Ready to make cooking simple and enjoyable? This step-by-step article on how to get started cooking breaks down some very fundamental steps that make all the difference in your skills in the kitchen. You'll find tips for beginners from top cookbooks that will give you practical knowledge and inspiration in cooking and recommend must-have tools that will make you confident and ready for anything when you enter the kitchen.
In the words of Samin Nosrat in ‘Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat,’ "Recipes don't make food taste good. People do." While recipes may give structure, only the cook's intuition, technique, and passion make the flavors truly come alive, reminding us that mastering cooking is a journey of self-expression. Cooking is an empowering process that is very rewarding and satisfying as you master the basics and then learn about new flavors.
Step 1. Assess your cooking skill level
Start by assessing your current skill level in the kitchen. Answer this simple question. Can you safely chop vegetables with a chef's knife?
Then, evaluate your mastery of some common cooking techniques. Are you comfortable sautéing, boiling, and roasting? Do you feel confident improvising in recipes, or do you prefer following each step precisely?
Based on your answers, focus on areas where you need more practice. If you're new to certain techniques, spend some time practicing them before moving on to more complex methods and recipes. For the complete novice to the more advanced home cook, self-assessment allows you to better tailor your practice and growth by setting realistic goals and tracking your progress.
Step 2. Learn about essential tools for beginners
You must equip yourself with a few hands-on kitchen tools and ingredients that make cooking a bit easier and more enjoyable. To start, you'll need a few essential tools:
Basic tools: sharp, high-quality chef's knife (for versatile tasks like chopping vegetables and cutting meat), a paring knife (for precise tasks like peeling), a sturdy cutting board, a good frying pan, and a solid pot.
Optional upgrades: Cast iron skillet, a garlic press, or a mandolin slicer for more specialized tasks, measuring cups, and mixing bowls.
No need to mention your fridge and a stovetop, the basics for cooking at home and storing fresh ingredients. With these basics, you'll be ready to tackle any recipe with confidence.
Step 3. Stock your pantry with basic ingredients
Quality ingredients and necessary tools can make a significant difference as you begin your cooking journey. Stock your pantry by starting with some staple ingredients you will use daily, like olive oil, sea salt, and pepper, which form the base of most recipes. Add flavor enhancers like garlic, onions, and common spices like paprika, cumin, and oregano for seasoning.
Rice and pasta, with canned staples like tomatoes and beans, make easy, satisfying meals. With these ingredients and just a few basic tools, you can experiment with various recipes, build more confidence, and start making delicious meals from scratch! Next time, instead of takeout, try cooking a simple meal using ingredients you already have.
Samin Nosrat suggests in ‘Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat’ to "Buy the best you can afford:
Extra-virgin Olive Oil
Pick and chop fresh herbs
Juice lemons and limes
Peel, chop, and pound garlic
Grind spices
Make chicken stock when you can.”
Building your essentials might start with one consideration: preparing as many ingredients as possible. Preparing food yourself not only enhances its quality and flavor but it's also a smart way to save money and get the most out of your ingredients.
These special secrets make the biggest difference when cooking. As that happens with practice, a good ingredient found and handled in your cooking process gives a little more life to the meal.
Step 4. Master the four fundamentals of cooking
Cooking fundamentals are all about mastering flavor. As Samin Nosrat wrote in ‘Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat,’
"Just as with Salt, Fat, and Acid, the first step to getting the results you want from Heat is to know what you're after. Know what results you seek so that you can take the steps to achieve them."
This approach helps you ensure that you bring out the right balance and depth of flavor in everything you make.
You can intentionally amplify the flavors you are working with to make your cooking more effective by noting what you want to bring to the forefront: sweetness, acidity, or savoriness, and using heat accordingly.
Salt is the most vital ingredient in any type of cooking; it enhances and balances natural food flavors. Besides giving salty tones, it brings about sweetness and cuts the bitterness for balance.
Fat is an important contributor to cooking, adding both richness and textural elements. The primary function of fat is to assist in carrying and distributing flavor while giving a satisfying mouthfeel. Whether it's butter, oil, or animal fats, it adds smoothness to sauces, moisture to meats, and light and flaky textures in pastries to give irresistible richness to every single bite.
Acid brings balance and brightness to food. Acidity cuts through the richness of food, especially fatty foods, and can also refresh the palate with opposing heavy sweet flavors. Lemon juice, vinegar, or fermented food brings a sharpness that often creates a well-rounded and harmonious flavor.
Heat is at the core of most cooking methods, and its impact on food is colossal. Each method of cooking has its own delicate handling of temperature and cooking time for the desired texture and flavor. Let’s put this in better perspective: high heat will give a crispy, caramelized exterior, while low heat allows flavors to meld and develop slowly, yielding truly tender and juicy results. One of the most critical things to do is manage heat properly since this brings out the best in any dish.
Samin Nosrat advises:
“Play to each element’s strengths: use Salt to enhance, Fat to carry, and Acid to balance flavor.”
