To find cooking really complicated and stressful?

[Abbinob]

When people are taking about simple recipes and they say things like 'then just chuck in some spices'
Wait what spices? How much? How do people know what spices people are talking about? Am I thick and this is some instinctive knowledge people have?
Whenever I look at a recipe for something it seems to have a million ingredients and I get a bit panicky and I give up
I'm sure when my mum made a curry it was just simple like tomatoes, chicken, yoghurt curry powder. But when I try to find a curry recipe it's all coconut milk and a thousand spices I've never heard of.
I want to cook nice fod for DS but all I can cook is bolognaise, pasta bake and shepherds pie

Jessie that's a good suggestion. He uses fairly standard stuff and it is useful to actually see someone cook something and see how much it sizzles or how much stirring is being done.

My DH stirs food around too much so it doesn't brown properly.

It's good to start with something that doesn't require too many steps. marmadukescarlet.blogspot.com/2011/04/chicken-with-chilli-lemon-and-mint.html

BBC recipes are great. Delia recipes are all on there.

Just type Delia and the recipe and up it will pop. Also Mary Berry is excellent for cakes and desserts. They always work.

I have an old Mrs Beeton cookbook. Its amazing. It says things like 'Take a good sized ham hock and boil until tender with the usual amount of sugar and herbs'. Its nothing like a cook book, more of a set of ideas for the experienced cook. Escofier is the same in his cookbooks.

Another one who recommends Delia for the absolute basics. I literally didn't know how to cook anything when I left home and her Complete Cookery Course book explained things like cuts of meat and why they are/aren't suitable for certain types of dishes, how to prep veg (I had literally no idea!), what things should look like halfway through the recipe etc.

If you already have some basic knowledge then the recipes on the BBC Good Food website usually work well.

Saint Delia is definitely your friend. she really cannot be beaten for straightforward recipes and guidance.
I love cooking curry and have a cupboard full of spices, but if I'm in a hurry or can't be arsed I use jar paste, pataks is best, and there is always a simple recipe on the back, and it tastes pretty good. Once you get the hang of it, curry is pretty straightforward to make as though there look to be loads of ingredients all you have to do is measure the spices with a t spoon according to the recipe and fry onions/ginger garlic, add meat and whatever else. It's not like making a souffle!

I really wouldn't be trying to adapt a bolognese into a chili or curry or whatever. They have completely different bases.
OP, I'm a little surprised that you are so overwhelmed if you can do a bolognese. Think about all the dicing, sweating, browning, deglazing, seasoning, etc. If you can manage that you must have a good idea of how stuff works, even if you're not confident with less familiar ingredient yet.

Cooking really is trial and error. And having something you can chuck in the microwave if it all goes tits up.

I recommend Delia and Mary Berry, both great for minimal ingredients and straightforward family meals. I fact I think Mary has a new show tonight on BBC2. Jamie is also good but I find some of his recipes require extensive prep and or ingredients that are a faff.

You will never make a decent curry from the Jamie Oliver book, there is a flaw in his curry recipes in the Ministry of Food, loads of people complaining on line, far too much water in them.

Delia Smith cookery course is my bible and great for learning basics. Also try looking at the website and the book is also good basics
Im a very much a take a handful of spices, herbs type but its just down to experience.

I find BBC Good Food has nice simple idiot-proof recipes!

There is even an Easy Cook magazine from BBC which is even more idiot-proof.

I pretty much taught myself to cook from this book - still available on Amazon. Utterly idiot-proof recipes, even if it is a bit dated.

Watching videos on YouTube is also useful - that way you can see the processes and what each stage looks like.

I love BBC good food, it's really good for recipe ideas.

You don't need to put coconut milk in a curry, just some stock (use stock cubes) with a tin of tomatoes is fine. Buy some curry paste if you're worried about herbs and spices.

I definitely cook with a chuck it all in approach, I rarely weigh anything.

