h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've decided to come forward and admit I can't cook! What's the best way to go about finding out how to use all the stuff in the kitchen other than the microwave? Are there any good books / sites that anyone can recommend? It would really help a hungry student out!

Cheers.
Dr Nick

Start with a toaster, easy to operate and you've then got something to eat with marmite or beans!

Alternatively start here http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A208883.

*bashes the bishop for using a skin specific link*
tut tut,

Try A208883.

Liam.

Ouch, hey thats not fair I've not got the hang of links etc. yet.

In forums you can use the article number,
Like this:

A844995

or the user number,
Like this

U2



Liam.

Ah ha, and theres me busy cutting and pasting the address bar.

Thanks

My suggestion is that you practice with breakfast. In the US anyway, you generally have several things, all of which need to be cooked or heated. The hard part of cooking is not so much following a recipe, but learning how to time everything so everything is hot and serveable at the same time. Time honored cookbooks like Betty Crocker or Good Housekeeping, or your country's equivalents should be adequate, so perhaps you might like a specialty cookbook. If you're a student you might appreciate books just for you, with recipes that involve a lot of just dumping things into pans and throwing it in the oven. And when all else fails, come up with a dozen ways to make Pizza - any sauce with any number of toppings you like on french bread, pitas, bagels, tortillas, boboli crusts, etc etc. Also, make friends with dried pasta and jarred sauce. You can always doctor it up by sauteeing vegetables with garlic and wine or whatever in olive oil before pouring the jar stuff in. Saves a lot of time. Same goes for jarred alfredo - add garlic, cream cheese, and whatever white cheese you have around to shred.

Start simple. Don't try anything more complicated than you're comfortable with (at least to begin with). Are you living with any other students? Can any of them give you any advice? I know I was often asked for help (like 'Is this done yet?') quite often in my first year - it's the sort of thing you often don't think of until you actually come to cook something.

A good cookbook helps - or look for some recipes on here!

As a simple measure in the first instance I would suggest you acquire a 'roemertopf' that is a claypot with a cover... first your soak the pot completely in water for about 10 minutes while you prepare your ingredients - you can put into this your piece of meat on the bed of vegetables - cheap cuts come out totally delicious - add your onions (you only have to peel and quarter them) potatoes (washed and peeled and quartered perhaps) any vegetables in season... add some salt and pepper and either some cooking wine (dont use red unless with beef as it will discolour say chicken unappetizingly) and water - without drowning it - or if not wine a few drops of a good wine vinegar and water... stick in the oven and cook according to instructions for about an hour... during this time you can set a superb table and when you bring your fragrant pot out to serve... you will impress yourself and others .

The major advantage is that you only have this one pot to clean and the combinations are endless from chicken, lamb pork, beef etc. and as you get more adventurous just add some herbs or stick a few cloves of peeled garlic into your meat...

Good Luck!

p.s. also note how healthy it is since your don't need any oil or fats - also works if you are a pure vegetarian

Dr. Nick, the Mischief Making One has given sound advice!

In addition, my mother always told me if you can read you can cook!
I have found this to be true. I never had a cooking lesson in my life - but once married (at a very early age) I had to learn - and I taught myself pretty damn quick.

Fortunately I have an extraordinary affinity for calories and have instinctively learned to do the right thing with yummy stuff.

If you can read Nick - you will cook as well as the recipes you try - and once you have tried enough you will 'do your own thing' and the possibilities are endless - if budget permits remember GOOD olive oil and fresh herbs and a liking for those you are cooking for! Like much in life good cooking is about 'love' of all sorts!

Thanks guys, this is really good stuff. I thought I'd jump in the deepend and I'm going to cook for some people next week sometime (note how it's suitably vague). I'll put all your advice to good use! Mind you, if anyone else is reading this and has anymore good advice let me know!

Cheers,
Dr Nick

One thing Scarlet Woman touched on - buy the best ingredients you can afford. The flavours from the freshest veg are *so* much tastier than what you get from week-old veg, for instance.