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Cooking is a necessary and vital life skill and, no, not just for women. There’s something empowering about knowing how to feed/nourish yourself on a basic, fundamental level, and further empowering when you know how to cook a dish you/others enjoy the heck out of or normally only have the opportunity to eat at restaurants and other professional establishments that make money from doing so. It is one of the most valuable skills to have because it involves something that everybody needs and no one is exempt from: food.
First and foremost, cooking is not hard or complicated and certainly does not have to be. Sometimes, it feels that way if you’ve just started learning/taking direction from someone who makes it complicated. This was my experience with my mother growing up and, as a result, I truly disliked everything about cooking and didn’t actually learn how to cook until I went off to college. It was then that I saw and learned just how uncomplicated and simple it was to make a lot of dishes from scratch from a family friend. I still didn’t enjoy cooking at the time, however, more so having cooked because, well…I needed to eat. And it was much cheaper to do so than constantly eating out (college brokenness was real). Plus, I’m a frugal individual by nature so even if I had the money to blow back then, I would have still likely forgone eating out and only done so occasionally—because it’s what I do currently. Only, I actually love to cook now.
If you’re a true beginner and have never cooked anything in your life on a stove top or in an oven/microwave from scratch, then the first step, like with anything you are undertaking for the very first time, you want to start with something simple. Some people may balk at the idea of boiling rice or pasta, but you’d be surprised how many people who’ve been cooking for a while (not novices in the kitchen) run into issues with overcooked/mushy rice or soggy/chewy macaroni.
It may sound pretty obvious, but the best starting point is to follow the cooking instructions on the packaging when applicable (like with rice, pasta, etc.) where you’re often told how many cups of water to per cup(s) of the food item in question.
When dealing with food items that don’t come with cooking guidelines/instructions (beans/legumes, fresh produce like tomatoes, onions, potatoes, etc.) your best and most efficient bet is to glean from the internet if you do not have someone in your immediate environment or vicinity who knows how to do it well/in a way that you like. Really, one part of the Internet: YouTube. It will truly be a massive resource in finding recipes and visual instructions/tutorials on how to cook several items/meals/pastries and practically anything you’re interested in learning how to make, often easier than you imagined, and this also applies to those who already know how or are used to/comfortable cooking.
It’s important not to confuse or overwhelm yourself when you’re just starting out or really at any given stage of trying to level up your cooking skills. You don’t need a whole bunch of fancy pots, cookware and cooking utensils to start or get better. One or two stainless steel pots/pans and two kitchen knives (one for meat, one for veggies/non-meats), a stainless steel or wooden cooking spoon (no plastic) and a cutting/chopping board is a fantastic starting point and will get you covered for majority of the stuff you’re going to make. As you become more used to cooking and/or get more kitchen space in a bigger home, you want to invest in higher quality kitchenware that will work more efficiently and last much longer.
Gradually understand the power of certain spices/condiments and how they can enhance your dish with savory flavor (like bell peppers, onions, and garlic are my personal must-haves/holy Trinity). You can “ingredient prep” to streamline the cooking process by blending condiments/spices (ginger, garlic, green onions, onions, parsley) and store in the fridge for future use. That will save you even more time during the cooking process and make things that much easier and efficient.
Probably the most important, use the internet to learn how to make different dishes. There are so many recipes, ideas and tutorials you can access for pretty much any food you can think of. YouTube is great for visual tutorials on how to cook, bake, fry, sauté, steam, grill, etc. everything under the sun. A fantastic place to start is with the curated videos in 101 Easy Recipes to Tickle (and Twinkle) Your Taste Buds. Pinterest is awesome for recipe ideas, especially for different diets and nutritional needs like gluten-free, keto, Atkins, Carnivore, raw vegan, etc. Watching and following someone else do it makes things far less dauting and gives you a level of confidence in making something new or seemingly complicated/hard.
You can also invest in cook books if you want to have informational resources right in your kitchen or in the event you don’t have access to the internet. You can get physical cook books or download eBooks to your phone or tablet.