I have a couple, too.

1) Read completely through a recipe and gather all ingredients before starting to cook.

2) After chopping/dicing/slicing, use the blunt side (as opposed to the sharp edge) of the knife to scrape the results into a bowl or pan. Less wear and tear on the blade!

Lori

Learn how to cook basic stuff before you move on to "recipes"...learn how to steam green beans and what they taste like properly cooked...without garlic and almonds etc.
Learn how to simply grill a steak....how to simply roast a chicken, how to make simple mashed potatoes, simple boiled rice...
Then go on to pilaf, and curried chicken and steak Diane.
Linda C

That you can't learn it all in a year or two, or three, and practice, practice, practice.

Learn from various sources such as the cooking TV shows. I'm no longer a fan of the Food Network but you can still learn a lot from them. You can take cooking classes. This forum is a wonderful source of learning and especially great recipes, and don't forget cooking magazines, especially Cooks Illustrated for the beginning cook.

In other words immerse yourself in it if you enjoy it.

And if some cook tells you that you should never use Velveeta Cheese, cream of ...... soups, or makes fun of you for using jello, just remember they may not be healthy, they may not be someone elses choice, but that is your personal choice. After all, rich, fatty desserts aren't healthy either but who among us doesn't eat them? Cook what you and your family likes, and do not be intimidated by what someone else says you should or should not cook.

Lori:
I second that, them. and add to them.
1. Move the ingredients to another place as they are used,
so you know what was put in.
2. When Chopping or Dicing with a Chef's Knife, tilt it slightly.
It may help keep the pieces from flying off the worktop.

If the knife blade is laid down at a sharp angle, like trying to cut a piece off the worktop,
when scraping the bits off, it won't hurt the blade, if it is good steel.
If it is scraped along, with the blade Perpendicular to the
worktop, it will dull.

Val:
Welcome to the CF !!!
We don't know what type of cooking you are going to be doing.
If you like SS, a large Stock Pot is useful,if you are going to make Soups or Pasta sauce to freeze.

I had a 12 Quart SS, 3 Ply, Aluminum Clad Pot, since the mid 50's. Still looks like new.
Great for steaming Crabs.

Give us some clues . I'm sure you will get a lot of Pro's
and Con's about different tools and ways to do things.
Lou

Should have hit Refresh.

I'll second everyone tips.

Bev. Good points.
I think if you don't know how, Recipes and Cookbooks will lead you in the right direction.

You may stumble a few times but brush off the dust and keep on trucking.

Lou said that ???

My Best Tip........Come to the "Cooking Forum" for help, because someone here, should be able to give you the answer, to any question. Diana55

1. Use good ingredients and understand what makes them "good".
2. Use ALL of your senses. Cook with your eyes, ears, nose as well as your taste buds.
3. Relax.

My father advised me to "put it in a pan and cook it".

I'd say cook for yourself first. If it is good share with someone else. If it is bad call the dog.

I never liked recipes.

My sister once baked biscuits that were so hard and bad the dog spit it out. She cried. Today she is one of the best cooks I know. She learned one dish at a time and can now cook a huge feast for the whole family.

: )
lyra

Get a good Wooden Spoon for putting knots on heads of persons who bother you, while cooking.
Lou

1. Wasted food is the most expensive food you buy.

2. Assemble everything you need before you start.

3. Everyone has disasters. They make for interesting conversation when everyone else is sharing THEIR disaster stories. When it comes to cooking/baking - NEVER give up because of a screw-up!

4. No one "owns" a recipe. You don't have to make recipes exactly as they are written. Example: it is my opinion that finely chopped nuts are a waste of my time - I like coarsely chopped - and I nearly always double (or more) the amount of nuts called for in a recipe. ;-)

5. Food can't tell time. Times stated in recipes are only good (or bad) guesses based on some old standard, or what happened in the kitchen of the author (who's oven was off by 25°F, forgot to pre-heat the oven the day they wrote the recipe, liked the food in the recipe under- or over-done by your standards...).