Step 5. Start with easy recipes to build your confidence
Starting your cooking journey with easy recipes is a perfect way to boost confidence in the kitchen. With simple dishes, you can focus on basic techniques and flavors that provide a strong foundation for more complex creations later on. Here are some ideas:
Oven-roasted vegetables: Peel and cut 4 carrots and 3 medium-sized potatoes into small cubes. Dice three broccoli heads. Toss all into a medium-sized roaster. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Cook covered in the oven at 425°F for about 30-40 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
Spaghetti aglio e olio: Boil spaghetti in salted water according to package directions. Saute garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Toss cooked pasta and ½ cup pasta water in with the garlic sauce.
Tomato soup: Sauté chopped onion, carrots, and garlic in olive oil and butter with salt until softened. Add diced tomatoes, water, and seasonings of your choice. Simmer until carrots are tender. Blend part of the soup, then mix it back with the chunky portion. Serve with olive oil, pepper, and basil.
These dishes will help build your skills in using the fundamentals of cooking to create delicious and balanced meals.
Samin Nosrat offers this recipe for beginner cooks:
“Steam little potatoes in the oven by placing them in a single layer, seasoning with salt. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, and tightly seal it up with aluminum foil. Cook until the potatoes are cooked, and then serve with flaky salt alongside hard-cooked eggs or grilled fish.”
This simple yet delicious recipe from ‘Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat’ proves how easy cooking can be with proper guidance. As Samin Nosrat explains in her book, you do not need difficult techniques to make delicious meals. From roasting potatoes to attempting new dishes, she instills confidence with each step in your abilities in the kitchen.
As for the next level, you can try following tutorials from professional chef Gordon Ramsay on YouTube. It’s free and full of the best cooking tips, from mastering knife skills to serving an amazing meal of roast chicken with apples for Christmas dinner. Another great resource is ‘America’s Test Kitchen,’ a half-hour-long cooking show that will teach you cooking basics. You can also consider taking online cooking classes. These sources show that you don’t need to attend culinary school or have a university degree to become a better cook.
Step 6. Explore cuisines and expand your skills
Trying a new cuisine is a great way to broaden your cooking scope while learning about different cultures. Ukrainian food, for example, is loaded with history and flavor, featuring heartwarming ingredients like potatoes, cabbage, and beets. Dishes such as borshch and varenyky are comfort foods prepared in unique ways, using bold flavors and traditional methods of cooking.
‘Ukrainian Cuisine in 70 Dishes’ by Yevhen Klopotenko is a real helper for everyone who wants to learn more about these comforting and delicious meals. Such dishes included in your routine not only improve your cooking skills but also provide an understanding of the cultural meaning that is at the very heart of every recipe, which consequently makes the process of cooking more interesting.
Besides flavors, experimenting with various cooking techniques adds to your skills. Try grilling, braising, or stir-frying to see how different cooking methods affect the texture and flavor of ingredients. Exploring different cuisines, such as Mediterranean, French, Chinese, or South American, will introduce you to new ways of cooking traditions and techniques. The habit of enjoying a variety of flavors prepared in different ways not only makes you more creative but also instills more confidence in the kitchen, enabling you to prepare dishes more easily and perfectly.
Step 7. Learn about nutrition and healthy eating
Learning about nutrition and healthy eating improves your health and creates long-lasting habits for a vital life. Cooking for yourself allows you to find a healthy balance with fresh, whole ingredients that nourish your body and mind. Embracing this approach has the potential to change not only how you feel but also your performance and the way you relate to the world.
In addition, planning your meals and reading food labels enables better choices that keep unnecessary sugars and unhealthy fats out of your diet. Hydration and eating more mindfully will round out a balanced diet and lead to long-term health.
In his book, ‘In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto,' Michael Pollan states,
"Is it just a coincidence that as the portion of our income spent on food has declined, spending on health care has soared? I have to think that by spending a little more on healthier food we could reduce the amount we have to spend on health care."
Thus, this realization points to a deep variance that more reflective and nutritious eating brings regarding health outcomes. Eating homemade means much greater control over the ingredients while building a relationship with food as part of our healthy lifestyle.
Step 8. Build a routine to stay inspired
Building a cooking routine will help keep you consistent and inspired. Pick a day each week to try a new recipe inspired by cuisines, new techniques, or seasonal ingredients. Keeping a list of recipes you're excited to try can help encourage creativity, making cooking continuously enjoyable and evolving.
Try apps that can help with planning meals, such as Paprika or Mealime, which offer meal planners and grocery lists to make meal preparation easy. For more inspiration, try Pinterest, where you can create boards for all your favorite recipes, save ideas, and try something new each week.
Building a cooking routine isn't just about making meals; it's about nurturing a lifestyle that takes care of itself regarding health and wellness. In ‘How Not to Die,' Michael Greger quotes Hippocrates,
"If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health."
Bringing it all together: Your next steps in the kitchen with Headway
For more gastronomical inspiration and in-depth guidance, we invite you to download our Headway app and read or listen to summaries of best-selling books ranging from fundamental cooking techniques to books about nutrition and books sharing expert tips on healthy relationships with food.
These summaries capture key takeaways that will enhance your cooking abilities, build your confidence in the kitchen, and inspire you to experiment with new flavors. From novice cook to advanced cooking enthusiast, our summaries will get you through those milestones with a fresh idea to try along your journey into the kitchen.
