To ask how you learned to cook?

[MotivationSuchAnAggrivation]

I really want to learn how to cook. Classes are not a realistic option at this point.

Anyone here taught themselves to be a really good cook? If so, how?

Assuming you literally don't know how to cook anything start with the basics. Spag boll (and then you can do chilli which is similar). White sauce (then you can easily make cheese sauce for macaroni or cauliflower cheese). Learn how to do a roast make sure you can do your own gravy. Stir fry.

I would just find a website bbc good food is quite good look up some recipes and give it a go. Once you become more confident you can branch out and cook anything you want.

I bought a load of cook books, got bored just looking at them, hid then away forever and winged it.

Started by making my own tomato sauce for pasta and chilli, first with tinned tomatatoes and then using fresh. Perfected it and thought "hmm, wasn't so bad" so moved on to other recipes.

It's all trial and error but just start with food that you love.

Watch people, like family/friends and join in helping them. Then go away and try and cook the same thing.

I started teaching myself to cook at a young age by getting cook books out of the library. I tried all types of recipes and followed them very closely. After I got the hang out those and started remembering key ingredients and methods I was able to make up my own recipes.

I started cooking when I was a small child, but I think the best thing for you to do is watch videos on YouTube. There are more than you could possibly ever watch, and there are thousands featuring world renown chefs. They teach technique and recipes but usually keep it very basic and approachable.

My mum initially as a child/teen
Then using cookbooks

I’m a pretty good cook/baker

I learned the basics at school watched a number of cookery tutorials on youtube, before youtube I had cookery books which had loads of pictures so I knew what to aim for. Learn the basics such as bolognaise, mince in gravy, pastry making, basic victoria sponge. pastry and mince you can make pies and pasties.
my husband wants to learn to cook but wants to do things he sees on Masterchef. Dont worry if first attempts don't go to plan

Just mainly trial and error to be honest!
My parents didnt cook much growing up so I am self taught, I just tried things out I liked the sound of and followed recipes from bbc food or YouTube tutorials. Cooking for only myself was helpful too as it didn’t matter if I messed it up!

Im with Aquamarine YouTube is a great place to learn and has many chefs or just good cooks teaching you how to do different recipes. Why don't you search on there for something you'd like to make and follow the instructions as you cook a nice meal. Bon Appetite.

By watching cookery programs. Nowadays I would recommend youtube. The chef from Food Wishes shows really clearly what he is doing (although not all of his recipes are to my taste). He also leaves room for your own interpretation in case you want to experiment a little bit.

My dad taught me, mum's cooking is dire. I would say the best way to learn is to think of a simple dish you like, get a recipe and try it. Then try a different recipe, then another and so on. Each time you make it with slightly different ingredients think of how it tastes - what do you like, what don't you like. Experiment with flavours, some work and some don't but you'll learn with practice.

Felicity Cloak in the Guardian is a good place to start with her "How to cook the perfect...." Also love Nigel Slater's recipes because he's open to making small changes based on what you have to hand. Delia Smith's basics books are easy to follow.

Do not start with expensive ingredients! If you fluff it you'll be sorry you spent a fortune and it will put you off trying. Always have a back up pizza in case it all goes wrong, that way you won't go hungry. And invest in a doggy dinner disposal unit, ours works wonders.

Delia Smith's How to Cook books

And lots and lots of practice.

Once I had babies, I started to think more about what I’m eating (which had always been M&S ready meals or similar) and wanted to know how to feed my family.

I started with the Jamie Oliver 5 ingredients book. It is very basic, but some tasty recipes. I’m bored of that now though, so I think of recipes and google. I can remember quite a large number of dishes and they are a good fallback.

I tend to start with a protein and then have a wide array of vegetables to hand. It is quite quick to build up a store cupboard of basics like flour, spices, red wine vinegar.

My biggest motivation was praise from family and friends! It’s extremely rewarding to cook from scratch and know all of the ingredients.

From the telly, because my mum was and is an absolutely hopeless cook who overcooks everything until it’s completely inedible.

I watched Delia avidly as a kid, and received a copy of her Complete Cookery Course as a present when I left home to go to University. It’s still a great grounding. Whatever you think of Jamie Oliver, the bloke can cook. 30 minute meals is a work of genius.

I would suggest getting the recipe boxes like hello fresh or gousto etc. They supplies all the ingredients in the right quantities and give you step by step instructions.

Once you get comfortable with that and the techniques you can start branching out a bit more with your own stuff.

Cook books!

We now have the luxury to find everything online, so you can look at videos to clarify some methods, see how things are supposed to look like and go from there.

Always better to start with simple recipes, master the basics and go from there.

I'm sure my mum would say she taught me but I'd actually say it was taking an interest in cook books and getting recipes off the internet and then practicing!

Initially: watching ready steady cook as a teenager and practising.

Later, a mix of cooking on tv, websites, cookbooks and just lots of practice.

I taught myself to cook when I moved out of my parents house. I spent several months eating supernoodles and sandwiches before I got bored to death of that and decided to do something about it.

I got hold of some basic cookbooks - the sort that explain even the most basic things - found some simple recipes I liked the look of, started trying them out, and moved on from there.

It can take a lot of trial and error, there’s plenty of times when the final result wasn’t what I’d been hoping for, but if you keep practicing then it gets easier.

At school (and from my mother)........way back when 'Domestic Science' was a standard part of the curriculum!

I learnt on a Thermomix!! Can't cook anything without it 😬

I learnt by watching my parents and grandma initially. As an adult, I've improved and learnt more by reading recipe books and watching cooking programmes.

Watch cooking shows (not Masterchef, where you only see them eat what must be cold food after hours of taking photos of it and filming it)- there are loads of good cooking shows on tv and youtube showing step by step. Get good cookbooks (second hand are brilliant to save money), rip off recipes online. You don't even have to spend money as so many great online ones are free!

I learned looking at my parents cooked, but then when I moved out from home had to work with totally different ingredients and teach myself new stuff.

I get Good Food magazine delivered each month and make a few of the recipes I like the look of. I only really try the easy ones though. So good as we’ve started eating much more varied foods and I can budget much better.

Is there any particular type of food you like OP? Perhaps we could suggest simple recipes / techniques for you to learn to start you off?

For me it was having a friend at uni who was (is!) a fantastic cook. My mum taught me the basics, but he sparked my interest.