Why Everyone Should Learn The Basics of Cooking
Have you ever heard the saying, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime?” As a chef, it’s my firm belief that everyone should know how to cook for themselves in a basic sense.
There seems to be a diminishing focus on the importance of the culinary arts in one’s life. In the past, high schools used to teach home economics to students as a requirement. Now, it’s hard to even find any cooking classes offered on an elective level.
Many people ask me what the perfect age is to take a cooking class. There is no perfect age to take a cooking class, but you need to have the desire to learn and be able to accept that a perfect meal on your first try probably isn’t going to be possible. The most essential skills I think that people lack when it comes to cooking are knife skills, comprehensive meal planning skills and presentation skills. I also think many people don’t know the benefits of certain foods over other foods, so I try to explain these as much as possible in my cooking classes.
My top three tips for those just starting out cooking are:
1. Don’t be afraid to taste your meal. You wouldn’t believe how much of a difference you can make with your meal if you taste it between ingredients and seasonings to make sure it is going to taste how you imagined.
2. You can always add more seasoning, but you can’t take any back. Be conservative with what you add to your dishes.
3. Remember that it’s okay to fail. Even well-trained chefs fail from time to time, so it’s certainly alright if you fail as well when you’re learning. Remember, cooking is a journey, and as long as you’re having fun, you’re doing it right.
If you’re looking for a good way to learn the basics of cooking, you should sign up for my 4 week Basics Class starting Saturday, July 12th and ending Saturday, August 1st. If you’re interested in pursuing a cooking education further but have no experience, this is a great beginner class for you.
