Five Steps To Get Cooking and Enjoy Doing it!

We must all eat to survive. What we eat largely depends upon what is available to us, what we have a great affinity for and what we can actually sustain on and afford on a daily basis. Given different lifestyle choices and priorities, we may not always have the time or physical energy or even motivation to cook an actual meal that is healthy and balanced. Hectic schedules and the convenience of eating out is popular amongst the young, elderly and families! Individuals can get away with eating out often, however when you have more than one person to feed, cooking and making your own meals becomes part of life.

Cooking can be intimidating especially for those who have rarely been in the kitchen and view it as a complicated process. Some just don’t enjoy it. And that’s ok. But we have to eat to survive and here are five easy steps to follow to become your own cooking expert based on your own needs:

1)      Gather information. Ask yourself, what do you absolutely enjoy eating? Where do you usually dine and order? What is your spouse’s or children’s favorite meal? What do you hope to accomplish with cooking? To provide daily meals or make exquisite dinners for guests? Both?

2)      Observe: What’s in your favorite food (s)? Take a look at what you are eating and see if you can taste the different ingredients and flavors. Go to the local farmers market and just see what they have in the spice section and all the different exotic vegetables, poultry and fruits. Familiarize yourself with names of ingredients and possible uses. Take a look around your kitchen; what do you already have? If you have at least one pot and one pan, you’re ok!

3)      Experiment: Start with what you love to eat and go from there. For an example, if you enjoy seafood Alfredo, buy the best shrimp/seafood you can find (the price you pay at the grocery store will still be significantly lower than ordering the same amount at a restaurant). Start with packaged pasta and sauce (there are organic choices) and with time, if you choose, make your own sauce and pasta! Taste as you cook. Too sweet? Too salty? Too watery? Add and adjust to your own liking. Use recipes as guidelines in the beginning as it can get overwhelming to do everything exactly as stated. Get the jest of what you need in terms of ingredients and then add and substitute as you wish. This way, you have more control in your cooking and will help build confidence in the kitchen. Use what you have in the kitchen, later as you become more of an expert, treat yourself to unique kitchenware and tools.

4)      Accept Feedback: Did anyone eat your food? If plates are being left full, ask for feedback! Your family and close friends are your biggest supporters (hopefully!) and will appreciate a good meal, especially if they don’t have to cook it or pay for it! Ask them what they thought of it or usually they will provide their own feedback, i.e. “this was amazing!” In the beginning, most will  be kind and not say anything to discourage your cooking, but the best time to ask ( if you really want to know) is a couple hours after eating the meal, when things have settled and no stomach issues reported! Listen and adjust the next time if you choose.

5)      Share your food: The best thing in life is to sit with the ones you love and adore and enjoy a good meal. Yes, cooking takes time and effort, and so do relationships. If you cook with love, that energy will be passed on to your relationships. Cooking and feeding yourself, partner, family and friends has extraordinary benefits. From good health (you have control of the ingredients) to good wealth (it costs less) to good relationships as food will always bring people together and good food will make them stay for more!