Oh and if you ever want to make a sponge cake, use Mary Berry's throw all the ingredients in together recipe. It's fantastic.

Plus years ago i read an interview with anthea turner, asking what was the most useful thing she learned as a blue peter presenter. She said getting everything ready in bowls before you start makes it much less stressful. This is v true, esp when making curry

^^This. I do this all the time.

When I cook a curry I like to cook the spices first in a bit of oil in the pot then put the chicken in so it cooks in the spices. I've no idea if this is the 'proper' way of doing things but I think it works really well.

Another vote for Delia Smith - she drives me mad with 'cook on lowest heat for 3.25 mins' or '1/4 teaspoon of salt' but if you are looking for precise start there.

Cooking doesn't come naturally to me either... borrow some kids' cookbooks from your local library - the recipes are all easy and there are usually pictures to show you what to do! I've found some really good recipes in there. You can then always experiment with a bit more flavour once you've got the basic recipe.

Delia is the best place to start. She is amazing when it comes to explaining everything.

A lot of the food I cook tends to have a tomato base, so I tend to make a big pot of hidden veg tomato sauce (2 tins of tomatoes, a pint of stock and any veg I have lying around) and freeze it in portions then add the relevant herbs/spices when I need it. Works well for chilli, Bolognese, meatballs, pasta bakes, sausage casserole etc. And means I don't have to start from scratch every time.

QueenJuggler I still have my Mum's original copy of that book. Many snazzy seventies recipes but it's also such a good one for the basics, with a firm emphasis on the seasonal. I'm going to have to dig it put for a re-read now.

I would start with something you love to eat, because then you have motivation to learn to make it.

I am now a pretty broad cook, but I agree. Even now, I find it much easier to cook things I know, over things I have to look up. Spices aren't that complicated once you know what common spices are in different cuisines.

I also haven't seen any recommendations of youtube. there are a ton of people with step by step cooking on youtube. usually 7 mins or so, and there is an attached recipe. Indian can have a ton of different spices added in add different times, and this is often explained.

I've found watching YouTube recipes useful. Good suggestion there. The British ones are best. I find the American use of 'cups' confusing. Try Waitrose recipes, they are pretty easy to follow. Good luck.

I make the world's fastest and simplest curry. Brown chicken pieces in a little oil. Then for the actual curry sauce just mix one tin of mushroom soup with a large tin of condensed milk, add a large teaspoon of curry powder, and a small tea spoon of cumin and a teaspoon of lazee garlic

Christ, sorry to the poster that makes this, but that sounds utterly revolting. Creamy, sweet, soupy mess with the merest hint of curry flavouring, it can't be good.
For the love of mike please don't cook this, OP.

cup approx 1/4 litre (i think it is exactly 240ml).

Weight is better for a lot of things.

I haven't seen any british ones, but the best I find are just people in their homes. Some pros are good too.

I can't praise Delia enough - the Complete Cookery whatsit book. She talks to you like you're a stupid small child and you can't cock it up even if you actively want to. And the recipes work, all the time.

How about the MN cookbook? Good family meals without too many bizarre ingredients or complicated faffing!
Jamie Oliver also did a teach yourself to cook book called (I think) ministry of food. It was aimed at people who were bamboozled by cooking but wanted to cook for their families.

I always pop up on these threads to recommend the same thing - packet recipes. Recipes on food packets are made to be foolproof and simple and they always work.

Delia can be good but she doesn't half go on and ON and is often trying to make a complicated version of very dull food.

I'd agree with the BBC Good Food recipes, that's another good place to start. Hadn't heard of the 4 ingredients thing.

TBH OP, if you buy a spice or a herb just put it in everything for a bit until you are comfortable with it. For herbs, thyme or oregano are great. For spices, you will get a long way with cumin - seeds or ground.

I need a picture next to the recipe so I know if it's turned out right . Having said that if I think a recipe is too bland I get a bit carried away and chuck garlic and herby things in so it never tastes as it should anyway. It's good to experiment!