Can't Cook, Need Help

Short version: I can't cook. Tired of microwave food. Help?

Long version: I spent five years in the Marine Corps, where cooking was a non-issue. I had access to a mini-fridge that was shared with 1-2 other people, and a microwave. Nothing with a heating element was allowed due to fire safety regs. I got out about a a year ago, and spent about 5-6 months staying with family trying to find a job and waiting for school (and my GI Bill money) to start coming in.

During this time, I never really learned to cook beyond ramen and assorted microwave food. And living off that crap for any extended amount of time really sucks. I looked at a few recipe and cooking sites, but they all seem to be geared towards people who already have a large amount of culinary experience and are typically cooking for more than one person. I have yet to find a decent site or book or anything really that focuses on cooking for bachelors. Primarily because most people assume that means take-out and ramen, most likely.

If anyone can point me in the right direction as far as finding an alternative to canned soup and ramen noodles, I'd greatly appreciate it.

I saw a recipe book at the library that would be perfect for you! It was called something like, "Five ingredient Cookbook". I also saw one that was designed for single guys at the library, but I can't remember the name of it!

I didn't know how to cook when I first got out of the Army, and I got the "Illustrated Good Housekeeping Cookbook" that explained everything from what ingredients were, to the cuts of meat, to baking. I'm sure you could find all the info online, but I like hardcover books for cooking.

KFH said:

Short version: I can't cook. Tired of microwave food. Help?

Long version: I spent five years in the Marine Corps, where cooking was a non-issue. I had access to a mini-fridge that was shared with 1-2 other people, and a microwave. Nothing with a heating element was allowed due to fire safety regs. I got out about a a year ago, and spent about 5-6 months staying with family trying to find a job and waiting for school (and my GI Bill money) to start coming in.

During this time, I never really learned to cook beyond ramen and assorted microwave food. And living off that crap for any extended amount of time really sucks. I looked at a few recipe and cooking sites, but they all seem to be geared towards people who already have a large amount of culinary experience and are typically cooking for more than one person. I have yet to find a decent site or book or anything really that focuses on cooking for bachelors. Primarily because most people assume that means take-out and ramen, most likely.

If anyone can point me in the right direction as far as finding an alternative to canned soup and ramen noodles, I'd greatly appreciate it.

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Find yourself a local class at a community college, cooking school, etc. There are a few things that you really need to learn, like what different terms mean, knife skills, and how to handle different ingredients.

An added bonus... these classes seem to be chock full of women, some single and good-looking.

I have found it easier do meal plans this basic premise (rather than worrying about cooking techniques or fancy ingredients):

meat, vegetable, starch

Grill some chicken breasts (marinated in italian dressing), steam some brocolli, and throw some red potatoes in the microwave

Take a pork tenderloin, some potatoes, carrots, onions, mushrooms, dried french onion soup mix and 1/2 cup of chicken broth and throw it in a crock pot and cook on low for ~8 hours.

In fact, there's a great thread somewhere on here about crock pot cooking with dozens and dozens of recipes.

I do a lot of Crockpot cooking, there are quite a few simple recipes out there for slow cookers. Along with the rice cooker, it's one of my favorite kitchen gadgets!

Oddly, my wife NEVER uses either of them.

jpc said:

Find yourself a local class at a community college, cooking school, etc. There are a few things that you really need to learn, like what different terms mean, knife skills, and how to handle different ingredients.

An added bonus... these classes seem to be chock full of women, some single and good-looking.

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I thought about that, but working full time, a full course load at college (plus studying Russian on my own), a puppy, a girlfriend, and a new hobby really don't leave me with enough time for that.

here's the thread I was mentioning...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f56/slow-cooker-recipe-swap-41515/

Start simple, like just making chicken,steaks and chops on the grill. Also go out and buy some dry rubs.

Here's a quick good meal.

If you have a Target close by, go there pick up a boneless pork chop and some Target brand southwest dry rub. Grab some fresh asparagus and a potato.

Get home take your chop throw it on a plate and sprinkle the rub on top of it, rub it in flip over and repeat. Let that sit for a few minutes.

Take your fresh asparagus rinse them under some cold water and let dry. Cut all the bottoms of the asparagus, they will fade from white to green, cut that white part off.

Take some aluminum foil about a foot and a half long, put the asparagus in the center, drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper. Rap them up and throw them off to the side.

Take your potato rinse well under water, rap in foil stab a few hole in it with a fork.

Gril:

Throw your potato on med heat, (350) and cook untill soft. Turning it every 20 minutes or so. Takes about a hour.

At the 30 minute mark put your asparagus on and let them cook untill they are soft, about 20-30 minutes.

At the 25 mintue mark take your chop and put it on the gril, The pink chop will start to turn white as it cooks. 12 minutes in flip and let it cook for another 12 minutes. The chop should be white and some what spongy. Not stiff or super soft.

