Here, you’ll learn more about the ways that you can benefit from basic cooking and how it can enhance your life. Regardless of your overall goals, learning basic cooking can be a valuable and impressive skill to learn. Whether you’re a complete novice in the kitchen or you already have a strong handle on some dishes, cooking can sometimes be overwhelming. There are so many ingredients to choose from, so many ways to combine them, and so many pieces to the puzzle that is a meal, it’s tempting to walk away— but don’t.
To gain cooking confidence, you’ll have to keep trying consistently. The more you practice, the more you’ll feel confident and comfortable in the kitchen and your ability to create a meal that is nutritious and pleasant to eat. Once you get one of two dishes right consistently, you’ll be ready to build on your skills, host a dinner party for family or friends, become more and more adventurous with your ingredients, and enjoy creating good food with confidence.
Learning basic cooking gives you the power to control what you put into your body. You’re in control of the salt, the heat, and the sweetness. You can effectively cater to your dietary restrictions and preferences, improve your health, choose higher-quality ingredients, and save yourself some money. You may even be surprised at how learning basic cooking skills can broaden your understanding of the world and its many cultures. Cooking doesn’t have to be an enigma that makes you doubtful and uncomfortable. It’s a way to unlock a whole new world.
What is Basic Cooking?
Basic cooking is simply the preparation of food using heat. People have been cooking since time immemorial. Once human beings demystified and harnessed the power of fire, cooking evolved into something more recognizable, and definitely more palatable. Up until the Neolithic period, when pottery was introduced, cooking was mainly roasting spitted meats over an open flame. There were some cultures, however, in the Paleolithic period that were steaming food inside of wet leaves.
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Nowadays, there are many techniques to cook food. Food can be roasted, baked, fried, and sauteed. Cooking can happen over an open flame, in a microwave, a toaster, a pressure cooker, or on a stovetop. Each cooking method yields different textures and creates a different eating experience. And certain methods work better for specific ingredients. For instance, fresh vegetables like broccoli and zucchini are better suited for sauteing, while steaks and chicken do well with a searing.
In fact, cooking can look very different across different cultures. The ingredients, the flavors, and even the cooking utensils and implements may all be new to you, but there are still basic cooking techniques at work. Clay oven baking, open-fire grilling, smoking, and wok frying are some methods of cooking that can be found in different regions of the world. Learning the basic cooking skills of another culture will truly broaden your definition of cooking.
Benefits of Learning Basic Cooking?
One of the biggest reasons to learn basic cooking skills is the ability to feed yourself and your family in the way that you see fit. You’ll have the skills needed to cook vegetables, season your food, prepare various meats and other proteins, and cook different grains. There’s no better feeling than knowing what’s in your food and that it meets your standard of quality. And when the compliments start to roll in, you’ll begin to grow in confidence and continue to hone your skill.
Once you’ve learned basic cooking skills you’ll feel so much better about yourself in the kitchen. Knowing that you have the ability to create a tasty meal that is nutritious. And if there’s something in particular that you enjoy eating, learning how to make that dish means you’ll have access to it whenever you have the taste for it. You’ll be able to travel the world through cultural cuisines and have the chance to experience new flavors and flavor combinations.
For the adventurous foodie in you, there are culinary groups like the Veg Society of DC, which promotes a vegan and vegetarian lifestyle, and the World Food Travel Association which works to preserve and highlight culinary cultures through tourism and hospitality. Joining a group or club can broaden your culinary horizons and put you in a position to learn more about cooking, food, and where your food comes from.
Save Money
According to Forbes, you spend five times as much on dining out and three times as much using a meal kit service when compared to cooking at home. When you dine out, you’re paying for more than just your meal. You’re also paying for the restaurant’s overhead expenses like rent and wages, convenience, and getting to and from the establishment. When you go to the grocery store, you can pick and choose your ingredients according to what’s in season or on sale, because these two considerations alone can make a big difference to your food budget.
To get started saving money and learning basic cooking skills, the 4-week Culinary Basics Series offered by Chef Eric’s Culinary Classroom in West Los Angeles can help. This course is for novice cooks ages 15 and older, and it covers basic knife skills, food prep, basic cooking techniques, cooking different proteins, and making sauces. The goal of the class is to create a more confident cook.
Culinary Bootcamp: For Beginner Cooks is another course that teaches basic cooking skills. Home Cooking New York, located in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, offers this class to guests ages 16 and older to help get them comfortable and creative in the kitchen. Participants will learn basic cooking techniques using multiple ingredients, different meat preparations, and pasta techniques.
It’s easy to build on your skills with classes like these. Once you get comfortable in the kitchen, you begin to gain the experience that’s needed to think more creatively in the kitchen. And with this newfound culinary creativity, you’ll be able to make better money-saving decisions with your cooking and ingredient choices. Something like meal planning can be a big help in managing your monthly food budget.
Healthy Eating
You’ve probably heard the saying, “My food is my medicine.” And when you’re the cook, this is far more likely to be true. When you do the cooking yourself, you’re in control of the ingredients and their quality, portion size, and seasonings. If you have food allergies or any dietary restrictions, you can easily make the necessary substitutions and not be concerned with potential cross-contamination because you’re the chef in control of the kitchen and the ingredients.
