There is such a thing, I believe.
People who shop for food and are inspired.
People whose brains are bursting with new food ideas.
People who can look into a fridge filled with random ingredients, and then concoct a delicious dinner that uses all that assorted food.
That’s just not who I am, though.
I can cook, certainly. I do that almost every single day.
And I can bake.
But the successes I experience in the kitchen are not the result of some special gift that has been bestowed upon me.
And that should be an encouragement to you. Proper cooking is not a skill that can belong only to those for whom it comes naturally.
No, anyone can cook.
As my mom likes to say, if you can read, you can cook.
I would add that if you’re willing to practice and you’ve got good recipes, you can cook.
I’ve been practicing in the kitchen since my early teen years, but I haven’t produced any new, exciting creations. I just follow recipes.
And you can do that too.
Will you be a little slow at first? Yes. Will you botch some things? Yep.
But if you hang in there, and if you read and follow the instructions, there’s no reason for you to say, “I can’t cook.”
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Pictured food in order of appearance:
Cook’s Grilled Fajitas (I haven’t shared this recipe)
Spinach Salad, which just follows a basic formula (Spinach, some fruit, some nuts, plus cheese if you like.). And I got the idea for that from my friend Laura. See? Not creative.
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Today’s 365 post: Know what’s surprising in this picture?
Joshua’s 365 post: Manekineko
Jo@simplybeingmum
Friday 14th of October 2011
I can relate! Whenever I get too confident and think I've got it all sussed I have a disaster. It's happened time and time again. It's a way of bringing you back down to earth!!! The fun is in the experimenting, so what if you have a bad day in the kitchen - you still gotta eat it :)
Samantha
Thursday 13th of October 2011
I love your post! I want my family enjoy the meal I have created. I didn't realize cooking would be such a creative outlet for me. Thank you for encouraging others.
Elizabeth@ReadySetSimplify
Thursday 13th of October 2011
I agree!! I was an awful cook when I first started (when I got married), and now after reading and trying lots of different recipes, and can cook fairly well.
I suggest that beginners start with really basic recipes and work their way up slowly.
Jennifer @ Milk & Honey Mommy
Thursday 13th of October 2011
Kristen,
My mantra has always been "anyone can cook!" Yes, it does take a lot of practice for some people, but your skill is determined by your desire to improve on the skill. I am also not a gifted cook, but many of the recipes I follow WITH DIRECTIONS (I need directions and exact measurements or I'm in trouble) turn out great. I may never create a new recipe or be able to toss a little bit of this and a little bit of that by memory, but I will continue cooking (and baking) because I really love to do it. Wow! I never thought I would say that.
Simply Mommy
Thursday 13th of October 2011
When my husband and I got married I was a horrible cook. That sweet man ate more overcooked, dried out chicken breasts than anyone should have too.
He came home one day with a Rachel Ray cookbook for me and I started watching Alton Brown on Food Network. I gained a lot of confidence in the kitchen and now five years later gone are the dried out chicken breasts and my husband has gained more weight than he cares to admit. Family and friends love coming for dinner and I take a lot of pleasure in putting a great meal on the table.
I think a lot of it is following a good recipe, but it's also having confidence in you abilities and understanding the science of cooking/baking (I thank Alton Brown for that). I still have failures from time to time, but they are a lot more rare.