Turn heat off and eat up.

Over/stove:

Potato in oven for 1 hour at 350 untill soft.

Take a frying pan spray it with nonstick cooking spray, put shop in pan on med heat and cook until done, just like with the grill. 20 minutes or so.

Take asparagus with out foil. Put in annother frying pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper. Stir around untill every one is done. 20 minutes or so.

Get yourself a 14-16 inch cast iron pan and two medium size sauce pans.

Starch and water goes in saucepan 1. Pasta and potatoes are easy because you boil until they are done and drain. Rice and quinoa are 2 parts water to one part starch. Get it to a boil then simmer until the water's all gone.

Vegetables (frozen or fresh) go in saucepan 2 with boiling water. Cook them less rather than more, for the most part.

Turn the cast iron on to medium and add olive oil. Meat goes in here and cooks until it's done. Start with ground beef and chicken breast, maybe pork chops. If you do potatoes and undercook them a bit, you can drain them off and fry them up a little next to the meat in the same pan. If there's any "meat stuff" stuck on the pan at the end, hit it with a little beer, wine or juice at the end while the pan is still hot and loosen up all that flavor- cook that hot liquid until it is sauce and pour over.

There is endless variation here. Start with some decent olive oil, kosher (coarse) salt, and a pepper grinder near the stove. I buy olive oil in big cans and keep a wine bottle full of it (with one of those liquor pourers on it) at hand as well.

Learn your spices. Cumin makes stuff taste more or less "Mexican." Garlic is good in just about everything. Use curry powder to make it more of an Indian thing and get some "five spice" mix for an Asian flavor. Salt (especially kosher) is mostly effective at the very end, maybe even not until you get to the table.

Finally, just remember that "acid loves fat" and you'll be golden. That's why grilled cheese and tomato soup are good together, or cranberry sauce and turkey, oil and vinegar dressing, hot wings and blue cheese dressing, etc, etc.

Watch cooking shows on TV.

Some are great, some suck. Cookbooks are OK but monkey see/monkey do gets you up the curve much faster.

What do you like to eat? Analyze what you enjoy eating. Find some basic recipes with those entrees and cook. Like brewing, you're more apt to enjoy the dishes that please your pallette and not all of the dishes will be fantastic or even good. The trick is to learn from your mistakes and do better next time. Good luck and thank you for your service.

arturo beat me to it. Don't forget the Food Network. Some of the shows really do a good job of explaining basic concepts. If you're king of a geek like me, try Good Eats. Yeah, it's the show that lots of folks enjoy ripping because of his episode where he made beer, but he really does a good job to show simple methods and explain why things happen the way they do. He doesn't just tell you "Add the oil slowly while stirring", he shows you WHY so you can apply it to other things. Not sure how your brain works, but mine works well with that sort of instruction.

The food network is a great start. Especially Rachel Ray's thirty minute meals. They tend to be really simple, yet tasty recipes that are quick and easy to make.

Revvy said:

The food network is a great start. Especially Rachel Ray's thirty minute meals. They tend to be really simple, yet tasty recipes that are quick and easy to make.

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And after watching Rachel Ray you'll me nauseated enough that you won't have to cook anything.

Watch the Food Network. Some of the personalities are barely tolerable but you'll find one you like.

ChshreCat said:

arturo beat me to it. Don't forget the Food Network. Some of the shows really do a good job of explaining basic concepts. If you're king of a geek like me, try Good Eats. Yeah, it's the show that lots of folks enjoy ripping because of his episode where he made beer, but he really does a good job to show simple methods and explain why things happen the way they do. He doesn't just tell you "Add the oil slowly while stirring", he shows you WHY so you can apply it to other things. Not sure how your brain works, but mine works well with that sort of instruction.

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+1 I really enjoy Good Eats, and I actually like 30 Minute meals too (and anything with Giada for that matter...)

What I like about Good Eats is the technical and historical information. For me, they help me understand why, and I can use that for other things. I've only made 1 or 2 things from what I've seen on the show, but I've enjoyed cooking more.

Write down some ideas of what you like, and get online and fine recipes, or ask here. I know there we have more than 1 person on here who can really cook!

Think about spending time with the woman in the kitchen. The ladies really appreciate a man who can cook! Try different things. Learn a few basics, either on tv, or online. Start easy (pasta and jar dishes), grilling, steaming. Then move on from there.

I think the biggest issue with cooking is knowing what goes with what, and what you can sub for ingredients you don't have or don't like. I have learned that baking is precise and strict for the most part, cooking is more improvisation, winging it with a basic end result in mind. I explained this to my wife when we first married, baking is like logical thinking, cooking is emotion.

bag of frozen, cooked shrimp
Box of angel hair pasta
jar of alfredo sauce
Italian bread loaf.
bag of salad

Heat Large pot of water to boiling

While heating water, place shrimp in collander, inside another bowl and add lukewarm water to cover. When water gets cold, replace with more water. Just trying to thaw the shrimp here...

