How a Beginning Cook Makes Progress

Photo by Anna Shvets

Frequently beginner cooks become discouraged that recipes don’t turn out or don’t taste good. 

The thought of cleaning up the mess they make in the kitchen is unbearable. The lack of notable progress might send them back to ordering fast food.  The trick to making progress is to not give up and keep trying until you enjoy the fruits of your labor. Today, I will talk how a beginning cook makes progress.

Beginner cooks are not only children who want to learn how to cook.  Beginner cooks are more often adults who find themselves in the kitchen because they live alone, work different shifts than their partners, or are just hungry.  The first step for making progress is to simply decide what it is you are hungry for or want to learn to cook or bake.

Finding a reliable recipe is as easy as googling a choice on your phone, tablet, or computer.  Many different options often appear, and the trick will be to select the one which is easiest to enable the beginner cook to feel at ease in the kitchen.  Having the right tools and utensils for cooking, cutting, and measuring is essential.  Unlike seasoned cooks who often forego measuring anything, the beginner cook must first learn to read and follow recipes to the end to feel they are successful.  That means deciding what to cook or bake beforehand and buying all the ingredients.

Ideally, the beginner cook will have someone available to teach them basic kitchen skills.  Learning how to control the knife, the stovetop, and oven temperatures is crucial.  Cooking isn’t a race, although there are many who feel cooking a meal in 30 minutes or less is a great trick! The beginner cook will benefit from learning about spices, herbs and how they can enhance the flavor of a recipe. A clean workspace is key. By cleaning as you prepare the meal there will be less work when your meal is finished.

Who can teach a beginner cook to be comfortable in the kitchen?  If they are lucky, they have a family member who likes to cook and is willing to share.  Many communities have restaurants, schools or groups who offer coking classes.  This is a great way to learn skills and meet other people who want to be in the kitchen.  Many home cooks and trained cooks offer tips and classes online. YouTube is a wonderful destination for helpful tips and skill building.  TikTok is another place for cooks to find recipes and helpful tips to prepare a successful meal.  Having meals delivered is also a way to educate the beginner to cook with meats, vegetables, spices, and food prep. These almost fool-proof options come with step-by-step instructions, and there are plenty of available options to choose from. If someone wants to learn to cook, there is no shortage of places to look.

As with any endeavor we undertake, practice makes perfect.  A beginner cook makes progress by sticking with the recipe, learning about seasonings and various techniques.  Before long, they’ll have the art of cooking and baking mastered and can teach others.