I want to learn how to cook. Now that I'm not a lone NEET anymore but in a relationship, I want to reach a level where I can cook a succulent meal for my partner. I want to start simple, with a focus on noodle dishes. Later, I want to move on to rice dishes, but that's for the future.

Hit me with your tips and tricks for someone who has cooked maybe 4-5 times in his life and hasn't cooked in like 10 years. I'm a complete noob.

Also, YouTube channels would be greatly appreciated, especially those focused on simple dishes and easy stuff. I don't need anything complex for at least the next year.

Simple. Quick. Tasty. Thats what im looking for.

Thanks, Hexbears!

  • DragonBallZinn [he/him]
    ·
    3 months ago

    You're in good hands, I have a good bit of knowledge myself (no particular order):

    1. Nine times out of ten: There is no shame in using technology. I would check your local thrift store for any of these really good kitchen tech:

    • Bread maker
    • Electric kettle
    • Rice cooker
    • French Press (not all that high tech, but is a fun way to make coffee when combined with electric kettle)

    2. Support physical media and learn how to cook by getting some cookbooks.

    • This may be a huge "no duh", but especially as a beginner by following cookbooks you'll gain a sense of what you are supposed to do while cooking foods in general. If you want to make it extra fun, see if some of your favorite media has an official cookbook: There's one for Avatar, adventure time, The Elder Scrolls, Star Wars, And old school runescape just to name a few.

    • I know there are a lot of vegetarians and vegans on Hexbear, so a good website and cookbook for vegan meals that are (relatively) affordable is Bad Manners

    3. You mentioned noodles, so I will walk you through how I make pasta coming from an American from an anti-italian-action family

    1. Salt the water and bring it to a boil
    2. Put in the desired amount (weighed in grams), and DO NOT BREAK THE PASTA
    3. boil for roughly seven minutes or longer if you're feeling fancy and are using Bronze Die noodles.
    4. Find a good pasta sauce recipe and go for it, it doesn’t matter if it’s bad it is better than store bought
    5. Make sauce in skillet
    6. When noodles are done, remove excess water in strainer and put them in skillet too.
    7. Serve

    As for more Ramen-like noodles, I find that they only need 4 minutes but taste phenomenal if you fry them up a bit with soy sauce in the skillet. I usually add some oven-baked tofu, some veggies, then drown it in srirarcha sauce and get a great meal out of it.

    4. Half the enjoyment of meals comes with making food with others

    This tip comes with a bit of a story. A while ago I took a seasonal job somewhere away from my hometown and it was one of the best experiences of my life. It was a low-paying job but I didn't really care because housing was provided and so were meals. That being said, I still took the liberty of doing a lot of cooking, and became sort of known as 'the chef' among my coworkers. One coworker who I became best friends with started making stuff of her own to accompany my pizza that I'd make for the house occasionally and I could have sworn my food tasted better when I made them with her. Therefore, I recommend starting off by seeing if you and your partner want to make meals together sometimes. It's even a recommended part of eating according to the Japanese Government's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries

    EDIT: I'm bored so enjoy a bit of a lightning round.

    • Almost all restaurant seasoning mixes have these four seasonings in common: salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
    • The stuff you heard about MSG is exaggerated
    • A good way to cut back on salt is to try using some acids like vinegar or citric acid
    • You want to stock up on two different oils at different smoke points. Olive oil and peanut oil are my go-tos. Smoke points are basically temperatures when the oil becomes less good for cooking and just burns
    • NEVER buy lite coconut milk, it's just watered-down regular coconut milk. Just buy regular and water it down yourself.
    • Prioritize meals that feature in-season fruits and vegetables. When summer rolls around I love eggplant dishes, for example.
    • BobDole [none/use name]
      ·
      3 months ago

      Rice cookers are so good. I hear Instant Pots are good at cooking rice faster than my rice cooker, and also cook beans faster (as it’s a fancy pressure cooker).