6. Get a kitchen scale. When you need ingredients measured by weight, use the scale rather than trying to convert it to cup or spoon measurements.

7. Get an instant read thermometer. It is often more accurate to test foods for doneness by it's temperature than by it's color, thumping it for a "hollow" sound, water temperature on your wrist, or a number of other sensory methods which often prove to be inaccurate.

-Grainlady

Grainlady is SO right with the thermometer suggestion. I'd suggest spending a few extra dollars and get the probe with the remote unit that you can leave the probe right in the roast, turkey, meatloaf, etc and see the status of it. Mine has a timer built into it too and will sound an alarm when it gets to the temp you set it for. So if I want something to be 160°, I set it for 155° and pull it. The temp will rise out of the oven.

MAKE NOTES ON RECIPES! How did it turn out? Too much of a spice for your liking? Too little? Maybe you thought of something you'd like to add next time? Maybe an hour was too long/short a cooking time in your oven or whatever.

Pat yourself on the back when you do something right and don't beat yourself up when you mess up. If the meatloaf is too heavily seasoned, cut it up and put in unseasoned pasta and sauce. It'll balance out.

Start with basic things you like. Don't be afraid to doctor up a can of something and later try it from scratch.

Have fun with cooking, try to make it so it's not a chore. Oh, and especially until you get used to things, I'd under-season. You can add something at the end, contrary to what some will say. Oh, and there's usually ways to salvage things if it goes wrong. But go slow and start with basics and you'll do fine.

Oh, and decent cookware makes a big difference. I like nonstick, I don't care what people say. It makes things easier for what I cook and when it's easy to clean up, it's more enjoyable. Plus the even heating I get, I cook better. I suffered with bad (and it wasn't always cheap) cookware long enough. I wish I made the move sooner. And when it wears out, replace it. Don't torture yourself.

If you really don't know much about food and ingredients, have someone who is a good cook and who loves to cook - a friend, your mom/dad, sister/brother, aunt, grandma, neighbor, etc. - take you to the grocery store where you will be shopping and guide you through buying ingredients. Don't just assume that you know how to shop for food. A good cook can explain how to pick out fruits, vegetables, meats, and breads. He/she can explain the difference between tomato sauce/paste/puree/ground/whole and how they are used in recipes. She can tell you the differences in oils and their uses, plus lots of other useful information.

Ask yourself what do I like to eat? What do I want to learn to cook? How much time do I have for food preparation? Why do I want to learn to cook? Who will I be cooking for most of the time - just myself, myself and my spouse/SO, small children, guests? What is my budget for grocery buying each week? What is my budget for buying cookware, knives, utensils, and gadgets?

Then come here and ask all your questions! We love to help budding foodies!
Teresa

Wing it. Trust your instincts about what goes with what. But when it comes to baking, be careful with winging it. Baking is at least half science. Some things like baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, yeast need to be exact.
I absolutely agree with Diana55, keep visiting this forum.
jo

Teresa, can I take you grocery shopping with me??

Along the lines of what jojoco and lindac said, I think one of the leaps in my learning has been to pay attention to the underlying concepts. Like the ratio of flour to liquid to baking powder/soda seems pretty consistent in most cupcake recipes. Some might be more liquidy (and usually I have to fill the muffins cups more for those), but they're close enough that it's helpful to pay attention.

I recently made a recipe for oatmeal apple cookies. I looked at the recipe and was like this seems way off-- tons of oatmeal, very little flour, and not enough leavening. They turned out terrible, which made me kind of happy!

I also say listen to your tongue and your experience. Some weird flavor combinations aren't inspired-- just trendy. There are plenty of recipes from well-known chefs that I can't get to work-- whether because they assume a level of skill I don't have, or they just suck, they're not for me.

This topic got me to thinking...what would I tell the 17 year old me who first moved out and started cooking for herself? Now, my mother had taught me the basics, so I knew how to read a recipe, cut up a chicken and make decent, edible meals. But Mom wasn't much of a cook herself (she didn't like to cook, did it only to feed us, but she gets special kudos for doing it even though she didn't like to!), so I still had lots and lots to learn.

