Food is such a big part of life, we all have to eat to live. And being able to cook is such a useful skill to have as you’ll use it every day, you’ll make life better for yourself by being able to make delicious food and will save yourself money too. Even if you’re not a self confessed ‘foodie’ it’s something well worth putting the effort in to learn about and improve. Here are just a few ways you can go about it.
Get interested in food
First things first is to just start taking more of an interest in food. When you go shopping, have a look at what sorts of ingredients you can get in your supermarket instead of making a beeline for the same things. You don’t have to completely change everything right away, but maybe throw one or two different items in your trolley each week and give them a taste test. Just familiarising yourself with new ingredients and items can make things much easier when you do come to learn more.
Watch cooking programs and read cookbooks
An easy way to learn about food is just consume some content about it. You could watch cooking programs which will give you an introduction to different kinds of ingredients and techniques, as well as cookbooks. Even if you don’t intend on following the recipes its all good for building up your knowledge. Even scrolling cooking and food videos on Tiktok and Instagram can help.
Renovate your kitchen
Having a decent space to be able to cook can make such a difference and can actually mak you want to spend time doing it. It’s a big investment and probably not something you can just do on a whim but if you were thinking about it anyway then it might have the added bonus of making you a better cook. There are companies that can do kitchen renovations on a budget, or you could DIY some things like painting cupboards and replacing tiles to spruce it all up.
Build up your pantry
One of the most annoying and difficult things that most new cooks have to deal with is having to buy lots of ingredients for every meal they make. It can feel like a hassle and the upfront expense might put you off, and it’s all too easy to head straight to the food delivery apps. But if you build up a storecupboard with plenty of useful essentials it will be a lot quicker and easier. Things like herbs and spices especially that you’ll use in most dishes are so handy to have and saves you having to buy 10 new things for every recipe you attempt.
Cook for loved ones
Finally, keep practicing! If you cook for loved ones you know they’ll give you honest feedback that can help you improve. You wont get it right every time but the more you understand how different flavours work together and different techniques you’ll get there.
