Hi moms, not only do i hate cooking, i don't know how. I know the basics, i can make you an egg, fry fish, spaghetti, fajitas, Spanish rice, blah blah blah. But I know very little. My husband is getting tired of it. I was never around the kitchen when i was growing up, i helped my mom with always washing the dishes after meals. Now, i wish i had been. Also I'm very bad at following directions. All those cooking shows are over whelming. I tried tivo-ing a few months ago and out of five meals only two came out delicious when i tried cooking it. My MIL has tried to show me how and all but if i don't get the hands-on experience it doesn't stick to me. i have to cook it twice , so i don't forget, then I'll memorize it. Any good cooking books out there that are easy to follow, not complicated, and delicious??? please, i am so embarrassed at my limited cooking skills. thank you all!!
Keep your eyes out for Church Cook books. The recipes are usually good and nothing fancy... Just good comfort food. I hate lengthy recipes also..
One of my favorite recipes that is so good on a cold chilly night is
Brown ground beef . Saute onion along with meat and then add a can of Ranch Style Beans. I usually have mashed pototoes with it. Talk about Comfort Food :)'
You should look into Homemade Gourmet - I used to sell it forever ago, but still use it in my kitchen - lots of really yummy meal solutions that are VERY easy and fool proof. Some of their dishes even come with a detatchable grocery list to make shopping easier too. I highly recommend the soups and the skillet meals (and of course the desserts).
I used to hate cooking also, but using these products sort of jump started me in the kitchen and now I enjoy it.
I don't think it's unusual to have to try a recipe a couple times to get it right. Have fun experimenting and learning; nobody knows without practicing. There are so many easy recipes on the internet...just google what you want to make and pick a recipe that sounds easy to follow. I'm sure your husband knew your skills in the kitchen when he married you so tell him to be patient or get in the kitchen and start rattling those pots and pans himself! A lot of men help with the cooking.
I actually love to cook. Not every night though. I am more of an old school cook... i think anyway. I love to make meatloaf, homemade spaghetti and meatballs, ziti, chili, pot roast, chicken parm....
I would love to share recipes if you are interested. Some of the dinners i make are pretty easy.
I think you just need to get your confidence up!
Have you ever tried the Pillsbury site for some simple recipes?
They even have an 'easy meals" section....
http://www.pillsbury.com/Cooking-Occasions/Easy-Meals
You just can't mess up something that contains a crescent roll!
The best book to teach you how to cook is The Joy of Cooking. It assumes you know nothing, so it explains everything.
I'm sorry to hear you hate cooking, as it is a source of great joy in my life (my husband also loves to cook and does it professionally). Remember that anytime you are new to something, it takes time and trial and error. Not every quiche I make turns out well. Sometimes I dump a can of tuna into soup b/c I thought it was chicken. It took me many many times baking my grandmother's recipe for baking powder biscuits to get them right.
My husband and I cook together a lot, would your husband be interested in walking that path with you? Start simple. Soups are fairly easy. Save baking for later, you really do have to follow directions exactly. Casseroles, baked pasta... Cooking shows are GOOD because you can see how it's done, instead of just reading about it, maybe you have to watch one episode a few times. We learned to cook many types of Asian dishes by watching videos online, reading how it was done didn't make it "stick" like seeing someone do it.
Can you take a cooking class somewhere? Is there a Whole Foods co-op near you that offers them up? Give yourself time, try not to hate it, look at it as an adventure. Stick with simple, fresh foods, try not to rely on processed food too much. Good luck.
I am a horrible cook. (I somehow managed to make Tuna Helper soup...) Luckily, my SO is ok with that. lol. I use the campbell's soup site a lot... they have a lot of really easy meals that taste good, but don't take much skill. :P
I am the same as you. But you have me beat, I don't know how to fry a fish or make Spanish rice.
The first time I cooked a chicken breast, I put a raw chicken breast on high heat in a pan with nothing else. The skin was black in minutes and the inside was totally raw. I have started the kitchen on fire a few times...
I have a cook book from the ladies in my church that I follow b/c there are a lot of basic and easy 'tried and true' recipes from real women.. .not fancy test kitchens with ingredients I would only use for one meal. Now that I am learning, I can actually begin to make a few of my own recipes!!