Hmmmm..

The internet makes everything so much easier. Don't know what the diff is between dice, mince, or chop? Google it.

Don't be too shy or independent to ASK. People like being asked for advice. Your great-auntie, the one who makes wonderful gumbo would most likely be thrilled to teach you how if you asked her.

Don't make cooking more stressful on yourself than it has to be. There are many worse things than overcooked meals, lumpy gravy, cakes that seem more like cookies and suchlike that will happen in your life. Learn to laugh over your failures and accept praise gracefully for your successes.

Be playful and creative, experiment. If something sounds like it might taste good, give it a whirl, what's the worst thing that can happen? So, you find out you don't like strawberries cut up in your salad...it's one salad out of your lifetime. But if you find it's wonderful, it can be many wonderful salads for the rest of your life!

Make notes in your cookbooks as to how recipes turned out, what changes you made, and suggestions for the future. I add faces to my notes, :P :( :O and descriptive terms like "yaag!", "yum!", "bleah!" and "MMMMMM!" I figure, they might help entertain whoever gets my books when I'm gone! :D

I have to laugh at all the Tips LOL They are all true.
but some of them remind me of past experiences.

Lyra:
My wife would tell my Daughters ( like when making Soup )

" You start with a Big Pot " Then throw everything in and remember what you did.
Then taste test it after awhile. Add what you like.
Take notes !!!

She didn't know how to boil water but would up one of the best " wing it cooks around "

Of course, I taught her everything .

Grainlady:
Come on fess up. IN #7 -if you use the thermometer for bread don't you tap it too !!!
Have to go now !!!

Does anyone remember the Post " Kitchen or Cooking Tips "

Val :
Could you give us a short, sort of Resume.
So everyone can know " What, how and Which "

I would like to know your age, measurements, Marital
and Financial Status.
Forget it . You are probably old for me LOL!!!

Sol: Sorry , I didn't think you would see this !!!

Lou

Get a good knife and learn how to keep it sharp. You don't need to spend a fortune on a knife, you can get good restaurant-type knives like F. Dick or Forschner at restaurant supply stores that won't cost an arm and a leg.

A dull knife can make any and every job a chore.

Get a good fire extinguisher for kitchen use and know how to use it.

Natesgramma:
Glad you brought that up.

A note on kitchen fire extinguishers !!!
Know how and when to use it.

Learn a little about Kitchen Fires.
Best thing is not to get excited.
Sometimes all you have to do is put a lid on a Frying Pan fire.
Don't disturb it and take it to the sink.

You're right !!! Know how to use it.

Ask a Fireman retired.
LOU

Get an oven thermometer, the one that you leave inside your stove, and use that to base your cooking temperature, instead of the oven setting.

Cook with what is in season and buy local produce wherever possible. Produce that is shipped long distances is bred to ship well, not taste well.

Try one new thing every week. Start out with easy, simple and then move up to gourmet recipes.

A new cook should not improvise an untried recipe, make it exactly as written the first time and then play with it, if it turns out not to your liking. If you don't like some of the ingredients in a recipe, don't make it (unless the ingredients say "optional"). Also do not assume you can substitute ingredients...if the recipe calls for cake flour, go and buy some.

Before making a recipe make sure you have not only all the ingredients, but also the right equipment to make the recipe (right size pans, specialty equipment, like a zester, etc.).

If you are cooking for company, only use tried and true recipes that you are comfortable making, and result in a tasty end product. Nothing is worse than having a roomful of hungry guests and pulling an epic failure out of the oven.

The best advice I can give is to keep trying. We all have spectacular failures, no matter how long we've been cooking, we mostly just don't tell.

After cooking for a while it gets easier to know what you should o, how you can change recipes and what techniques work best for you, your family and your kitchen.

As for equipment, I told my son-in-law that kitchen tools were like his garage tools, there's a big difference between WalMart and Snap On. THAT he understood. So buy good tools. They don't have to be the most expensive and you don't need every gadget ever designed, but a few good sturdy pans and sharp knives makes life a lot easier.

