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Kitchen, like fashion, changes with time. To control it, it is sometimes necessary to know the basics. This will prevent you from going to the supermarket next door and buy frozen meals that you simply heat in your so beloved and selfish microwave. In our societies, time spent cooking diminishes more and more, and at the same time, there is an increase in weight gain and obesity.
While many different factors are involved, it seems that the kitchen disenchantment is part of it. It contributes simultaneously to the breakdown of family meals, food going toward anarchy, each one warming his plate when he just feel like it, at any time. However, before you turn your kitchen into a guest room, it is important to choose your chef.
Learn to love cooking
This is not cheap! There are some who love to cook, others that feel indifferent and who just bear this chore by necessity. Others hate it and many are simply afraid, not having learned the basics, simple gestures, with their mother or grandmother (or father, uncle, aunt… let’s don’t be so narrow minded!).
Because of this, some refuses all and put themselves in hiding behind the “I can not even cook a boiled egg” or “even the noodles, I do not know, I’m still burning myself everytime.” Yet it seems that once the first steps taken, they taste good and take pride in delivering their own course. Even more or less successful, this adds the pleasure of tasting. And this pleasure often becomes passion. So the famous quote “I don’t know the recipe for boiling water” will fade away to never come back!
The success of cooking classes
Rare and always expensive a few years ago, culinary classes at all levels continue to flourish. The choice is great, whether you are a beginner, want to improve your skills, or expand your knowledge on a particular topic.
Cooking courses and workshops can be organized depending on the seasons. They can be available over thematics like world cuisine, diet cooking, macrobiotics, lean cuisine, mediterranean cuisine, gluten free cooking etc..You may as well learn how to prepare sushi (excellent for your balanced diet!) or hamburger… which will be useful for future holidays!
Small problem though: it is necessary to take several culinary courses to make sure you understand the basics of today’s cooking. To avoid this, the Internet is a good way to quickly learn to enjoy cooking for free. By cons, you will not necessary feel so confident by being alone in front off your screen, instead of a friendly arranged kitchen where everyone brings his personal touch and rich dishes.
To find a cooking class, there are several media. For example the yellow pages, internet or word of mouth. Prices vary depending on the chef, location and formulas.
Until then, here’s our selection of cooking courses DVD available on Amazon, recommended by our readers:
Cooking is more than just following a recipe. It’s being able to confidently walk into a kitchen, assess what’s there and whip up something delightful and delicious. With that in mind, Cooking From A to Zest is like having your own private in-home instructor teaching you a foundation of techniques and skills.
“Learn How To Cook (and eat your mistakes)!” is a complete cooking course hosted by noted Chef David James Robinson. Chef David is warm, inviting, helpful, knowledgeable and down-to-earth. From boiling water to baking bread, this video series will help you with kitchen set-up, knife skills, sauteing, poaching, soups, stews, braising, roasting, frying, grilling, broiling, breakfast, baking, using seasonings and herbs, and much more. 15+ hours of content for the beginning home cook — or any cook who wants to fill in gaps in their cooking knowledge.
The Way To Cook DVD
Here is the six-part series, originally produced in 1985, in which Julia teaches you all the fundamentals of good cooking and offers a wealth of her favorite recipes. The series includes poultry, meat, vegetables, soups, salads and bread, fish and eggs, first courses and desserts. From deglazing a sauce and degreasing a stock to thickening a soup and unmolding a timbale, all the important techniques that make for good cooking are here. Bon appétit!
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and Alka Chandna, the hosts of this engaging, energetic, and informative DVD, demonstrate six tantalizing yet easy-to-make dishes, packing them full of nutritional facts and shopping tips. Including a helpful segment that provides a visual aid to finding vegetarian products in the supermarket, the Compassionate Cooks also answer a number of frequently asked questions regarding vegetarianism.
