I can't cook but I want to be able too. Help

[Kayzr]

I can't cook. We live on frozen and package stuff. DP can cook really well but he works away for 5 weeks at a time.

I can only cook chilli and spag bol. I'd like to be able to make other things. I wouldn't have a clue what to do to make a roast dinner.

So please can I get all your cookbook and website recommendations to help me be able to cook more things from scratch.

Thank you.

Roasts are all about timing. If you want help with the joint, try Hugh's book Meat. Though it does help if you always remember 20 minutes a pound plus twenty minutes. That'll do your joint to around medium, at around 180C in a fan. He does faff a lot but it's good for learning about doing it properly. Pictures are lovely too.

I used to be able to cook very well but these days I am so distracted that it is a bit hitband miss.

For a good basic book I would recommend delia smith. She taught me the basics.

I like the recipe cards in waitrose, they allow you to cheat by using some readymade ingredients but overall you are making most of the dish yourself. I think tesco and sainsbury do similar cards.

A roast dinner is one of the easiest things to make, you can't go wrong. You don't have to make it all from scratch, readymade yorkshire puddings and gravy are good.

Get a basic cookery book that doesn't overwhelm you with ingredients and methods.

The Good Housekeeping Cookery Book is alright. That does help with timings etc..

Delia Smith does a Simple cooking range of books but not sure how good they are but they go to the basics like boiling eggs etc.

If you have a young family I like my Dinner Lady recipe book by Jeannett Orrey for really easy cooking - as you get more confident you can adapt recipes.

I also have a Good Food The Family Meal Planner book that is another easy book.

Baking wise I am currently in love with Mary Berry's Baking Bible. It's a lovely read and has great explanations to the methods used in baking.

I can bake quite well. I've got a Mary Berry book and can do loads of cakes etc. But not main meals.

I got a Gordon Ramsey cook book and it's all posh stuff that looks really hard to make.

If you can bake - you can cook. It is actually easier cos with cooking you can make an error but rescue it and turn it into a wonderful dish.

Put the Gordon Ramsey aside. Have you a local library? Go and look at their cookery books. Pick the easy ones. If you are like me you might end up only picking a couple of recipes from a book that you want to try but you will build up more and more over time.

Now is the time of year for lovely easy casseroles.

Yes we have a library just up the road. Never thought of looking in there for some books.

www.amazon.co.uk/Delias-Complete-How-Cook-collection/dp/0563539070/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321626317&sr=8-1

There you go MardyBra has told you what to ask Santa for..

Get a copy of Delia Smith's complete cookery course - everything you need to know and no guess work.

Sorry - what mardybra said!

I can't stand Jamie Oliver on the telly but his 'Ministry of Food' book is actually very good for non-cooks wanting to get started. The recipes are all things you'd probably want to eat and the recipes do work

The 30 min meals book is shite though - don't get that!

One of the cookery course books like Delia or similar. I think it's all about reading the recipe beforehand, then preparing the ingredients, so you don't have to stop in the middle to chop something up. My mother is one of the best cooks ever and she hadn't a clue when she first left home to get married. She says anyone can follow a recipe.

Then when you get more confident you just naturally start to adapt. There are some good recipes in this, which was a word-of-mouth success a couple of years ago. The Lancashire Hotpot recipe is particularly good...

Thanks I'll look at the Delia one.

Can I second the Jamie Oliver ministry of food as a good basics one.

Also have a look for some 'one pot' cookbooks - there's a lot to be said for bunging everything into one pot and letting it go!

one pot cooking

I'll third the ministry of food book I've bought it for a few non cook friends who wanted to learn.

I've just made this

I like one pot meals.. chop everything, whack it in a pot, tip over some stock/tin of tomatoes/wine or whatever and leave it in the oven for several hours.

Start one meal at a time.

If you can make spag bog and chilli and you can bake then YOU CAN COOK. The rest is just following a recipe and keeping your timings right.

Try something like this: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1472/easy-sweet-and-sour-chicken

or this: www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/proper-blokes-sausage-fusilli

Another thumbs up for Delia's Complete Cookery Course. Got a copy age 19 and still use it today, 104 years later :)

My tip. Pick something you fancy cooking e.g. your roast dinner, read the recipe carefully especially the timings, get all the ingredients and equipment together and then go through it a step at a time. Don't expect miracles on the first go but learn from your mistakes and improve as you go.

Good luck

Me too cog

I've just ordered the delia one and the one pot book. I'm going to head to the library tomorrow. Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

Don't you have any of the food programmes on a cable or satellite channel?

I think watching someone else do it is really helpful with cooking.

I am a reasonably competent cook (absolutely not a foodie or masterchef type though!) and have been doing it for at least 20 years, but I watched a 10 minute video on YouTube the other night showing me how to make a sauce for pork chops. You learn by watching.

Cogito We like our beef rare, so it's always Delia minus 10, if roasting. Nigella's How To Cook is good too, but Delia is the original, even if she can't

Btw, what type of cuisine

Oooh thats difficult. I love Italian, Indian and Mexican.