Oh, here is one of my favorites I wrote here, I use this same mix to make chicken, fish and even pork chops:
http://littlelovables.blogspot.com/2010/03/herb-crusted-pork-chops-recipe.html
a good salmon recipe:
http://littlelovables.blogspot.com/2010/03/herb-crusted-salmon-and-asparagus.html
My vegetable recipe is really good and easy. I use it on asparagus (each stalk cut into 1/4's with woody end thrown away),or squash with zucchini and mushrooms, or fresh green beans:
Add a little olive oil to a pot on med heat.
Add garlic and about 1/4 chopped onion.
Add your vegetable (cut up),
Add garlic powder and salt and pepper, add about 1 tb butter.
Mix all together and heat through until crisp -tender.
Even my kids eat this.
a really yummy tortellini:
http://littlelovables.blogspot.com/2010/02/nutty-pepper-chicken-tortellini.html
easy veggie pork chops:
http://littlelovables.blogspot.com/2010/04/vegetable-pork-chop-dinner.html
Super easy potatoes:
Cut potatoes in 1/2 inch chunks. Put in roasting pan and toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, lots of garlic and basil. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Anyways, if you want an easy cookbook, I recommend the Betty Crocker one... it pretty much covers everything and is simple to follow. Also, allrecipes is good, b/c each recipe has reviews and reviewers will say what they did differently. Read the reviews, if a lot say the recipe called for too much sour cream and to up the amount of pepper, than do that.
this updated betty crocker one covers all the basics and has how to photos as well:
http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crocker-Cooking-Basics-Confidence/dp/0470111356/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1286938006&sr=8-5
this is the classic updated cookbook with classic, easy to follow recipes:
http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crocker-Cookbook-Everything-Today/dp/0764583743/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b
this better homes and gardens one is an updated classic, you can't go wrong here, it also has tons of step by step photos:
http://www.amazon.com/Better-Homes-Gardens-Cook-Plaid/dp/0470556862/ref=pd_sim_b_1
read the reviews of each book to see what is most what you need.
Gosh, I LOVE cooking..But I understand your pain. There is a book called "recipe hall of fame quick and easy cookbook" Quail ridge press 1800343 1583.
What I did when I first learned how to cook was..Id go thru the recipe book and make something. Once I made it, depending on how good it was, I would rate it A-F. So next to a recipe Id write A, B, C, D, or F. That way, each time I wanted to make something delicious I already knew what to make. I would also write notes about the recipe...like add more water, or double this cuz it only feeds two, etc.
The thing about cooking that you have to remember is that everything is an opinion. There doesn't always have to be right or wrong answers. If you like to eat, write down the flavors YOU like...Garlic, salt, lemon and start experimenting on the food you make.
For instance, I love parmesan, lemon and salt. You can use that on almost any vegetable. Boil asparagas, add lemon salt and parmesan.
Boil green beans, add lemon salt and parmesan. Sautee broccoli? Add lemon salt and parmesan.
Sautee chicken in butter with lemon, (slice chicken in half to make thinner cutlets this makes easier to cook, faster, and moist), add salt and parmesan cheese...
etc etc.
If you can come up with 30 recipes (even 15) if will always feel like you are making something new.
Have fun! It's just cooking...!
Updated
Gosh, I LOVE cooking..But I understand your pain. There is a book called "recipe hall of fame quick and easy cookbook" Quail ridge press 1800343 1583.
What I did when I first learned how to cook was..Id go thru the recipe book and make something. Once I made it, depending on how good it was, I would rate it A-F. So next to a recipe Id write A, B, C, D, or F. That way, each time I wanted to make something delicious I already knew what to make. I would also write notes about the recipe...like add more water, or double this cuz it only feeds two, etc.
The thing about cooking that you have to remember is that everything is an opinion. There doesn't always have to be right or wrong answers. If you like to eat, write down the flavors YOU like...Garlic, salt, lemon and start experimenting on the food you make.
For instance, I love parmesan, lemon and salt. You can use that on almost any vegetable. Boil asparagas, add lemon salt and parmesan.