Annie

My advice is simple. If you can read you can cook. Don't be afraid to try anything. Some things take a little practice but hey practice makes perfect.

Ann

Very important, regarding fire extinguisher in the kitchen:

Make very sure you get the right type for Type A, B, C,& D kinds of fire, or you can kill youself putting out the fire.

Grease filre? fire on an electric stove? Do a Google search, PLEASE!

dcarch

Dcarch:
How could I forget to mention these things.
Glad you mentioned them.

A neighbor of mine picked a frying pan, burning with hot oil, it flared up.

So he threw it out the back door that was open.
Didn't see his Grandson coming up the steps.
Use your imagination.
Lou

I'm with Sushipup. A good, sharp, comfortable knife. Actually a couple - chef's knife, bread knife, paring knife. I love my knife set.

Grease fire? fire on an electric stove? Do a Google search, PLEASE!

And make sure that while you're Googling, no one else is trying to put out that fire in an unsafe manner.

Be prepared, once in awhile, to have flops all your life. And when you have one, wrap the mess in newspaper, toss in garbage, keep your mouth shut---with practice they will never dream for one minute you are doing that. My, oh my, I still have horrors coming out of my kitchen and I've been cooking for 60 years. And I'm not saying anything to anyone--just keeping a small amount of newspaper handy!! They think I'm just such a kitchen genius. LOL Just have fun.

I agree with Ann T., if you can read you can cook!! That's what my mom taught me, and that's what her mom taught her. I also agree that you should cook what you like to eat, and master the basic principles of those types of foods. I probably will never be a proper "cook" because mostly what I eat is basically stew, soup or pasta, all things that depend on being able to boil water and use a knife and not much more! Hence my canning hobby, which always makes me laugh when people are intimidated by it, at least the boiling water techniques. Chop stuff up, either cook them to mush or put them in a jar and add liquid, and boil, how easy!

But I agree, when starting out, keep it simple. Then branch out. Simple food, well prepared is always the best. Complicated recipes are rarely worth the trouble for a beginning cook. I saw Jacques Pepin and Julia Child making crepes Suzette on the TV this weekend. I'm sure they are yummy but I have lived my whole life without making them and somehow survived. Learn to make thin pancakes on the stovetop and add some marmelade to the syrup. Yum!

Here is the best tip for any cook:

Try not to serve too much chips and dips and appetizers before dinner.

Keep them hungry. They will eat anything.

dcarch

Val:
Don't be afraid to answer some of the questions.
So we can get to know your preferences.

Nobody will bite, just peck at you. LOL!!!
Lou

First off get yourself a good quality sharp knife. Dull,cheap knives will not only make your chopping and slicing draggy it will also make it dangerous. Dull knives cause sliced fingers!
If you see a recipe you would like to try, follow it as written the first time so you know what the flavor should be. Then add a bit of yourself to it the next time. Spice it up or add another ingredient. Have fun with it.
Don't get discouraged if something doesn't turn out right. Chalk it up to a lesson learned. NancyLouise

Lou - I don't think that Val is the new cook. It's more of a general question.

Here's my advice - Just because "everyone" has a certain gadget or machine doesn't mean you need to go out and buy it. If you find YOU miss having one on many occasions, then go for it if you'd like. For example, my stand mixer and food processor (both gifts) get used extremely rarely. I'd exchange those in a heartbeat for the $550 or so that they cost, and buy myself lots of stuff I'd actually use regularly.

The best thing I've done for a new cook is to give her a copy of the recipe book I put together for a wedding present. My favorites were in there and everything was tested and found to be great. Many of the recipes were from this site. Most were easy too. She loves it and has tried 4 recipes and not had a failure. Now, that's what a new cook needs!

Everything people said about tools etc is great. I encourage new cooks to shop fresh and local whenever possible...that means shop your local farmers market, try not to buy fruit and vegetables out of season as they are not as fresh and there are hidden costs of shipping them to your area...to the environment, to you for added expense of gas shipping packaging etc. Get to know the people who produce your food and honor the work they do. Ask farmers how they prepare various foods.

