Cooking 101 – A Crash Course on Cooking Basics

Here’s some “Cooking 101″ for you. Anyone who can follow directions, knows a little math, and has some common sense can learn to cook, and possibly put together a fairly decent meal the very first time. Sure it may not look straight from Betty Crocker, but it will taste fairly well, and not poison anyone! First you will need basic things every kitchen should have.

For basic cooking you will need some pots, pans, and utensils. Every cook needs these items. While there is some equipment that goes for thousands of dollars, you can start with the basics. No matter what type of cookware you choose, make sure it has non-stick surfaces. This includes any cookie sheets and baking pans you choose. This makes clean-up and use much easier. Remember, the better the quality of the cookware, the easier the food will come off the surface.

You will also need some utensils such as knives, spoons, whisks, and measuring cups. It’s also a good idea to purchase a basic set of mixing bowls. Metal bowls are much easier to clean and maintain. You will need both metal and plastic spatulas, larger forks and spoons. You should have two can openers; one that removes the inner lid so you can drain things like canned tuna, and one that removes the entire top, leaving no rough edges.

Cooking 101 requires the use of some very basic staples that you will need to keep in your pantry. These are items you will use almost every day when learning the cooking basics. You will need salt and pepper, and some basic herbs and spices like Cinnamon, Oregano, Garlic, Onion Powder, and more. You can usually find basic spice sets at large retail stores or kitchen supply stores.

You will also need flour, sugar, a light brown sugar, and even powdered cocoa. Many more detailed ingredient lists can be found on cooking self help websites. You can also use websites for basic cooking recipes, as long as you start off small. If you want to, you can also order basic cooking books that will help you out greatly.

Many people find cooking charts to be very helpful. They include the cooking times and temperatures for different cuts of meat, fish, and poultry. There are useful as a quick reference when learning the cooking basics. There are also charts that give detailed measurement explanations that include weight and volume that are very useful. You will be able to find these online and instantly download them for free. Proper measurement is critical to the taste and quality of the food you prepare.

It is a good idea in cooking to get yourself a binder, to keep all of this information in one place. If you get one that will accept picture pages, you can include recipes you find from a variety of sources, online, at home, and even from friends and family. If you take good care if it, you could even pass it on to your kids.

You can find these tips and many more online, at your local library, and even local retailers. Many community colleges offer classes in cooking basics, as the way up to advanced chef courses. There are many cooking career opportunities available as well.

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