Boil green beans, add lemon salt and parmesan. Sautee broccoli? Add lemon salt and parmesan.
Sautee chicken in butter with lemon, (slice chicken in half to make thinner cutlets this makes easier to cook, faster, and moist), add salt and parmesan cheese...
etc etc.
If you can come up with 30 recipes (even 15) if will always feel like you are making something new.
Have fun! It's just cooking...!
gazillions of recipes... but one BETTER for the learning chef/cook is that they have tons of video tutorials. From how to hold a knife and chop/dice/etc... to how to pick out foods at the store... to actual video recipes (like tv).
Lots of upscale grocery stores or cooking stores offer free to very inexpensive cooking classes. Those are GREAT. I DID spend a lot of time with my mum in the kitchen... but I learned to cook in a restaurant (being paid for cooking class was often how I considered it)... my mum (bless her heart) is a terrible cook.
And it's normal to murder dinner fairly frequently when you're learning. I'm on a paella crusade at the moment... and what I do when doing something totally new (new techniques etc.) is to plan it as a side dish or have sammies waiting in the wings.
I love Cooks Illustrated cookbooks.
Try "The Best Simple Recipes" (http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Recipes-Editors-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1933615591/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286939188&sr=8-1)
You may also want to pay for a membership to the website, so that you can search recipes and techniques: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/
If a recipe is done right...following the steps is as easy as One, two, three!!! I consider myself an avid cook, some recipes are HARD to follow.....
Let me know, I can give you an easy Tortilla Soup recipe that will knock your socks off!!!!
Good Luck!!!
...and remember, you will only get better with time and practice....also, dont forget...always take critizism lightly...it will only make you better!!!
no, i love it, but if there are no meals you are passionate about you grew up in the right era, you can get anything premade these days
Go to foodnetwork.com. I print out any recepie that I want and stick it in an organized folder. The only cook book I bought was the better homes and garden's cook book. The first book that should enter every kitchen. Pastas are usually the easiest to start with. Good luck. :)
I didn't start cooking until I was in my late 20's when I moved out of my childhood home and moved in with my husband. Two things I did were to buy a "5 ingredients or less" cookbook as well as a crockpot and crockpot cookbook. They both had simple recipes that weren't overwhelming and didn't take much time. Once I found recipes I liked and felt successful with some dishes I made I was motivated to try new things. I still don't enjoy cooking, but I don't mind it as much. I have recipes that I like, methods that I prefer, cooking routines in place. Best wishes to you.
I like how to cook everything by mark bittman. easy peasy. plus, i can make anything. usually i have no idea what do w/ with what ever veggie-and he's chock full of ideas.
Find "Taste of Home" magazines or cookbooks. They have really simple, clear instructions and ingredient lists, and the food is GREAT and hard to mess up!
Cooking...hate it? OH NO...I LOVE IT. This is my opportunity to nourish my family. To feed them to optimal health. To inspire them to live a full, healthy life. Cooking or preparing food is the ultimate gift I can give my children and husband. I pour love and gratitude into everything I prepare. It is a fabulous experience.
First we get to make a family menu, What can I feed my family this week that will show my love and appreciation for them and prove to them that I care so much that I want them to live forever? WOW, that in itself is so inspiring.
Second, I get to shop for them. I get to go to the farmers markets and the grocery stores and find the right food that will nourish and feed my family. I feel blessed to live in a country that allows me many options for my food source. I can choose the packaged crap and by default convey the message to my family that they don't matter to me, or I can choose the healthy options and really plan their health.
Third, I have the opportunity to bring my family together to prepare and partake in their own nourishment. We prep the meal together, we cut, chop, peel and prep as much as possible together. This is a great family time and many beautiful discussions come out of it. We set the table, and sit down as a family. Then even the clean up is done as a family.
How could you hate this?
Barbilee
Family Success Coach
Hi ,
Its hard on me too because Im not good at cooking either. I hope your
answers help me as well. Good luck ..
But please Moms, you know who you are, do not ask her why she hates it? She knows why? She doesnt know how to cook, she asked for easy recipes and cook books. Just because you enjoy it, doesnt mean the rest of us do.
Sorry .. had to say that
Im on your side Krys !!