Buy the best quality pot, pans, & tools that you can afford, even if it's one at a time. In fact, one-at-a-time is probably better because you're building a collection & you have time to decide which is the most useful piece you need next. They will last a life time & be a joy to use.

Broaden your knowledge on foods & cooking from all cultures & taste as many as possible. If you know about it or what it tastes like, you can cook it! Never loose your curiosity & never be afraid to experiment.

If you get a chance to cook with or take lessons from a working professional chef, don't miss it. They can show you tricks of the trade that are amazing. Good techniques are one of the basic fundementals of cooking & are best learned from hands-on teaching rather than trying to figure it out from a diagram.

Enjoy yourself!!!!

pazwoman, you're a kindred spirit, I swear!

I agree, the better the quality of your ingredients, the better the final product will be. I know that I'm spoiled in that I have space for a big organic garden so I can do my canning, raise my own grass fed beef, keep chickens for fresh eggs, have a place to raise a couple dozen ducks. Not everyone has that luxury, but the more you can get fresh and locally, the better it usually is.

Annie

Just because it says round steak doesn't mean you can throw it in the pan & brown nicely on both sides & eat!!!(My 1st company dinner) Lucky for me everything else was good!! Coffee in a recipe usually means brewed cold coffee, not the grounds!! Very crunchy tho! (I gave her some lessons after that) "dot with butter" means about 1/4 tsp dots around over filling of pie. "dash of salt" about spot on your hand size of a pea & not piled up. Often to just "cut" the powdered sugar taste in icings. When your recipes get old copy them so you can read them & cover with a plastic sleeve, then put it away when you are finished using it. Candy can't be thrown together like cookies or sweet breads. Candy can't be doubled if it is cooked kind. Just make another batch. Learn to make a cream sauce & gravy from someone who knows how!! And of course be sure you have all of the ingredients before you start. Neighbors may not appreciate you banging on the door every other day!! Oh, this is important. Waxpaper should not be used anywhere near a gas stove. I had finished frosting carrot cookies & took them to freezer when the fresh orange icing was set & I was tired so didn't think to pick up the sheet of waxpaper it was about 12 in. from burner. I went to make tea on gas stove, I just boil water & put tea bags in.Second the flame started the waxpaper literally walked to the flame & flames shot up into the vent. My 1st thought was I need to run water from sink but realized I had a whole pan of water for tea just dumped it over & it got it all. I have made cookies in same spot for 40 yrs & left wax paper there hundreds of times. I'll bet someone changed the formula, just like Pyrex has been changed & DD had a fairly new Anchor Hocking glass casserole break in her hands last year. Pyrex is very dangerous now & no recourse it it blows up & cuts you or blinds you. Chinese co. is not responsible. I had taken 9 old Pyrex pie & cake pans out of my oven last week when I got the email & heard how dangerous it now is. The old stuff is Ok!I think!! You might want to use stainless steel pans now. Safer! Google Pyrex- wow!

Sunnyca - The problem with email chains and internet rumors is that they're almost always false. Pyrex is fine (as long as you use common sense like don't pour cold water into a hot dish), made in the US (unless I missed the news that China bought PA) and you don't have to buy the old pieces (they changed the formula about 60 years ago) to be safe.

;-)

Linked is what Snopes has to say about this.

Here is a link that might be useful: snopes on pyrex

Yes, I went back on Snopes today & they updated it!! So it is different than when I got the e-mail. I never set dishes on a cold counter after taking from hot oven. I use several potholders under them. Consumer Affairs.com had some people unhappy with "explosions" & they & "truth or fiction" did say it's still made here. I just found that out this afternoon. So another lesson, check more than 1 source to see if something is correct. DD had hot dish in her hand covered by hotpad when it broke it was in the air, but she might not be as careful about her dishes as I a may have been cracked. A new cook certainly should never use a cracked dish or 1 that you could see a "stress fracture in" a stress fracture for those that don't know is little lines in the glass showing it has had temp. changes, glass is faulty or who knows what, but not safe to use. Hold up to a light, should be clear all over.

also....know that a lot of "oven safe glass" is not Pyrex....and don't assume it will behave like Pyrex.
And I am also big time in Pazwoman's corner!!
In case you forgot!!

