I’ve never been the best cook or meal preparer. I grew up in a home as an only child where we ate out a lot—both of my parents worked and my mom worked the night shift, so she was sleep a lot in the evenings. Which left my dad and I to fend for ourselves. He often took me out to dinner because he wasn’t much of a cook himself, and this is pretty much how I grew up.
Fast forward to me becoming a mom; I only knew how to cook 3 or 4 things—spaghetti, beef stew, hamburgers, and pizza—and I made them ALOT. My poor son never complained, though, but I am sure he got tired of eating the same things over and over.
Once I got married and had my second child, I did my best to be the provider of meals. I tried to stretch my wings and make new items, but often times, they fell flat. But once I stopped being nervous about cooking and I begin thinking out of the box, I noticed my cooking skills improved tremendously. And I am still not in the running to be on the Food Network, but I have expanded my cooking repertoire and my family seems to enjoy my improvement.
Here are the steps I took to be a better cook:
- Invest in good cooking materials: Having good cookware to prepare meals with goes a long way in helping your skills. You don’t have to purchase the most expensive non-stick pans but purchasing a mid-level one will not only help your cooking but will last longer, therefore, costing you less money.
- Don’t be afraid to season your food: I was always afraid to experiment with seasoning because I thought I would overdo it. Now I have a staple of seasonings and ingredients that I use all the time. Add them slowly, and taste. You can always add more, but if you add too much, it could ruin the whole meal.
- Meal plan: One of the reasons why I found myself in a cooking rut is I didn’t take the time to meal plan. Planning your meals as well as the execution of your dish goes a long way and contributes to the end result. So before you just cook, plan out your meal, your dishes, and how you will prepare them first.
- Measure: Measuring is very important because adding too much or too little of something can make or break your dish. Make sure you have the proper measuring cups and spoons to cook with and follow the recipe.
- Be creative: Don’t be afraid to be creative with a recipe or add your own “signature” to a dish. My signature is always in the finish—a topping, the way it’s served, the presentation. But your signature may be something else. A recipe is a guide, but if you want to add your own touch to it, by all means, go for it! And always taste your food before serving.
These are my 5 steps to being a better cook, and they have worked for me. I have come a long way, baby, and I feel more comfortable in the kitchen that ever before.
Take a look at some photos from last night’s homemade chili:
RT @thecubiclechick: New Blog Post-: 5 Steps to Being a Better Cook: My Journey http://bit.ly/i4Is3q #cubiclechick
Great article, Danyelle! You are so right about planning your meals out before hand. I have used theme nights to help me plan like Mondays: American, Tuesday: Mexican. Also a good tip is careful read a recipe before hand and premeasure your ingredients before starting. Saves a lot of headache when following a new recipe.
Sherrie: I wish someone would’ve clued me in to all of this years ago. It took me a lot of trial and error until I finally made improvements in the kitchen with my cooking. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. 🙂
Danyelle:
Love this article! My mission is to show my clients that the only way to life lasting weight loss is through the kitchen. As you have proven, it doesn’t have to be hard or time-consuming but rather, healthy, fast and empowering!
I love how your child is working with you through the process; very empowering!
Maureen: Thanks for stopping by and commenting. It took years for me to learn these tips, but I guess it’s better late than never, right? I like my daughter to cook with me so she is familiar and acquainted in the kitchen and comfortable making meals. I didn’t have that when I was her age, so I want her to enjoy cooking. 🙂
5 Steps to Being a Better Cook: My Journey |: But once I stopped being nervous about cooking and I begin thinkin… http://bit.ly/eOP97n
Great post! Here is an easy recipe for you to try for mini meatloaves – several different varieties even to please everyone in the house http://www.robynsonlineworld.com/2011/03/marvelous-mini-meatloaves.html
Robyn, thanks for sharing. I love anything that is easy, doesn’t take a lot of prep work and is filling. 🙂
Yummy!!! Good for you.
You know, I can really relate to what you’re saying. My mother would dash home from work, and want to be alone in the kitchen w/ her little glass of wine while she made dinner.
I left home not even knowing the spaghetti, girl, because mine always came out runny. I didn’t know you were supposed to have a strainer until I started watching Food Network!
I started learning to cook after watching some of the cooks on Food Network and thinking, “well, that doesn’t look *that* hard!”. I got some seasonings from Tastefully Simple that replaced the need to chop onions or garlic and that cut the number of ingredients down to 5 or less a lot of the time.
Then, I tried some box mixes and pre-made sauces, added a little extra seasoning or some chicken stock and suddenly, I liked my meals and so did my son!
This year, I got a beanpot and found a couple of “3 ingredients or less” cookbooks. Boy, did that make a diference!
I’m still learning but I feel much better about my ability to cook. I’m glad you do, too!
Jeanine
Jeanine, thanks for reading and commenting. It seems like we have a lot in common because I got better in my cooking because I learned from my mistakes. The Food Network has also become a very good tool for me to get meal ideas from—Rachael Ray’s 30 Min. Meals is fantastic for breaking down meals and making them easy for me to cook. Looks like I need to get a beanpot! That sounds interesting.
You are 100% right on the steps, especially step number one. I only started cooking 6 years ago and I have grown to like it. At first it felt like a necessary evil and a burden. Once I started investing in the right tools, all that changed. Quality kitchen gadgets ensure your food turns out better (as long as you do your part) and when your family starts to appreciate your effort, you want to cook even more. It’s a win-win.