]

I can cook a few basic things, and I'm decent on a grill. However, I'd like to be able to legitly call myself a good cook... or at least decent. Short of going to chef school, does anyone have any suggestions for this? Books? Internet site? I'm thinking of just using the trusted trial and error method. Anyone know where to get good recipes/directions?

[GuyOnTilt]

Anyone know where to get good recipes/directions?

Google. Recipes are the number one searched thing on the internet. No joke.

GoT

[jakethebake]

Lots of good shows on the Food Network and other cable channels.
[ QUOTE ]
I can cook a few basic things, and I'm decent on a grill. However, I'd like to be able to legitly call myself a good cook... or at least decent. Short of going to chef school, does anyone have any suggestions for this? Books? Internet site? I'm thinking of just using the trusted trial and error method. Anyone know where to get good recipes/directions?

[/ QUOTE ]

[Monkeyslacks]

www.epicurious.com (http://www.epicurious.com)

Best site by a mile.

[stabn]

Just buy a better crocker cookbook man, it's the nuts.

[KJS]

I second whoever said epicurious (sp?). Foodtv.com also has great recipes.

I would get the newest version of Joy of Cooking. It has great information about food and cooking that are necessary background for proper food buying, prep, cooking, etc.. I use it all the time to go from "what do I have" to "how to I want to cook it" to "how do I want to flavor it".

Trial and error will always be part of the process. Try making a few easy recipes to get the methods down, then branch out into more difficult ones. Do watch Food TV if you have a chance, especially the shows geared towards beginners that teach a lot of the science behind cooking; they show you stuff you can apply across many recipes.

Still learning myself.

KJS

[benfranklin]

A good, but expensive, magazine is Cook's Illustrated. They have a very good TV show on PBS called America's Test Kitchen, and their web site is free, and has a lot of great recipes from the show. ATK (http://www.americastestkitchen.com/default.shtml)

[ethan]

[ QUOTE ]
I can cook a few basic things, and I'm decent on a grill. However, I'd like to be able to legitly call myself a good cook... or at least decent. Short of going to chef school, does anyone have any suggestions for this? Books? Internet site? I'm thinking of just using the trusted trial and error method. Anyone know where to get good recipes/directions?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've had good luck with "How to cook everything" by Mark Bittman. I also like "Essentials of Classic Italian Cuisine" by Marcella Hazan. If you want to learn to bake, "The Bread Bible" and "The Cake Bible" by Rose Levy Beranbaum are good places to start. Given that you're looking to become a "good cook", I think "The Professional Chef" is pretty much indispensable. It's done by the Culinary Institute of America, and is pretty much the standard as far as culinary textbooks go. I have all of the above...I'm at best an intermediate chef, but they're slowly making me better.

[Slacker13]

bettycrocker.com should get you started.

[M2d]

Beard on Bread is pretty essential for breadmaking.

[M2d]

pick a cuisine that you like and learn it well. You'll be surprised how easily you'll learn to cook, say, japanese food if you're already proficient cooking Italian.
It'll also make quick forays into other cuisines (when you want to make a particular dish rather than learn a whole new cuisine) result in better dishes.

[eric5148]

I second the ATK recomendation. I just bought the companion book to the TV show. It has all the recipes and equipment tests from the show. It's very good.

If you're into Chinese food, get Chinese cooking for Dummies by Martin Yan.

[vegasone]

two books:
new professional chef - culinary institute of america text book. as mentioned above.
'the way to cook' - julia child.

what you want to learn is a set of skills, not a cuisine. skills adapt to any type of cooking. learn why you do things, not just how. then you can perform and adapt any recipe.

also learn how to buy ingredients, when to buy, how to store.
very important - how to be organized.

[ThaSaltCracka]

start off with some basic recipes, like toast and cereal, then progress up to grilled cheese sandwiches, top raman, and pancakes. Scrambled eggs should follow, then probably some spaghetti with meat sauce. Once you have these down, you should have the confidence needed to progress to more difficult things.

[Michael Davis]

I know you are making a joke, but really, you nailed the extent of my cooking knowledge. Scrambled eggs are a chore for me, and spaghetti is almost out of the question (spaghetti sauce definitely is). I cook Ramen in the microwave.

Joe Tall warmed my heart with a post about eating takeout three times a day. I really don't know what I would do if I were trying to survive only on a graduate student's stipend; I'd probably have to learn to cook.

-Michael

[ThaSaltCracka]

well, yeah it was a joke, but there is truth to it to. Sometimes people avoid things that they think or know they are bad at. Fortunately for people who don't like to cook, is that it really isn't that hard to do, especially when you start out with basic things.

[AncientPC]

I think people who love to eat are the ones who are willing to learn to cook. Cooking isn't always cheaper than eating out or getting fast food, but the quality of the food's better and it's always something that can be done with friends and family.

[mikeyvegas]

[ QUOTE ]
Anyone know where to get good recipes/directions?

Google. Recipes are the number one searched thing on the internet. No joke.

GoT

[/ QUOTE ]


This is so true. If it wasn't for the web, I wouldn't know how to cook, replace my brake pads, build a bookcase, find a high quality stereo for a low price, play poker well, ...

It's kind of cool living in the internet age.

[scott1]

This book -

"I'm just here for the food" - on the lower right side of the page.

Teaches the why behind cooking. It is a cookbook for people who think logically - it explains the science behind cooking methods and simple recipes to follow for tasty dishes from steak to shrimp scampi to macaroni and cheese.

http://www.altonbrown.com/pages/bookit.html