Place alfredo sauce in pan and heat on low.

When water is boiling add angel hair pasta, broken in half.

strain the water from the shrimp and add to alfredo sauce.

Drain angel hair pasta into collander.

Ladle alfredo sauce over pasta on the plate, or mix it all up in the pot, and serve with salad and a nice, cheap wine (or beer...)

I learned 90% of my cooking from TV, 9% from watching my mother and the rest from books and online.

There are some books on very basic cooking, like how to boil water etc (Cooking For Dummies is one)
got to a real life book store to find these, way easier than online. Some cooking shows assume you know how to cook but many will start right from the basics. Especially some of these new "reality" tyoe shows where the go to someone's house and tell them their food is horrible or unhealthy and show them how it is done.
Up here in Canada we had one called the Urban Peasant, real cooks laughed at him but he was great at showing how to cook and what to use when you didn't have the proper ingredients.

Subscribe to a cooking channel on your cable pr sattelite if you can.

Bill I was a big fan of the Urban Peasant, he taught me a lot.

Revvy said:

Bill I was a big fan of the Urban Peasant, he taught me a lot.

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Did you get him on American TV or Canadian TV? (I see you live in a border state)

Also I second Rachel Ray, great simple recipes and althougjh she can sometimes be hard to listen too, she is very pleasant to look at. She never claims to be a chef, just a simple cook with some very basic ideas. Grab one of her books too, something basic.

billc68 said:

Did you get him on American TV or Canadian TV? (I see you live in a border state)

Also I second Rachel Ray, great simple recipes and althougjh she can sometimes be hard to listen too, she is very pleasant to look at. She never claims to be a chef, just a simple cook with some very basic ideas. Grab one of her books too, something basic.

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I got him on TV-9 Out of Windsor, ONT. Along with the original "Wok with Yan." Those two probably did more to get me into cooking as a kid, than anything else. Since that was pre-cable and pre-cooking channel.

When you are starting out, try your best to stick to fresh and simple. Try to stay away from pre-packaged stuff and frozen veggies. It is much better to get in the habit of simple or rustic than flat-tasting preserved crap.

And don't hesitate to experiment. Cooking is a lot like sex in that regard. Everybody has his/her preferences, but experimentation will more often than not yield good results. Hell, even a "failed" experiment teaches you a thing or two, and it isn't the end of the world if you burn yer brisket.

Revvy said:

the original "Wok with Yan."

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Man, I remember watching Wok with Yan on Canadian TV when I was a kid!!!

Bedlam said:

When you are starting out, try your best to stick to fresh and simple. Try to stay away from pre-packaged stuff and frozen veggies. It is much better to get in the habit of simple or rustic than flat-tasting preserved crap.

And don't hesitate to experiment. Cooking is a lot like sex in that regard. Everybody has his/her preferences, but experimentation will more often than not yield good results. Hell, even a "failed" experiment teaches you a thing or two, and it isn't the end of the world if you burn yer brisket.

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Yes stay away from prepackaged as much as possible HOWEVER, frozen vegetables are quite good and usually frozen fresh. And canned tomatoes will never compare to fresh but can be superior to tomatoes that have had to travel a long distance to get to you. We have hot house tomatos in town but really they are barely compareable to a true fresh tomato.

Thanks for all the info! I'll take a look later tonight & try to throw together a shopping list that isn't full of ramen and canned soup.

Here's an old thread of mine, the recipes aren't too hard. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f56/buncha-my-best-recipes-63542/

billc68 said:

Yes stay away from prepackaged as much as possible HOWEVER, frozen vegetables are quite good and usually frozen fresh. And canned tomatoes will never compare to fresh but can be superior to tomatoes that have had to travel a long distance to get to you. We have hot house tomatos in town but really they are barely compareable to a true fresh tomato.

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Indeed

Absolutely nothing wrong with frozen veggies. Especially if you don't cook very often. The problem with fresh vegies is they completely suck as leftovers. No leftovers with frozen.

One of the best Italian restaurants I've ever frequented used canned tomatoes. For many dishes, canned are better than fresh.


EDIT: not to say you should avoid the fresh stuff, but canned tomatoes and frozen veggies are part of a well stocked pantry

billc68 said:

Yes stay away from prepackaged as much as possible HOWEVER, frozen vegetables are quite good and usually frozen fresh. And canned tomatoes will never compare to fresh but can be superior to tomatoes that have had to travel a long distance to get to you. We have hot house tomatos in town but really they are barely compareable to a true fresh tomato.

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You are correct, sir! I misspoke...meant to say canned veggies.