Everything people said about tools etc is great. I encourage new cooks to shop fresh and local whenever possible...that means shop your local farmers market, try not to buy fruit and vegetables out of season as they are not as fresh and there are hidden costs of shipping them to your area...to the environment, to you for added expense of gas shipping packaging etc. Get to know the people who produce your food and honor the work they do. Ask farmers how they prepare various foods.

And ask your Grandma how she made certain things before it's too late.

True, anyone can cook, but to be a great cook - the single most important thing is desire. Then you'll succeed.

This forum is one of the best learning tools and I think it's because all of the people on this forum are great cooks (and pretty darn nice, too) because they desire great food.

Biscuits have alluded me for 25 years until I read (and I think it was on this forum - maybe AnnT) mix till it looks almost right, then stop!! Finally - great biscuits!!

My tip would be to ask someone whose food you enjoy, let you cook along with them. A lot of good cooks don't have written recipes...they have them in their heads. Take notes and you will have that recipe on paper.

My mom was never really a great cook. She put food on the table, but it was the same thing always. Meat, potatoes, gravy, bread, butter, a couple of vegetables and the ever present jar of pickles. (Not sure why the pickles were always on the table.) She did well at these foods...but they all tasted the same. We were in her way if we wanted to help...to learn. I taught myself how to cook. I would have loved to have had someone to cook next to.

If you are looking for a technique, try youtube.com where you can find just about anything you can imagine.

I will take a really good knife over a freshly sharpened cheap knife, any day. Before I got my Shun knives, I would have never said that. But you don't have to spend a fortune either. I don't own a food processer and my blender is used by my DS for shakes. But I can't live without my KitchenAid mixer.

Don't not try a recipe because it has an ingredient that you don't care for. I don't care for sage. So, I try the recipe without it...it might still work.

Has anyone Googled " Does Snopes get paid to Lie "
You'll be surprised. !!!!!
- - - - - - - -- -- -
I've seen the way " Pyrex " Stess tests their items on , " Made in America ".
From Red Hot to Cold and a few other stress tests.

That's very good " BUT " to the unsuspecting nubie, who happens by a Gift Pyrex or one,
bought at a yard sale, it can be diasterous.

There are no " warning labels " on used items, usually.

And someone might not know about a cut or scratch, that might be dangerous.

Just because it hasn't happened to you, for years, doesn't mean they are altogether safe.

And I think it is a good thing to warn unsuspecting cooks who are not aware, so they can be careful.

Hope this makes a little Common Sense ???

- - - - - - - - - --

I've had friends and myself, who have had bad experiences.

Just purchased a very large Pyrex Dish, recently.
I keep it in bubble wrap.

LOL

Val:
Did a Search on the CF and couldn't find what I wanted.

A while back I started a Post.
It went over 150 Threads and a new Post was started, by Jessy.

Maybe some of you remember. It was a lot of fun !!!
And some really good Tips.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I Googled " Good Baking Tips,learned " and the Post came up, overwhelming !!!
Take a look !

Now , I have to figure out how to " Save " all this.
Guess it would take a lot of printing ???
Any ideas are welcome.
Lou

In the last month, I have had two of my Pyrex baking pans burst in the oven. I have had them for years, and did nothing differently from anything I've done many times before.

So, I figure there must have been a crack I didn't see, or something like that...but still, it makes me a bit edgy about buying more. I like them especially well for certain things, but I've never had a metal pan explode for any reason! So, I don't know if I'll be replacing them or not.

Rachel:
Now you have me thinking . I don't usually do that!!!
The Pyrex I replaced,is a 9 1/2 x 14, 3 Quart.
I would hate to have some one get injured, so I'll retire it, with a hammer.
Lou