Want to learn how to cook at home? You don’t need expensive equipment, ingredients, or classes to learn how to cook at home. With the economy the way it is, more and more people are having to eat at home and are having to learn how to cook. Cooking at home is a great way to eat healthy, save money, and is a lot of fun!
Cooking At Home
I learned to cook at a very young age. I started with the most basic of recipes and could do basic cooking through most of my childhood. It wasn’t until I was an adult I learned better techniques and more complex recipes. And thankfully, my husband is my biggest fan when it comes to cooking. He is fed well as is anyone else who enters our home.
But a lot of people either hate it or are intimidated by it and honestly, there is no reason to be! Learning to cook is easy and can be super fun. It’s a little more time consuming, but it’s worth it in the end and is a great way to eat healthy and save money.
What Supplies Do I Need To Cook At Home?
If you’ve never cooked at home you may not have all the items and tools you need to cook a full meal at home. And don’t worry, it won’t cost an arm or a leg. When I first started out on my own I got most of my kitchen supplies from the Dollar Tree.
Now, some of the items I got from the Dollar Tree I still use and it’s been over a decade. A bunch of it… didn’t survive all these years. But that’s okay, because I had it while I needed it. Anyway, so what are some things I suggest?
- Pots and Pans
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Ladel
- Large Cooking Spoon
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Mixing Bowls
- Baking Sheet
- Cake Pan
- Knife Set
- Chopping Board
- Crock Pot
These are the most basic and useful things I think everyone should have. However, if you can’t afford one of those boxes with an assortment of pans then I would suggest:
- A skillet with deep edges and lid
- A Dutch oven
- Sauce pan with lid
With those 3 pans you should be able to make most things. But the list I mentioned you will be able to cook, bake, slow cook, and make all the food!
Learn How To Cook: Basic Techniques
Now that you have some of the basic items it is time to learn basic techniques. What do I mean by basic techniques? I mean learning how to flip, dice, chop, chiffon, slice, etc. And I mean learning to do this safely so you don’t get burned or cut. We want to avoid injury here! Kitchen accidents are no fun and a run to the ER is expensive.
Learning How To Cook: Dry Spices and Your Spice Cabinet
Now that you know what types of tools and pans you’ll need, you will need some basic spices too. Again, the first time I filled my spice cabinet I got them at the Dollar Tree. So if you’re on a budget, that is the first place to look. Walmart also has some cheap herbs as well. But these are the basic dry herbs I highly suggest to always have on hand:
- Salt
- Pepper
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Oregano
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Paprika
- Cinnamon
Optional
- Accent (MSG, don’t be afraid of it, it isn’t as bad as everyone says in small amounts. But avoid if you want.)
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Nutmeg
- Cayenne Pepper
- Ginger
- Tumeric
- Clove
- Thyme
Seasoning Pairings That Go Well Together
There are so many different great seasoning combinations. Sometimes it’s hard to know what goes with that though. But I got you covered!
Want a Greek blend? Try:
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Dried Parsley
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Basil
- Ground Nutmeg
- Dried Thyme
- Garlic Powder
- Dried Rosemary
Want a Cajun spice blend? Try this:
- Cumin
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cayenne
- Oregano
- Coriander
- Paprika
What about an Italian Spice blend?
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Salt
- Dried Basil
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Thyme
- Dried Rosemary
Need a curry blend?
- Tumeric
- Ground Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Cumin
- Ginger
- Cayenne
- Dry Mustard
Learn How To Cut Vegetables
Let’s start with chopping up, or slicing up, vegetables safely! Finger placement is important as you see in the video! Not cuts allowed!
Video: Learn To Cut Vegetables Safely
Learn How To Dice Up Vegetables Safely
Next is dicing! Slices are strips. Dicing is cutting things up into small pieces! Now there is a basic way to dice up most vegetables and a way to dice up onions. Onions are kind of spicy and can make your eyes super watery.
Video: How To Dice An Onion
Awesome right? Now let’s learn how to dice all the rest of the vegetables, because it’s essentially the same for most vegetables.
Video: How To Dice Tomatoes (And Other Vegetables)
Not too hard right? So let’s learn about chiffonade. What is that? Well when it comes to leafy greens and herb, chiffonade is the way to cut it up.
Video: How To Chiffonade Leafy Green and Herbs
Learning To Cook At Home: Meat Temperatures
Most people like meat. But did you know meat needs to be cooked to a specific temperature to not only be save, but fall apart tender? Yup! Collagen and fats break down at certain temperatures, so it’s great to know how long to cook your meat.
What Temperature Should You Cook Chicken?
- Chicken breast- 165 degrees Fahrenheit
- Chicken Thighs (and other dark meat)- 175-180 degrees Fahrenheit
And What Are The Safe Temperatures For Pork?
- Chops, tenderloin, pork loin- 145 degrees Fahrenheit
- Ground pork- 160 degrees Fahrenheit
- Pork shoulder and ribs- 180-195 degrees Fahrenheit (will be fall apart tender)
Does Beef Have A Safe Temperature?
Ground beef needs to be cooked fully and will be gray and no longer pink. Steak is safe to eat at a rarer temperature, so these temperatures will be steak doneness.
