Anyone get anxious about cooking and preparing food?

Post Reply New Topic

I am the other way. I am extremely desperate to cook. I have food texture issues myself and I've been spending the bulk of last 8 months restricted to Panda Express food because most dining hall food is ether way too gritty or gooey and the stuff that isn't is stuff I can't eat because I"m supposed to be GFCF (I have broken it eating Panda Express because that isn't technically GFCF and I"m wondering if Gluten makes me cranky- because my immune system is reacting to it.

My mother is the one who's nervous about me burning up the house. She gets worried I"ll do burn down my apartment once I get in there, that I won't know how to cook meat, maybe that I'll accidentally poison myself with E col or eat spoiled food. But I think she's just worried I can't do it.

The only thing I am nervous about is accidentally chopping off a finger. Which might mean I get pre-chopped veggies and minimize any chopping. Peeling is no big deal.

I'm 41 and have never fried an egg.

I depend on the microwave a lot for my meals. I'm currently on a very low calorie diet so breakfast and lunch are ok, it's just dinner I have to worry about.

My flatmate bought some Quorn foods for us to try. She has no troubles with cooking but is sometimes lazy and can't be bothered cooking so it's at these times that I resort to microwave meals.

I can cook simple things, but I cannot imagine ever being able to handle cooking for a large number of people, like my mom did. I hope I do get good enough to manage on my own someday.

I recommend -

(1) try to quickly ditch recipes, they are often hard to follow and add another layer of things to worry about. Whilst it might be a steeper learning curve I would freestyle and I wouldn't worry so much about getting it "right" as long as it is edible that is a good start.

(2) do things in stages.

For example: if you are making a tomato pasta sauce from scratch, first just make the sauce and you can use that anytime within 3 days or so as long as you store it in the fridge. That way, when it comes to bringing the whole thing together you just have to boil pasta and can devote your attention exclusively to that. As you feel more confident you add on more layers; you could get some olives to add, roast some peppers in the oven (just slice peppers and let them roast for 30 min in the oven) grate some cheese to put on top, wash a bag of salad to go with it. As you get more confident you could make some bacon to slice and put on top. There are endless variations but if you feel overwhelmed just go with the basic idea first.

Another example. Making a thai curry sauce. Make the sauce first. Again you can keep it in the pan and then come back to it in the evening or keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze it. Then you can just take it out when you are ready to make some rice and re-heat it and add some chicken and vegetables or whatever you fancy.

I really recommend getting a cheap and simple hand blender. Making yummy sauces from scratch really enhance a meal and as they can be kept and stored it really breaks things down into stages and means you can do a little bit here and there and not get that overwhelmed feeling of having too much going on at once.

And if you want any more help or ingredient lists / instructions for simple meals - just pm me.

As with anything, practice and get comfy before you have to perform.

When I left home, I didn't even know about cooking oil, but I've never relied on prepared food. I develop my own recipes and stick to a few variations rather than trying dozens of formulas. My favourite is to chop up some vegetables and add them on top of pasta with just enough water. 110 g of pasta to 1 Cup of water works fine, and keeps all the vitamins in. Sometimes I add herbs and olive oil, and sometimes I add canned pasta sauce. A few almonds or cashews help. Steam the veggies on top a bit, but stir in time to keep the pasta from sticking to the pan, and turn down the heat when a lot of steam comes past the lid. The cooking is done in one pan in ten minutes, so you can stay with it to watch for any problems. While I wait, I chop some green onions to go on top. A bit of fake cheese makes the re-heated leftovers tastier. I also steam veggies on top of rice as it cooks. Then I re-warm leftover rice on top of veggies being steamed with just a trace of water. These two basic dinners have kept me healthy for decades, using organic as much as I could.

I don't get anxious about cooking food, but I don't really like it. I'm lucky to have a husband who likes doing it. Also we bought a multicooker that eases our lives. It is very convenient that some dishes can be cooked there, all I need is to add ingredients. In general, I recommend everyone to buy this device. By the way, there is a good review of some of them on

I get a little anxious with cooking. I always worry about undercooking something meat-related, even if I follow the instructions correctly. So I end up burning things just to reassure me that it's cooked. I just keep thinking that if there's one tiny bit of uncooked meat, I will be severely sick for days. I have emetophobia.
I wouldn't say I'm a bad multitasker but when it comes to cooking I don't multitask very well. If I'm attending saucepans on top of the stove, and there's something cooking in the oven I often forget about it and end up burning it. So next time I go out I'm going to buy a timer, as that will help me. I don't want a timer that will make me jump out my skin though.

