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Where can you learn to cook?

Danny!Danny! Deactivated Posts: 560 Incredible Poster
Cooking's a really useful skill - it saves you money, gets you eating better food, can be really good fun, and can impress dates and partners ;)

If you don't learn much at home, and if your lessons at school were anything like mine (we learned hot chocolate in our first cookery lesson. Pot Noodles in the second. And progressed to sandwiches in the third. I'm not sure we went much further after that!), then how do you learn?

I learned a lot from TV shows - Raymond Blanc did a really good one recently called "How to cook well" which goes through basic techniques, but it doesn't seem to be on iPlayer at the moment.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I used to watch a lot of cooking programmes when my ex and I were together, and used to get a little inspired by some of them.

    I kind of just taught myself. I write down what I need to know and just go off that, but I used to love cooking. I probably still would, should try it again. It can be very therapeutic, unless you're trying to cook a stressful Sunday lunch or something.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I love cooking!!

    I started off watching and helping my mum and she taught me a couple of things before i went off to uni. Then while i was there, just through desire to eat better and cheaper i taught myself a few things to cook (spag bol, soup and chilli from scratch, some ideas i got off here!), which then turned into a hobby, trawling recipe sites, cooking shows and pinterest. I have a ton of recipes saved on bbcgoodfood and my favourites which i will get through to trying them all some day and making my very own recipe book :D

    (yes i know, im sad)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I started off with very simple recipes and took it very slowly, building my way up till I had the courage to try bigger things.
  • AuroraAurora Posts: 11,722 An Original Mixlorian
    The Internet :P I avoid anything that could become a hectic disaster though!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There's some good stuff on the internet.

    Cookery books can also be really good - especially if you get one geared at the right level. Charity shops are great places to pick them up - Delia's how to cook is a bible on my bookshelf.
  • BubblesGoesBooBubblesGoesBoo Posts: 3,590 Community Veteran
    Danny! wrote: »
    Cooking's a really useful skill - it saves you money, gets you eating better food, can be really good fun, and can impress dates and partners ;)

    If you don't learn much at home, and if your lessons at school were anything like mine (we learned hot chocolate in our first cookery lesson. Pot Noodles in the second. And progressed to sandwiches in the third. I'm not sure we went much further after that!), then how do you learn?

    I learned a lot from TV shows - Raymond Blanc did a really good one recently called "How to cook well" which goes through basic techniques, but it doesn't seem to be on iPlayer at the moment.

    Hot chocolate? :O Lucky! In our hour and a half lesson we got taught how to make a cup of tea! -.- Safe to say by the end of it, it was more like iced tea...

    But can learn a lot from the internet aswell :) i found when you learn from tv they always go to fast :P
    ' So I put a bullet where I shouda put a helmet, and I crash my car cause I wanna get carried away, that's why I'm standing on the overpass screaming at myself 'hey, I wanna get better''  
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hot chocolate? :O Lucky! In our hour and a half lesson we got taught how to make a cup of tea! -.- Safe to say by the end of it, it was more like iced tea...

    But can learn a lot from the internet aswell :) i found when you learn from tv they always go to fast :P

    I always look up the programme after and you usually find the recipes on there!
  • Danny!Danny! Deactivated Posts: 560 Incredible Poster
    Cookery books can also be really good - especially if you get one geared at the right level. Charity shops are great places to pick them up - Delia's how to cook is a bible on my bookshelf.

    It sounds like there's lots of using the internet - only Scary Monster said she uses a cookery book. I've got lots of great cookery books on my shelf, but I'm finding myself using the internet more and more.
    Lexi99 wrote: »
    I have a ton of recipes saved on bbcgoodfood and my favourites which i will get through to trying them all some day and making my very own recipe book :D

    Lexi - maybe you should write your recipe book soon while people still use them :)

    There's a lot of bad recipes on the internet as well (like with everything!), and I come across people thinking they can't cook very well because they've chosen recipes, cooked them exactly as the recipe says, and the food's still not very good.

    How do you decide what to trust when picking out recipes/chefs online?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    BBC website. Reliable.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Mine will only really be for my own benefit than anyone else's and maybe something I can pass down to children/anyone who's interested
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I did have some decent home ec classes but I think I just watched my mum. I love Jaime Oliver cook books and the hairy biker ones - especially their diet books, they're fab! I'm trying to get my mum to write her recipes down but she doesn't use set measures so it's hard to work it out. I also keep recipes from magazines and supermarket recipe cards in a file.

    So I guess it's all that plus lots of trial and error on my part. I've kind of had to teach myself how to cook again since I've become unwell using microwaves and slow cookers so I don't hurt myself. It's an art entirely of it's own - as is cooking on a tight budget. I used to skip dive at the back of Waitrose when I was younger. Not sure I'd do it now though!
  • Danny!Danny! Deactivated Posts: 560 Incredible Poster
    Miss_Riot wrote: »
    I used to skip dive at the back of Waitrose when I was younger. Not sure I'd do it now though!

    Did you see the story about three guys charged for doing that at Iceland this year?

    I think Waitrose is a better choice :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Haha! Waitrose has a little more compassion! In fact my local one and wholefoods donate to the local food bank
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I recommend learning how to cook by using Pinterest! Its a great website, they have so many different ideas and specific categories depending on what your looking for. They can range from desserts to recipes on a budget and everything in between :)
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