The most important thing is to build your larder. Get the olive oil, spices, butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa and whatnot that will keep for a while. That way, when you DO find yourself with a little time, there isn't the extra barrier of having to go to the store for key ingredients for EVERY meal or treat that you might want to try. Make it so you have the basics just laying around and can just pick up a cookbook and go to it.

Pick up a slowcooker and a recipe book.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002PAS38O/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Load it up in the morning and it is ready when you get home in the evening.

Just buy some simple cookbooks. There are plenty geared to beginners, most include basic instructions. Just learn like you did everything else: Start simple, study and practice.
Thank you for your service.

Cooking isn't that complicated. Figure out what it is that you like to eat and then look it up on the internet. The best thing you can do is just jump in there. Leave the microwave and prepackaged food behind as fast as you can. I love Cooks Illustrated but sometimes they make their recipes too complicated (but they all turn out amazing). My wife uses Perry's Plate, I like Orangette.net but there are hundreds of sites that are good. Get some kitchen basics that can turn any meal into something fantastic. Salt, Good extra virgin olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, curry powder, chili powder, a decent pepper mill, lemons, parmesan, some good fresh spices ( i use a lot of rosemary,thyme, basil), onion, chicken broth,eggs, bacon (all hail bacon)and maybe some heavy cream. If you like baked goods have some all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda on hand. Don't be afraid of vegetables. Most vegetables are great roasted ( cut into smallish diced pieces) with a little salt and olive oil or cooked in a frying pan with some garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes. Thought I hated brussel sprouts until I tried them cooked like that. Tons of stuff is good in pasta. Don't make it complicated. My favorite recipes have only 5 or six ingredients.

KFH said:

Short version: I can't cook. Tired of microwave food. Help?

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Without any hesitation my advice is...download all the seasons of Good Eats.

Nothing has pushed me into cooking more than this show. Its practical, yet high end. Most of all, rather than telling you what to do, it tells you why you should do it. Its also great to gear up your kitchen and reduce the clutter of unnecesary equipment.


I love this show, in fact watching it now.

Damn it, forgot butter. Butter, bacon, heavy cream and salt can transform a lot of bland dishes

Look for Pub recipes. Pubs(real ones at least) tend to have simple recipes that are hearty. Also since no one else mentioned it, The Betty Crocker Cookbook get one. Its huge, has an assload of recipes, and an index that explains the terminology. There is also a Williams Sonoma series of cookbooks that deal with one main ingredient. Those are good if you have a limited food budget and get a lot of lets say chicken. A cookbook with 45 or so chicken recipes will keep you learning and not tired of chicken at the same time.

Get a GOOD knife. At least one high quality chefs knife(me Im partial to global knives, lightweight and insanely sharp). Also have one GOOD stainless pan(not nonstick) they are great for searing and deglazing).

A simple recipe:
1 pre packaged pork loin
bacon
seasoning salt
pepper
garlic powder

Season pork loin with seasonings, wrap loin in bacon.
Heat oven to 375
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Cut
Put food in face hole.

Hopefully in the intervening FOUR YEARS, this guy has found a solution to his problem.

hunter_la5 said:

Hopefully in the intervening FOUR YEARS, this guy has found a solution to his problem.

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...or died of starvation!

Look up some recipes on allrecipes.com and just start making stuff.

I would agree with the poster above who also suggested that you master some basics first. One thing that I found really helped was to get really good at making a great steak. It's incredibly simple, yet great for giving you the confidence to try more complicated recipes and dishes.

Here's how to make the best steak you've ever had:

1. Get yourself something called a "cast iron grill pan." It's a cast iron pan with ridges molded into the flat bottom, allowing it to imitate a grill.

2. Get a couple good steaks, something like a New York Striploin, maybe 3/4-inch to an inch thick.

3. Preheat your oven to 400° F.

4. Rub the cast iron grill pan with a little oil to "season" it. Put it on your stove's burner on high heat.

5. While the pan is heating, rub the steaks with a little oil (vegetable or extra-virgin olive oil), and sprinkle a little salt and pepper on both sides.

6. When the cast iron grill pan starts to smoke (because of the oil you rubbed on it), it's ready. Put the steaks on. After 90 seconds, flip them. 90 seconds later, take the whole pan (with an oven mitt, duh, it's hot) and put it in the oven. Set a timer for 4-6 minutes depending on whether you like your steak rare or medium.

7. When the timer goes off, take the pan out of the oven and remove the steaks from the pan immediately. Let them "rest" for 3-4 minutes before serving, but DO NOT cut into them yet. This time allows the meat to reabsorb some of the juices. If you cut the steak at this point, the juices will just run out, drying out the meat.

That's it. 2 steaks, a cast iron grill pan, some oil, a little salt and pepper, and you'll get perfect steak. It's amazingly simple. This is how most high-end restaurants do their steaks.