Ask Lemmy

I just cook for myself when I'm hungry.

I maybe sometimes skim through recipes on the internet.

One day, deciding I needed to be able to cook (like I'm able to mend clothing) and committing to it. A lot of trying and failing. Slowly improving ;)

Hanging out with my mom in the kitchen as a child. She gave me little things to do as I was able to do them. And then once I was big enough she just set me loose and let me figure it out. I also liked watching food shows as a kid. Did it for a short while after highschool professionally and that really soured it for me for almost a decade.

For me, it was about gear. I impulse bought a grill that can detect the width of meat, and can pretty reliably grill whatever I put there, assuming I choose the correct program. That made me buy a lot more steaks, since they were super easy to prepare.

Another one was getting an instant pot, and just randomly choosing recipes on the internet, mostly focusing on one-pot recipes. It's so much easier when you don't have to deal with standing there and guarding the stove, which I always found super boring and that was keeping me from cooking.

By not having exactly the correct ingredients, I've eventually discovered that most of cooking is just "stock, veggies, meat and seassoning", maybe cream, and i can just do whatever (within reason, but you can usually guess what works together) and it probably works and tastes good.

On disadvantage my mostly random approach has is that I can make an amazingly good meal, but have no idea how I actually did that, only to never be able to make the same food again. I have a memory of a goldfish on ketamine and hate planning stuff, so my cooking is mostly random. Most of the time it tastes good, but I was never able to exactly repeat the same process twice, hah.

Im old enough for pre you tube. No one taught me to cook. I stopped eating meat and dairy pre 18 years old and either had to learn myself or eat crap stuff.

I started with a few cook books and simple stuff. Made the same thing over and over again and refine it, like a stir fry. What I learned then translates to the next thing.

I try to learn a few "new" dishes or techniques every year and its built up over 20+ years.....

Get this book. "The Joy Of Cooking" It breaks down every step of the process clearly and simply. Plenty of great recipes to choose from.