Learning How to Cook

can start at a young age.

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The ability to cook is one of those skills that is directly tied to your ability to survive on your own. Obviously, it's a simple enough task to go down to the local fast-food restaurant or vending machine to find sustenance, but to be able to cook a meal on your own is a noteworthy accomplishment, especially for a beginner. A number of resources are available, in printed form, online and in one-on-one situations to allow a beginner to learn how to cook.

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Find a mentor to teach you how to cook. Have a family member or friend show you the basics of cooking. Learn how to make knife cuts, and how to season and flavor food. Learn about the basic cooking methods, such as sauteing, baking, roasting, grilling and frying, and the rules of sanitation.

2

Read cookbooks and cooking magazines. Look for cookbooks that teach basic cooking techniques and include easy-to-follow recipes; examples include Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food," Irma S. Rombauer's "The Joy of Cooking" and "New Cook Book" by Better Homes and Gardens. Read cooking magazines -- such as "Cook's Illustrated," "Gourmet" and "Bon Appetit" -- to stay on top of new trends in cooking and learn basic skills.

3

Watch cooking shows on television. Follow the recipes -- many of which can be obtained online -- that the chefs make and attempt to recreate the dishes on your own. Watch cooking networks such as the Food Network, the Cooking Channel, PBS and Create. Watch cooking videos online, which are offered by many of the same websites that show the television shows.

4

Attend cooking seminars that feature local or national chefs. Look for seminars offered by kitchen retailers and restaurants, which will have short seminars, for free or for a nominal fee, which focus on a particular style of cooking or cuisine. Ask questions of the chef so that you can learn as much as possible during your experience.

5

Attend a culinary arts school to gain a complete education about cooking. Consider attending a national culinary arts school, such as Johnson & Wales University, the Culinary Institute of America or The Art Institutes, all of which have multiple campuses located around the nation. Attend a local college, such as a community college, that offers a certificate or associate's degree in culinary arts.

Tips & Warnings

High school students in Arizona, Illinois (Chicago), Virginia (Hampton Roads area), California (Los Angeles), New York, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) and Maryland (Prince Georges County) can enroll in the Careers through Culinary Arts Program and gain a solid education about cooking.

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ReferencesSally's Place: I Want to Learn to Cook. How Do I Begin?Chef2Chef: Online Cooking ClassHow To Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food; Mark BittmanThe Joy of Cooking; Irma S. RombauerResourcesNew Cook Book; Better Homes and GardensJohnson & Wales University: College of Culinary ArtsThe Culinary Institute of America: The world's Premier Culinary College in New YorkThe Art Institutes: The International Culinary SchoolsC-CAP: Careers through Culinary Arts ProgramPhoto Credit Jenny Acheson/Stockbyte/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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