Why You Should Learn to Cook – 7 Excellent Reasons

In this post ...

7 Excellent Reasons to Learn to Cook …
Learn some Essential Cooking Skills
A Well Stocked Storecupboard
Further help with Cooking

I have written before on how important it is to learn to cook but recently, due to joining a Faceboook group on cooking, I have been amazed to read how very little some people seem to know about the utterly basic skills of cooking and how little food knowledge they have.

Some say that this is because cooking is no longer taught in schools (is that true?) and some say it is because mothers now go out to work and no longer cook at home so do not pass on what they learnt from their Mums.

This is such a sad loss to people that I’ve decided to go into more detail in the hope that I might be able to help or at least encourage people to give it a try. Please believe me, learning to cook is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family.

7 Excellent Reasons to Learn to Cook …

Learn to Cook and Save money

Bought in food is so much more expensive than making your own! Here are two examples but I could go on (and on and on!).

Yorkshire Puddings

Six ready-made Yorkshire puddings cost about £1.70 in Tesco but see here for how to make six lovely Yorkshire puddings for pennies! Not only that; mixing the batter takes two minutes, at most!

Croutons

These are about 75p an ounce in Tesco. Say a loaf of standard white bread costs £1 for 800g that means the croutons costs approximately 3½p an ounce. No wonder they are so expensive they contain all these things!!!

Here’s for how to make all sorts of delicious croutons (including, I’m afraid, the above picture and info!) using different breads, oils, seasonings and additions from scraps of bread you might otherwise throw away. Lots of ideas for using them too!

Learn to Cook and Save time

It might seem that having take-out is a quick way to get a meal but really, if you have had the presence of mind to think ahead a little and have the ingredients, making a burger, for instance, at home is so much quicker than driving to, parking outside and queuing in a take away and then driving home. Not only that, your food is fresh from the stove so in prime condition. Read more here, including how to make the perfect burger.

Learn to Cook and Eat Cleanly

I recently enjoyed watching Clean Eating’s Dirty Secrets on the Beeb presented by Grace Victory which was about extreme and sometimes ill-informed advice on “healthy” eating to lose weight etc. I am not proposing that my readers do anything extreme such as go gluten free (apparently only about 1% of the population are gluten intolerant) or give up carbs or protein unless medically advised to do so.

What I mean by eating “cleanly”, however, is that by cooking at home you can avoid things that might be seriously bad for you. See, as an example, the ingredients in bought in croutons pictured above.

Even if bought in foods don’t contain any chemicals, e-numbers, etc. they may still be high in salt, sugar and/or fat. When you make your own you know exactly what is in your food.

Personalise your Food

Make it is exactly how you and your family like it. My real man and I both love eating but eat very differently. I like spices and garlic and all sorts of delicious stuff (have you tried black garlic, for instance, it is wonderful) he doesn’t even like pepper! I seriously believe he is a super taster so even if we do have basically the same meal I will make adjustments. For instance, when he has steak and chips I might have Peppered Steak Salad with Two Dressings! That way we are both happy.

If you are a supertaster don’t get too excited! John Hayes, professor of food science at Penn State University, does warn …

“It’s not a superpower, you don’t get a cape and it doesn’t
make you better than other people.”

Treat your Loved Ones

Related to the above, if you can cook and want to spoil someone then you can make them their absolutely favouritest meal ever!

Pass on this Apparently Dying Skill

Teach your kids, it seems no-one else will!

Learn to Cook and Stay happy

I have read that fast food can make people depressed and not just because it is not quite what they wanted!

As I say on all my social media …

Learn some Essential Cooking Skills

Here are some important ones, I have more but don’t want this post to get out of hand!

Knife skills

You will be gobsmacked how much being able to use a knife properly speeds up food preparation. This is how to hold a knife.

How to brown meat – and why you should!

The reason it is important to brown meat before braising, stewing or whatever, is that the searing of the meat causes a reaction (known as the maillard reaction, if you’re interested) which creates great flavour! Read all about how to brown meat properly here.

How to Cook Eggs

There’s lots of information on cooking eggs here including important and surprising stuff about how to store eggs!

You might like to read my post 12 Commandments of Cooking Well and also see my book of cooking tips mentioned at the end of this post.

A Well Stocked Storecupboard

It’s no good picking up a bargain or a wonderful find, being inspired and then not having the wherewithal! A well-stocked storecupboard (and fridge) allows you to be spontaneous and creative.

I can’t tell you what, exactly, you need to keep in stock, other than the basics such as salt and pepper and flour and sugar, cooking oil, onions etc.; it all depends on what you and yours enjoy eating. But once you know your preferences start gradually stocking up.

Further help with Cooking

The internet (including this blog) is awash with recipes – choose something simple from a reliable site such as the BBC (or this blog!) and follow it exactly, to the letter. When you are confident maybe try adding a pinch of this or a little of that (except in the case of baking which is a chemical reaction, don’t mess with those recipes). See How to Season to Taste for more information on this. Try another recipe and so on.

Happy Cooking!