Finding the right cooking classes?

Question

I'm new to this whole cooking business. Not - can only cook spaghetti bolognese new. More - "Frozen pizza? Nope - that's hard. Order in".

However - there's hope for me yet! I recognize how much of a life skill cooking is and before I get too far along in this whole aging process I should really start acquiring it.

I've started looking around at cooking classes in my area but from what I've seen everything appears to assume some prior knowledge and is specializing in dishes from some country or other that the West thinks themselves better than.

What kind of classes are appropriate for me? Is there a 'term' for basic cooking classes that I'm missing (I did try searching for "basic cooking lessons" but Google in all its power returned nothing).

How do I learn these utter basics so I can start enjoying food I've prepared, not purchased?

Answer 1

Cooking classes aren't the only way to learn cooking - in fact, they're a relatively expensive way to go about it, especially as it's hard to introduce all the various techniques in one lesson.

There are any number of beginner's cook books out there that introduce basic concepts and techniques extremely well. There are masses of videos on YouTube covering just about every cooking topic and recipe*. Food blogs abound online. Check them all out, start with basic things like sauteeing onions, boiling eggs etc, and take it from there. I know this works, because it's pretty much what I did (though I started before I had the benefit of YouTube).

Another good way of learning is to find a friend who does cook and help them out chopping veg etc, and have them talk you through a basic recipe (like spaghetti bolognese) as they go. And of course, you can always ask the wizened sages of Seasoned Advice.

If you do decide to go for cooking classes, don't discount those focusing on a specific cuisine; food has to come from somewhere, and they all use the same basic set of techniques. There's only so many ways you can chop and heat foodstuffs after all. I started cooking by learning how to make a decent Chinese stir fry, for example.

*I realise I recommended YouTube in my answer to your other question, but it is a great resource. I don't work for them :)