Getting Started in the Kitchen

If you haven't done much cooking, you might think it is overwhelming at first. Or, if you have a real star in the kitchen living in your house, watching them whiz through anchovy paste and duck eggs might make you decide that cooking is not your thing. Don't get discouraged. Cooking is easier than it looks, and a lot more fun too. Get started in the kitchen using these tips.

----> Look through cookbooks or the internet and find a simple recipe for your first attempt. Sites like www.food.com allow you to search for categories of recipes, like "beginner recipes," "easy," or "less than three steps". This makes it easy to find something you would like to eat and that tastes good even for the first try.

----> Read the recipe, and make sure you have the ingredients. In the days when we all had "Home Ec" in school they would tell you to get out all the ingredients and sit them on the counter. Then, as you use the ingredient, put it away. That way, you'll know you added everything.

----> Get out the utensils and pans you will need. The pan size is usually specified in the recipe, especially if it is something that will be made in the oven. If it is not, use a larger pan than you think you'll need, especially for stovetop cooking. Make sure you have a potholder ready.

----> If the recipe says to preheat your oven or to preheat the pan, do it. Some foods get started in a cold pan, others in a hot one. Failing to follow the directions can make the food stick.

----> Follow the recipe steps in the order they are given. Once you've been cooking a while, you can alter recipes. In the beginning, though, success is more important than experimentation!

----> Cook the food according to the directions. Putting a lid on when the recipe says to leave it off can result in soggy food. Leaving a lid off when it says to leave it on can make the food dry. The devil is in the details!

Once the meal is done, serve and enjoy. Later in your cooking career, you can worry about plating, or presenting food in a beautiful manner. Right now, you just want to be able to get the food to the table hot and tasty.

Remember, all good cooks got that way through practice. You may not get it right the first time, or even the third time. Once you get the hang of it, though, you'll wonder why it ever worried you. Use the tips I've given you to get a head start on your first turkey dinner!

 This is Angel's first homemade, not-from-the-box macaroni and cheese. It was delicious! Tomorrow, I'll start sharing some easy recipes, for the beginning cook or those that are easily intimidated. It will be painless, I promise.