Monday, October 12, 2009

Cooking 101 - A Crash Course on Cooking Basics

By Esterah Shergold

When learning how to cook, it's a good idea to start with the cooking basics. Anybody that has some common sense can do simple math, and follow directions can learn how to cook. You will find that you will be able to prepare and serve a delicious meal that your family will enjoy. Don't worry if it doesn't look like something Betty Crocker prepared, but it will taste good and please your family. There are a few things you will need in your kitchen to get started.

First of all, you will needs some basic utensil, pots, and pans. You don't have to spend thousands of dollars on products when starting out. Regardless of the equipment you choose, makes sure the pots and pans have non-stick surfaces. Your baking pans and cookie sheets should be non-stick as well. This will make them easier to use and clean. The better the quality, the easier the food will come off the surface.

You'll also need to get together some knives, spoons, measuring cups and spoons, and whisks. Also, it would be helpful to purchase a decent set of mixing bowls. The metal ones are much easier to clean and maintain than other kinds. You will need a few metal and plastic spatulas and some larger forks and spoons. You should have two basic can opener; one that removes the entire and one that removes just the inner lid so you can drain things like canned tuna.

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.

You'll also find cooking charts helpful, as they let you know things like what temperatures meats and poultry should be cooked at, how long to cook them, and many other useful facts. There are charts that explain measurements in great detail like volume, weight, etc. You can find these online and download them for free. These are all vitally important for the taste and quality of the food you will be cooking and serving.

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 for cooking basics as well as many more online. You can find them at your library or in a retail store. Most community colleges offer classes on cooking basics on up to advanced courses. Who knows, if you really fall in love with cooking you may even want to take advantage of the career opportunities in the culinary field.

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