I want to learn how to cook properly and make simple recipes and don’t spend too much time looking for what to make everyday.
So I start looking into some recipes I can make with the instant pot that we have at home.
But then I can’t find certain ingredients in the local supermarket, or the ingredients are too expensive, so I start searching for other places to buy cheaper produce. Then I also start looking at what recipes don’t take too much time to make, and read about meal prep and such, and find communities and websites. And then I look at local classes for learning how to cook, but they are way too expensive and I’m not sure whether they will be any good, etc…
And so I spend hours and hours researching all these things, but I never actually start cooking or go to the grocery store for ingredients.
I’m now feeling tired and have no energy to actually do any cooking anymore. And I just have no clue where to get started.
It seems like I’m stuck thinking of how to do something the best way possible, instead of actually trying something. But when I want to try something, I have no idea where to even start.
Anybody experience the same sometimes?
Yeah, I experience this all the time. I’ve got dozens of interests and I often find myself in the same situation where I’ve put too much energy into research and now I don’t have any left for actually doing it.
Here’s what I do, I take a day away from whatever it is and the next day I put together the smallest thing I can do, rather than the best. It’s even better if you can just use what you already have, supplies and research included.
In your case, cooking is perfect for this way of doing things. You can play with the recipe as you’re making it. And unless you’re dealing with raw meat at that moment, you can taste as you go to get everything just right. I recommend a simple vegetable soup. There’s almost always some vegetables laying around in my fridge or cupboard and there’s so many ways you can make it yours. Some veggies, tomatoes, water, and a couple spices is the simplest way.
After that, try swapping some parts out, maybe broth instead of water, or throw in some chopped chicken, or swap tomatoes for heavy cream and a pinch of flour, or play with the amount of ingredients, maybe more tomatoes and less veggies, or more veggies and less water.
I hope this helps and I’m sorry this is so long. Cooking is one of my favorite things and I think everyone should get to enjoy making their own food.
Yes, the never-ending feeling that a small amount of more effort could make the result better. Recognize and counter it.
Perfect is the enemy of done
Mentally decide to do it imperfectly or even “badly”. Pick the first recipe you see. Buy ingredients of any quality you find. Cook it with the utensils you have - whisk with a fork, knead badly by hand, etc.
Trust yourself that if you aren’t pleased with the result, you will make adjustments for next time.
Thanks. I want to try this and accept it if things go wrong. I already realise that in the worst case, we go to a restaurant nearby or order pizza or something.
But somehow my brain wants me to do hours of effort to make it perfect. I should have some kind of training to accept mistakes and imperfect results.
You went down a rabbit hole and got overwhelmed, it happens to the best of us lol…
Try breaking down the big task in to smaller steps and focus only on the next step. Remember you’re only starting out, keep things simple at first as you get to know for yourself your likes and dislikes (advice from others is great, but taste is personal as is ability), cooking isn’t going anywhere!
I like using sites that give me recipes based on the ingredients I already have. That way I’m not burned by finding something that looks good, but am unable to get the ingredients for. It’s also useful when you’re broke and not sure what you can even make with what you have on hand.
Hard times lead me to find out how to make hard tack!
I’ve always had difficulties using recipe search websites based on ingredients. Often I’m still missing one important ingredient, so i can’t make the suggestions. Or they try to find things with all the ingredients you fill in, which is not always useful.
A lot of ‘meals’ are also just side dishes, like honey glazed carrots or something. Which is not really something I would consider a full meal.
What website do you use?
This is what I would like to try. Just setting some time aside for experimenting.
But of course I still need to eat something everyday, so it would be good to have some staples to make when I don’t have time or some experiment failed.
Maybe make an egg? Fried, scrambled, boiled, whatever. Start small and iterate. Next time maybe make some eggs with cheese or something else. You probably have all the equipment to do this and eggs shouldn’t be hard to find. Good luck!
I think it would be good to try more simple recipes. Eggs are great and I like to use them in many ways.
I think part of the issue is also how I’ve been brought up. My parents always made different meals every day and always wanted to make healthy and tasty food. But they never taught me how to cook.
So my standards are kinda high, but my actual skill is not that great.
Maybe something with potatoes? Fairly decent nutrition (though carb heavy if you care about that), cheap, and lots of ways to prep it (including forgetting about it in an oven for a couple hours with some salt on the outside wrapped in foil)
That’s called analysis paralysis
Yeah, I feel like I have this a lot, in many areas in life. But how do you combat it?
I HATE cooking recipes! They always seem to want to make you go above and beyond when you just want to eat.
I would love to be able to just make anything based on whatever is in the fridge. But I don’t really have much experience yet, and especially on days when I’m tired, I feel incapable of thinking up something to prepare. I just stare at the fridge and pantry and have no clue where to start.
I usually start by identifying the “meat” I want to have, then preheat the oven if necessary. The meat usually takes longest to cook.
While that’s happening, I check that I have all the other stuff I need. Once the oven’s preheated, I put the meat (and anything else to be oven cooked) in and set the timer according to the packaging instructions. Once it reaches 10-12 minutes, I usually boil some pasta/rise with some veg.
I’m not sure if that’s the best way, but it works for me.
I think that’s a good idea.
I actually like taking recipes and trying to reduce them to their most generic form. Like a curry, or a stew, or a salad. Most of the ingredients can be substituted, but the basic steps are the same.
My strategy is to monetize the things I’m obsessed with doing and pay someone else to do the things I can’t force myself to do
I would love to have somebody cook for me at my home and show me how to make some good easy recipes. But I suppose that would be outrageously expensive. I try cooking myself to save money in the first place :/
I was mainly thinking of getting food that is mostly prepared already and/or eating out if the price is right.
