Cooking Basics for Beginners & Some Tips on How to Make Things Easier in the Kitchen
Everyone has to start somewhere and this is a great place to learn a few things about basic cooking and how to make the whole cooking process just a little bit EASIER.
Even if you think you can’t cook at all, you actually do have the ability to become a great cook in a short period of time if you follow a few simple steps!
– Study the Recipe
Every dish you cook will start with instructions or a recipe. Learn to read the recipe all the way through before you do anything else to get a good idea of what it will entail and the list of ingredients you will need. Start out with a very small and basic recipe to ensure your success and gain confidence.
Once you have a basic recipe and you have read the instructions through, gather all of the ingredients and place them in one spot on your kitchen counter.
– Have the Right Equipment
Make sure you have the right equipment before you get started. Here is a great list of what a beginner cook will need in the kitchen – Beginners Guide to Kitchen Equipment.
– Be Clean & Be Safe
Remember that being clean is being safe and wash your hands often. Never use the same knife to cut everything in the recipe. If you cut up raw chicken then wash the knife thoroughly before cutting anything else. Also, never use the same cutting board to cut meat and vegetables. Wash all of your fruits and vegetables under hard-running tap water. Even wash your lemons and limes before cutting.
– Learn how to Store Foods Properly
All perishable foods that you bring into the house should be stored in the refrigerator as quickly as possible. Never leave foods sit out for more than an hour if possible.
Some Helpful Articles
Mise en Place for Less Kitchen Stress
Less Stress Cooking Tips to getting organized in the kitchen Out of all of our articles on this site, this is one of our favorites. Cooking at home is such a positive thing and has so many health benefits. This is a must read for any beginner cook or any ...
Best CookBooks for the Beginner Cook
Best CookBooks for the Beginner Cook - ONE OF THE BEST THINGS YOU CAN POSSIBLY DO FOR YOUR HEALTH IS TO COOK AT HOME! If you are a beginner cook then it's time to get excited about cooking and start a life-long love affair with cookbooks! Cooking should be a ...
Want Faster Better Food? Buy a Faster Better Knife
Why you need to buy a good Kitchen Knife! Want Faster Better Food? Buy a Faster Better Knife! Want speed and excitement right in your kitchen? Buy a brand spankin' new knife! Walk around any department store or designer cookware store and you'll see huge knife blocks full of specialty ...
How to Boil Chicken Breasts
How to Boil Chicken Breasts - Boil 1 lb. of boneless chicken breasts for about 8-12 minutes. Double that for 2 lbs. of chicken breast - 16 to 22 minutes. Always check the thickest part of the breast to see if see if it's cooked through. Boiling Chicken Breasts Gives ...
Boiling Eggs for Beginner Cooks
Boiling Eggs for Beginner Cooks - Perfect Hard-Boiled and Soft-boiled Eggs Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse and should be included in our diets in some form or another. Every beginner cook needs to learn how to boil eggs. Soft boiled eggs are wonderful for breakfast or a light dinner. Hard ...
Egg Poacher Pan
Egg Poacher Pan - The Best Poached Egg Cooker If you want to make the easiest and best poached eggs, you will need an egg poacher pan. (See Our Video Below.) We have personally tried many egg poaching pans because we love poached eggs and we swear this pan is ...
Salted Butter VS Unsalted Butter
Salted Butter vs. Unsalted Butter - Which Should You Use? Have you ever looked over your recipe only to find that it calls for using unsalted butter? After checking your sticks of butter, you realize that you always buy salted butter, you are not sure why, and you have no ...
How to Cook Sunny Side Up Eggs
How to Cook Easy Sunny-Side Up Eggs for a Delicious Breakfast Tips for Cooking The Eggs - Choosing the Perfect Egg Everyone has their idea of the perfect fried egg. Whether it's over easy or sunny side up, all fried eggs start with an egg and a skillet. The first ...
Easy Solutions to Ten Common Kitchen Problem
Easy Solutions to Ten Common Kitchen Problem For those people who are just beginning to sharpen their skills, as well as those who are comfortable in the kitchen, there is always something new to learn! Below are ten simple tips to make your time in the kitchen just a little ...
How to Buy the Best and Healthiest Packaged Chicken
Buy the Best & Healthiest Chicken at the Grocery Store and What the Labels Mean Good health starts with healthy food. Every year in the United States alone over 8 billion chickens are consumed. That's a lot of chicken! But are we buying the healthiest chicken possible? When chicken is ...
How to Make the Best Mashed Potatoes
How to Make the Best Mashed Potatoes for Dinner - The Art of Fluffy Mashed Potatoes! A big bowl of mashed potatoes is comfort food extraordinaire and something that brings us great foodie pleasure! Who can pass up that bowl of creamy buttery spuds with its smooth deliciousness? Learn how ...
Cooking Terms Explained and What They Mean
Confusing Cooking Terms and What They Mean - Glossary of Cooking Terms Do you sometimes watch those cooking shows on The Food Network and get confused about the difference between braising and basting? What about poaching and parboiling? Do you know the difference? If these questions are stumping you then ...
How to Choose Eggs – Cage Free or Free Range Eggs
What are the Best Eggs to Buy at the Grocery Store? Cage Free or Free Range Eggs? Organic? How to choose the best eggs and healthiest eggs possible! We need to start paying more attention to how our food is raised and how it affects our bodies. Now more than ...
How To Make Perfect Fluffy Scrambled Eggs
How to Make Perfect Fluffy Scrambled Eggs Scrambled eggs are one of those menu options that everyone tends to take for granted – until they are asked to prepare it. However, this is in fact one of the quickest and easiest meals to whip up, regardless of whether you are ...
Tips for Safe and Delicious Chicken
Tips for Safe and Delicious Chicken Use these handy tips to safely handle and cook your chicken To ensure even cooking, start with cutlets or breasts that are uniform in thickness and size. Use a kitchen scale to make sure your pieces are the same size. Most recipes call for 4 ...
4 Kitchen Gadgets Every Novice Foodie Should Own
4 Kitchen Gadgets Every Novice Foodie Should Own There was probably a time when all you needed to create a meal was a can opener and a pot on the stove. That was then; but now that you're cooking skills have improved, have your kitchen tools? Learn which four gadgets ...
What to Serve with Mashed Potatoes
What to Serve With Mashed Potatoes There are very few side dishes as beloved as Mashed Potatoes. They are an international comfort food for people of all different heritages and traditions. Whether you're in Ireland, England, the United States, or any other number of countries, mashed potatoes are a classic ...
White Sauce Recipe
White Sauce Recipe - How to Make White Sauce White Sauce is so easy to prepare and one of those very important things that need to be mastered by the beginner cook. Once you have learned how to cook the perfect white sauce, there are many ways to be more ...
Cooking Conversions Measurements
Cooking Conversions - Liquid Measures & Dry Measures Here are some quick conversions that will make cooking a little easier - Liquid & Dry Measures. Liquid Measures Dry Measures Weight Conversions - Ounces to Grams 1 dash or 1 pinch = 1/32 ounce 1 Bushel = 4 Pecks 1 Peck ...
Instant Pot Models
Instant Pot Models - How To Choose The Right Instant Pot Model for Your Family So you’ve heard about the Instant Pot and are ready to purchase one and give this modern take on pressure cooking a try! First - we must say that we LOVE our Instant Pot! You ...
What are The Different Types of Rice
Different Types Of Rice In the world of grains, rice is possibly the most well-known of all. Consumed across the globe, rice comes in many different variations, textures, colors, and flavors. In fact, 50 million tons of rice have been consumed around the world in the last 5 years alone ...
