Feel bad for not knowing how to cook

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chris1989
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18 Apr 2023, 12:36 pm

I feel I can do a lot of other things such as washing, cleaning, using the washing machine, ironing clothes, hoovering, driving a car, tie my shoe laces, shop for my own clothes and food but cooking seems like one of the only things I feel intimidated about doing. I've helped make meals before but I can never remember the ways or the ingredients to make something even off my own head. I know very well that I'll have to do it on my own at some point but unlike many of the other things I can do, why can't I cook ? Is it because other people always do it ? Am I as said earlier intimidated by it because it's something out of my comfort zone? I also seem to think that instructions on how to make something is much harder than I think and maybe that's another reason I can't do it. I can make foods without cooking them sometimes like making sandwiches, cereals, and cut up fruit and vegetables.



babybird
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18 Apr 2023, 12:42 pm

Do you mean things like complex recipes or just say putting a pizza in the oven?

I couldn't make food until I was in my 30s because I always thought it was hard but then I watched someone make a simple meal and realised that it's not really that difficult.


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Joe90
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18 Apr 2023, 1:02 pm

I've never cooked a big meal before like a roast dinner. I'm scared to in case I miss one tiny detail and then get food poisoning.


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goldfish21
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18 Apr 2023, 1:37 pm

Food + heat = cooked food. There, now you know the basics. Get practicing and you'll get good at it.


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Misslizard
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18 Apr 2023, 1:50 pm

Start with simple recipes with few ingredients.
There are lots of three ingredient options and casseroles and slow cookers are beginner friendly.
https://spaceshipsandlaserbeams.com/23- ... r-recipes/


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goldfish21
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18 Apr 2023, 2:08 pm

Cooking is 100% about process control. Time & Temperature. This is why the best Chefs have Very Good Executive brain functions - hence the title "Executive Chef."

But you don't need to keep time & instruct others what to do like a symphony conductor in a busy hotel kitchen.. you only need to track your one or two items, their temperatures, and times. Maybe you cook ONE thing at a time to begin with and literally stare at it the whole time so you don't burn it.. maybe you invest in a little timer or set one on your phone to go off after x minutes to remind you to perform the next step in the process etc.

With practice you can get very good at the basics and have the confidence that you're not going to eat burnt food or burn the place down lol.

Personally, I tend to overcook things.. and when cooking for others, if I do a big batch and one gets dried out/burnt a bit - I eat that one and serve everyone else the good stuff. I've gotten better at cooking so I don't make things too crispy or burnt very often anymore so I rarely have to scrape off some burnt black bits on my own burger or chicken or whatever - and that's because I've practiced.. learned to turn the temperature down and cooking things low & slow.. learned not to leave the room and get distracted by some other task and so on.

Might cost you scrubbing a burnt pant or pot a few times, maybe a bit of rice, potato, chicken or whatever.. but it's well worth teaching yourself how to cook basic meals for general health & finances' sake. Then if you have any desire to get fancy and make special things, there are infinite cooking shows on YouTube and elsewhere on the internet that will teach you the processes to create the finest dishes if that's your thing. Personally, I'd like to try my hand at family recipes and make them for family gatherings because my parents aren't going to live forever and we all like eating and sharing their top 10 or a dozen dishes soooo since I live in their house, I'm the prime candidate to learn how to make them hands on.


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chris1989
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18 Apr 2023, 2:22 pm

babybird wrote:
Do you mean things like complex recipes or just say putting a pizza in the oven?

I couldn't make food until I was in my 30s because I always thought it was hard but then I watched someone make a simple meal and realised that it's not really that difficult.


I do mean making complex recipes not really putting a pizza in the oven as I obviously know how to do that.



babybird
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18 Apr 2023, 2:34 pm

chris1989 wrote:
babybird wrote:
Do you mean things like complex recipes or just say putting a pizza in the oven?

I couldn't make food until I was in my 30s because I always thought it was hard but then I watched someone make a simple meal and realised that it's not really that difficult.


I do mean making complex recipes not really putting a pizza in the oven as I obviously know how to do that.


That's good. At least we can rest assured that you won't starve.


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nick007
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18 Apr 2023, 5:48 pm

chris1989 wrote:
babybird wrote:
Do you mean things like complex recipes or just say putting a pizza in the oven?

I couldn't make food until I was in my 30s because I always thought it was hard but then I watched someone make a simple meal and realised that it's not really that difficult.


I do mean making complex recipes not really putting a pizza in the oven as I obviously know how to do that.
That's better than me. I don't feel safe lifting heavy things out the oven due to bad fine motor-skils. I use the toast-R-oven to cook things instead like corn dogs, french fries, & chicken nuggets, & to heat up bread for sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers & such. I also use the microwave to heat up leftovers my girlfriend cooks. I usually eat a sandwich for one meal, cereal for another, & one meal is what me or my girlfriend cook. I could learn to cook a bit more things if I had someone here teaching me but my gf hates directing anyone & figures it's easier to just do it herself. I do wash most of the dishes after they've pilled up. Two of the 3 jobs I had were custioal type things & the other was dish-washing so I can do a bit of household chores but not much cooking.


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Rossall
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18 Apr 2023, 6:13 pm

My meals normally consist of getting something out of the freezer and cooking it for about 20 mins. Sometimes rice or spaghetti on the hob. Just had a Gregg's sausage roll tonight.


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Raleigh
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18 Apr 2023, 6:17 pm

It's never too late to learn.
Find some clear and simple cookbooks like the old "Day to Day Cooking" books or find a youtube channel that's easy to follow to start with.


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