- Rare: 120-129 degrees Fahrenheit
- Medium Rare: 130-135 degrees Fahrenheit
- Medium: 136-145 degrees Fahrenheit
- Medium Well: 146-155 degrees Fahrenheit
- Well: 155+ degrees Fahrenheit
- Super well overcooked: 165+ degrees Fahrenheit
How Long Do I Cook Venison?
Venison should be cooked to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it’s fully cooked. However, that’s well done. A lot of people eat it between 145-150 degrees Fahrenheit, a little on the medium rare side. However, understand eating any meat rare or medium rare you do have a chance of getting sick.
It doesn’t stop my family, but I had to put that disclaimer out there.
Cooking Different Fish and Their Temperatures
- Salmon- 125 degrees Fahrenheit
- Halibut- 130-135 degrees Fahrenheit
- Tuna- 115 degrees Fahrenheit
- Scallops- 130 degrees Fahrenheit
- Shrimp- 120 degrees Fahrenheit
- Lobster- 140 degrees Fahrenheit
Helpful Tips and Tricks To Know When Learning To Cook At Home
There are so many helpful tips and tricks when it comes to cooking. And I won’t be able to mention them all here. But these are some things I wish I would have been told when I first started cooking. And while some of them sound common sense, for someone who has never cooked, they aren’t.
1. When Baking Mix Wet Ingredients and Wet Ingredients In Different Bowls
When you mix the ingredients separately they will be better mixed. The flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder will be mixed evenly and not clumped and you’ll be able to cream the butter and what not if you don’t mix them all together at once.
2. Mix Your Dry Ingredients Into Your Wet Ingredients
When you’re ready to combine the ingredients pour the dry into the wet. That way there are less clumps. No one wants clumpy flour into their baked goods.
3. Don’t Overmix
Whether you’re making mashed potatoes, cookies, cake, don’t overmix. If you overmix potatoes they become stretchy and starchy. If you overmix dough or batter, you baked goods are going to be more dense and tough.
5. Want A Good Crust or Golden Brown Color In The Skillet?
Making hash browns? Want a good crust on your steak? Then leave it alone. I’m not saying leave it unattended for long periods. But when you constantly flip and mess with the food in the pan you won’t get nice crusts or pretty colors.
6. Lay Meat Away From You When Frying
When frying bacon or foods you want to place the food away from you. Meaning, while you hold the bacon vertically the end closest to you will go down first then the away. This will help the grease not pop and burn you.
7. Season The Water When Boiling Potatoes Or Pasta
Don’t put more than a teaspoon or two in a large pot of water or else it may be too salty, but you should salt the pasta and potato water. It will make it more flavorful.
8. Always Preheat The Oven
Don’t turn on the oven and put stuff in before it’s preheated to the right temperature, especially baked goods. They won’t turn out very good or cook correctly.
9. Set A Timer
Until you’re familiar with your oven and cooking always set a timer according to the recipe and adjust by a minute at a time until the food is ready. When you’re learning to cook at home for the first time you may want to try just eyeballing things, but that’s probably not going to work out in your favor.
10. Low To Medium Heat Should Suffice For Most Things
Unless you’re trying to make something crispy or trying to boil water, you don’t need high heat for most things. That’s a good way to burn things especially if you’re trying to prep and do other things at the same time. Slow and easy will work for most recipes unless it specifies otherwise.
11. Wash Your Cutting Board And Knife When Dealing With Meat
If you chop up meat with a knife and cutting board. Wash it first before chopping veggies or anything else on it.
12. Always Wash Your Hands Frequently
Wash your hands:
- Before You Cook
- After Handling Raw Meat
- If You Touch Anything Greasy
- When You’re Done Cooking
- You Touch Your Hair, Face, Scratch, etc
13. Check Your Expiration Dates
Food does not last forever. If something stinks, is slimy, or looks really off… good chance is it isn’t good. Don’t risk it.
14. Alternate Your Food
All older food should come to the front of the shelfs in the fridge, pantry, and freezer while newer food goes to the back. That way everything gets used up.
15. Have A Plate For Cooking Spoons
While you’re cooking you will be stirring, tasting, etc. Have a place to lay down your utensil so you can use it again. It’ll save a mess so you’re not having to scrub spaghetti sauce off your stove or counter.
16. Do NOT Put Water On An Oil Fire
Oil on fire? Do NOT put water on it. It’ll make the flames go up and you can get hurt or something else will catch fire. Put a metal lid on the fire or baking soda can put out a small grease fire.
Cooking At Home: Kitchen Measurement Conversions
This is one of the trickiest things while cooking and baking. Understanding and remembering conversions can be a pain especially when you’re hands are covered in flour and you’re trying to look up conversions. Messy phones aren’t fun.
So I made this little kitchen measurement conversion printable so you can keep it on the fridge and look when you need it!
More Delicious Recipes and Cooking Tips From Homemaking From God
- Check out these cheap and easy ways to make instant ramen noodles filling.
- You will love these simple and easy Dollar Tree recipes.
- Did you know you can make your own butter?
- Try this delicious and easy Slow Cooker Roast Beef Recipe.
- Meal prep and enjoy these easy recipes all week.
- Your family will love these cheap, easy, healthy meals.
Do you want to learn to cook at home? Do you have any questions? Tips?