Joe90,
While you are getting the timer, get a meat thermometer too. That is the best way to determine if a piece of chicken or pork or whatever is done, when the internal temperature has reached the recommended level. Its easy to use--just insert it long-ways into the meat so that at least 2/3 of the probe is covered. And it should say on it how hot various meats should be heated to.

I began reading this thread as I was eating an impromptu yet balanced meal: fried chicken and potatoes with peas. I put the piece of chicken (still frozen) in a small skillet. Then I washed and sliced a small potato in next to it (I left the peeling on). Next I turned the burner on (a little over half way), added about a teaspoon of oil, tossed a little salt and pepper over them, and put on the lid. Once they were sizzling pretty good, I turned the burner back to about 35% and let it cook about 20 minutes, turning them over about halfway through. I know what chicken looks like when its done so when that time came, I turned it over yet again, covered it and turned the burner off. I put a small dish of frozen peas in the microwave (which has a "Veggies" button) and when they were done, I put it all on a plate and sat down to supper.

Can you get any simpler than that?

Keep it simple. You don't have to prepare much of anything especially if you are a vegetarian. A lot of my diet consists of salads made from prewashed leafy greens that I buy ready to eat in the store and things like cherry tomatoes and nuts and seeds. They do not require any cooking or prep. You can also get premade zucchini or squash noodles or vegetables that you steam in the bag that they come in in the microwave. You can also eat fresh or frozen fruit that requires no prep and vegan yogurt. I eat lots of those. You can also get cans of beans that you can even eat cold straight out of the can if you want or just put them in a bowl and heat them in the microwave.

You never need to stress about preparing food. Just stick to foods that don't need to be prepared or cooked. I am eating baby carrots right out of the bag with almond butter for lunch today. I had yogurt for breakfast. No prep required.

You can even buy precooked steamed or brown rice like at a Chinese place for super cheap and just throw some veggies in it that you steamed in the microwave in the bag they came in.

The are a few trick you need to learn to keep everything simple. First, you are cooking for yourself. If it turns out poorly, so what eat it anyhow.

Get yourself a steamer insert. Chop up some veggies, broccoli, cabbage, string beans, cauliflower .... and steam them for 10 to 12 minutes. You can add large diced tofu or bean sprouts to the steamer as well.

Hard boiled eggs, 10 to 12 minutes in the steamer, then put in cold water and peel. Perfect every time, with practice.

Get yourself a large saute pan. Add a little oil, some chopped ginger, hot peppers, black pepper, salt, garlic, ... and heat the pan. Throw in some chopped onions and add a little water and cook it down a bit. The water makes it easier to control and you will not burn the spices. From here you can add some pre-soaked lentils (let them soak in water for ten minutes and drain) and cover with hot water. Cook for 20 minutes or until tender, add more water as needed. When tender, increase the heat and stir until all the extra water is gone.

Practice making oatmeal, rice and pasta. It is easy with a little practice.

Going shopping may be another issue, that took me some time to get past the anxiety.

When I started, my cooking was awful and always the same thing. Now, I enjoy it and eat mostly the same thing.

The food mentioned is cheap and healthy.

I've never lit, to attempted to light, a gas oven or stove in my life. Electric ones I can handle, but only during my first year of uni did I live in a place with those.

I enjoy cooking mostly, but it can be very stressful (and I'm a vegetarian too! ). I think some tips I'd give that I learned when I lived away from home are: Remember to eat- if you have a phone set timers on it. This is something I never considered but forgetting to eat actually happens, and thinking of what time to eat can be really stressful, too. Timers also help with the oven and pans. as long as you follow the recipe/packet instructions nothing awful should happen- but keep a lookout for smoke or smells of burning. If you're living in a student place they usually have extinguishers/fire safety stuff there. If you're looking at a recipe, I find they tend to miss steps out (like they will randomly mention 'in another bowl' when they never mentioned another bowl before now), so read through it and write it out yourself with the steps added in. If you have two food things you're cooking and one takes (as an example) 30 minutes, and one 10 I'd put the 30 minute thing in, set a timer for 20 then put the other item in and time again for 10, that way they're ready at the same time. I think the more you practice the easier it may get- can you try at home before going? And good luck!