As you get more and more comfortable with certain recipes, you’ll also begin to feel more confident making substitutions that can lead to improved health outcomes. If you’re diabetic, you may decide to start putting a tablespoon of vinegar in your rice to help your body better break down the starch. If you’re hypertensive, you may decide to decrease your salt intake. And if you’re concerned with easing arthritis, you may be interested in adding more ginger or garlic to your diet.
Cooking your own food allows you to be in control and it’s important to have basic cooking skills in your arsenal so that you can exercise that control. It is possible to turn your health around or improve your quality of life by making changes to the way you eat. As you progress in your culinary journey, you’ll pick up a lot of tasty potential substitutions, and new healthy recipes, and begin to create your own unique style.
Fusion Flavors for Healthy Living is a hands-on Classpop! class for adults ages 21 and older who are setting out to master basic cooking in San Diego. This class covers four health-conscious recipes that draw upon Asian, Latin American, and Mediterranean flavors. The menu includes mixed berry oatmeal crumble bars, cilantro lime salmon, quinoa salad, and soy ginger chicken with zucchini noodles. By cooking the menu, participants will learn valuable kitchen skills that can be applied to other recipes.
This Fresh From the Garden Classpop! course offered in Atlanta is for adults over the age of 21 of all cooking skill levels. Learning how to incorporate fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables into mealtimes, is a great way to boost health outcomes and nurture the body. Chef Megan will guide guests through cooking several mouthwatering and health-conscious meals.
Psychosocial Improvement
There is nothing like sharing a meal with friends or family. Eating is one of the few things humans engage in out of necessity and for social enrichment. Eating as a family often strengthens the family bond and creates memories and experiences that are not easily forgotten. It promotes communication and shared experiences amongst diners and has the potential to change attitudes toward food and eating. And if you choose to cook with friends or family, socialization, communication, and cooperation are all happening simultaneously.
Learning to cook and practicing basic cooking skills can also help increase your focus, concentration, and ability to multitask, while also promoting your creativity. Cooking takes a lot of mental coordination and focus, which is why it’s such an enriching activity. Cooking pushes you to use all of your senses which translates into other areas of your life.
Classpop! Has a First-Class Cooking: 3 Gourmet Recipes class in San Diego for guests who want to learn some great recipes. This is a beginner-friendly class that is great to enjoy with friends. With Chef Krong walking participants through three gourmet recipes using basic culinary skills, everyone will get a hands-on experience while having a good time.
How to Start Learning Basic Cooking
Getting started learning basic cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. There are a lot of ways to take on the challenge, including in-person classes, online classes, on-demand/self-paced classes, and cookbooks. No matter the learning method you choose, your main ingredient is a willingness to learn. You will find basic cooking classes all over the country.
Culinary Bootcamp 1 by The Chopping Block at Lincoln Square in Chicago, is the only recreational culinary school that offers an in-depth culinary education without the stress of a formal year-round culinary school. This course covers basic fundamentals as well as more advanced techniques. In five sessions, students will learn the skills that will create a solid foundation in fine-tuned cooking. Participants will even learn whole fish butchery, making sauces, and meat cookery.
Southern Thunder Cooking School of BBQ in Atlanta has a BBQ with the Pros Class for learners ages 14 and up. Students are armed with an apron and a knife before being tasked with the preparation of a 12 to 14-pound brisket and various other cuts of meat. Through the course of the day, participants will prepare, smoke, and cook 200 pounds of meat alongside BBQ pit masters. At the end of class, there will be a banquet and students can take home some BBQ, an apron, and a step-by-step manual complete with recipes.
Although in-person classes are the preferred and more traditional way to learn basic cooking skills, when in-person classes aren’t accessible to you, online classes could be the next best option for you to learn basic cooking skills. There are some key differences between the two learning approaches. One of the most recognized differences between the two is the ability to take classes on your own schedule, wherever you are in the world. Other differences include saving on commuting costs and time efficiency. When taking online classes, you may have to provide your own materials, ingredients, and kitchen equipment.
The League of Kitchens offers Indian Cooking Online w/ Yamini for those who are interested in Indian cuisine. This virtual class is for students ages 11 and older. It features three classic Indian recipes and a virtual dinner party at the end of class. The highlight of the class is a classic aloo paratha, a handmade flatbread filled with spiced potatoes and onion.
Virtual Cook Along: Just Peachy: Sweet and Savory Peach is offered by The Chopping Block at Lincoln Square to adults of all skill levels. The menu includes both sweet and savory uses of one of summer’s brightest fruits: the peach. Participants will create an arugula and basil salad featuring quick pickled peaches, peach bourbon chutney, and peach vanilla shortbread bars. Participants will be virtually guided through skills like making a vinaigrette, pickling techniques, using fresh herbs, and preparing chutneys.
Key Takeaways
- Learning basic cooking skills can come with many benefits, including saving money, improving your health, and expanding your social circle.
- There are a wide variety of classes that are offered in-person and online that can help you reach your cooking goals.
- CourseHorse has options for private group learning, online classes, and in-person training. Contact them today to meet your learning goals.