Help! I Need Cooking for Dummies

Updated on August 18, 2008
A.V. asks from Olathe, KS
8 answers

Okay, ladies, I need help. I don't like to cook, never have. I eat to live, not live to eat. My husband and I are also picky about food. My main issue here is that I don't know how to cook because I was never interested, but now I want to cook easy healthy meals for my 2 small children. I am definitely not comfortable cooking any meat or poultry (we don't like fish). I will even cook chicken for my family and serve it to them but I will only eat a few bites because I'm paranoid it's not cooked properly. So, does anyone know of a place that has a cooking class for beginners that can teach me the do's and don'ts of preparing and cooking meat?
Thanks so much!

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N.W.

answers from Kansas City on

Cooking can be very intimidating if you have never learned how, but what is great is that you want to do it now!! I agree with the meat thermometer, however I also think you should invest in a crockpot and a few cookbooks. ANY meat you put in and cook for 3-4 hours (prep time usually less than 15min in the morning) will be done. I can suggest ANY of the Fix-it and Forget-It cookbooks. On busy nights I usually pop my meal in the crockpot so when we get home we can have a sit down meal before we all have to go to our practices.

One recipe that is SOOOOO good AND easy is:
Chicken taco meat
Drop in 3-4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
mix 1 can of chicken broth with 1 package of taco seasoning mix. Pour this over frozen chicken. Turn crockpot on Low and in 7 hours you will have mexican chicken. You may need to pull the chicken apart usuing two forks Or just eat it the way it is.

As for classes sometimes Johnson County parks and Rec and classes.

GOOD LUCK!!! I love to cook, hope you find that too.

A.S.

answers from Kansas City on

I believe JCCC has cooking classes. I imagine a lot of the local community colleges probably do.

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S.P.

answers from Kansas City on

Hey!! I can't offer you "schooling" but I can offer you simple healthy recipes for you and your family. I am a Pampered Chef consultant and really enjoy helping families find healthy inexpensive ways to bring the family together for mealtime!! I would love to get together and talk recipes with you. I can even show you some great kitchen tools that make cooking easy and fun!!
Call me...###-###-#### or e-mail ____@____.com
S.

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A.E.

answers from Kansas City on

I can help you! I'm a consultant with Homemade Gourmet. I teach you how to make 4 meals in 4 minutes. Then you always have a meal in your freezer to choose from. We have a variety of mixes, spices, dips, breads, soups, desserts,etc. They are very easy to prepare and taste great! Please email me at ____@____.com or call if you are interested in learning more. There would be no pressure, but I think this would be extremely helpful to you.
A. Edge
Homemade Gourmet
###-###-####
www.homemadegourmet.com/A.

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A.P.

answers from Kansas City on

The crockpot is a great idea. I also love the homemade gourmet mixes. Rachel Ray has some great cookbooks that anyone can use. I love her magazine and it even provides you with a grocery list.

Here's a simple crockpot roast recipe.
One medium roast.
One can beef broth
One medium onion, sliced
2 bay leafes
Splash worchestshire sauce
splash liquid smoke
1-2 teaspoons Celery salt
Salt and Pepper
1/2 -- 1 pound baby carrots
Throw everything in crockpot. Cover with water and cook on low for 7 hours. Serve carrots on side.

Leftover tip. Make french dip sandwiches. Save leftover roast and cooking liquid. Using slotted spoon remove fat on top of cooking liquid. Heat in crockpot or on stove top until warm. Place beef on hoagie buns, top with swiss cheese and drizzle of cooking liquid.

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A.P.

answers from Kansas City on

Go to Bed Bath & Beyond and get a meat thermometer. You can get one that is constantly in the meat/ food and has the little read out outside the stove.
Second, here is a chart of proper meat temps.
http://southernfood.about.com/library/info/blroast.htm

Third, don't be so scared. Campbells Soups has a great website, really good for beginners, easy, quick, and somewhat good for you too.

There is a show on Food Network as well called Homemade Simple, or something similar. She cooks, but with shortcuts--making it easier for the beginner as well.

When you cook, you have to accept the percentage of failures here and there--it happens to the best of us! Having a good backup like hot dogs or hamburgers (which are hard to undercook) is a good plan to keep in the freezer. Be willing to experiment here and there, and know some nights your rice may be a little crunchy but that is OK.

Cooking is not an exact science. The best cooks out there use their palms and fingers to measure most of the time. It is a trial and error thing; but the more you do it the more comfortable you will feel.

I say avoid the class--you have google, dive in with some simple recipes you mix together and pop in the oven. You may be amazed at your cooking ability after all! Try Campbells cheesy chicken and rice casserole--takes 5 minutes to throw together and pop in the oven. The only change I make is to slice the boneless chicken breasts into strips.

As far as handling meats. You need 4 things. A dishwasher friendly cutting board--and you never cross beef and chicken or whatever other mix without sticking that board through the dishwasher. Avoid a wooden cutting board--they absorb juices. So not use the board for anything other than meats. Second, a good antibacterial soap--I use the dishsoap--wash your hands immediately after touching meat. Third, disinfectant spray to spray any area of your counters that could have touched meat and fourth, paper towels to clean up the spray. I suppose you could use the disinfecting wipes too, but they are too thin for my personal tastes in cleaning up juices. I tend to wash my hands even if I did not actually touch the meat--a just in case thing.

Also, when you store meat in your fridge, either keep it in a ziploc or in a tupperware container--that way, if the packaging leaks it won't leak all over your fridge. Cleanup is a bunch easier that way.

Good luck!

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S.C.

answers from Kansas City on

I'm not a pampered Chef lady but I highly recommend them!! It will save you lots of time and money! (instead of classes) I have learned a lot of PC over the years and have become a better cook b/c of the Pampered Chef ladies!

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S.M.

answers from Kansas City on

I love to cook I just hate to clean .I live in Shawnee and I am a disabled Mom and neighborhood Mom as well.I do however cook my steaks too long but I'd rather have it a little tough and done>but Not burnt "Except The Fat " I can help you cook if you want i am actually needing to make extra $$ to supplement my income and was thinking of giving cooking classes.I just need help cleaning up and I do not know how much to charge Maybe $10 per hour does that sound reasonable??? and you bring the food and we will cook it for your family and I'll tell U how to heat it back up. send me a personal E-mail if interested. thanks S. in Shawnee

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