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Hm, well, a friend has said How to Cook Everything: The Basics is good, and I'm inclined to believe it, given that it's by Mark Bittman. So you might check it out. It does look like a decent chunk of it is devoted to meat, poultry, and fish, though, which might make it less useful to you. And a book can only do so much when it comes to know-how sorts of skills, even when it has excellent photos.
One resource that was excellent for me when I got more interested in cooking was Alton Brown's Good Eats. He'll spend time breaking down the chemistry and physics behind certain techniques, and when he does the basics he really shows you how to do it. It's not great if you're looking for a crash course, since the stuff on the basics is strewn throughout the various ingredient-themed episodes. (E.g. he goes into braising while doing an episode on pork/ham.) But if you've got time (and don't mind some corny humor), it's a pleasure to watch through the many episodes, and you'll learn a lot.
Another thing to do is try to find some good youtube videos on basic technique. I'd say the first things to get under your belt (if they aren't already) are knife skills, sauteing & sweating, and roasting. (Goddamn if some roast vegetables aren't just ten kinds of tasty.)
If you don't know how to cook at all, I recommend buying a book like How to Cook Everything.
Tried and true.
Get yourself a copy of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything The Basics. And as you learn more, buy his other books.
If you are starting from zero (like I was) I highly recommend this book. Basically teaches you the building blocks with very simple recipes which you can later use to expand to more complex stuff.
How To Cook Everything: The Basics
https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060
There's a lot of technical terms in cooking, you should look for a beginner's cook book to teach you what they mean. Such as "cut" is different from "chop" which is different from "dice".
This looks like it might be that sort of book: https://smile.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060/
I would recommend How to Cook Everything - The Basics. It's really easy to follow as a beginner, comes with pictures and explains all the techniques.
About ten years ago I got a new house, the first house of my own after living in properties owned by my parents and I had these ultimately misplaced images in my head of hosting parties - so I decided I should at least be able to cook as a backup to the private chefs I hire even now (well, not this year obviously) for more involved stuff at home.
I then became an avid watcher of Great British Bake Off and I figured I should be able to bake to somewhere near that level as well, so I hired a pâtissier to teach me to bake. I struggle with the creative decoration side, but technically I'm an extremely proficient baker now.
Learning via the better cooking channels on YT as pointed out by others is a totally valid way to do it, if probably slower than having dedicated time from a seasoned pro.
Having a decent book on the basics is also beneficial too, since it's easy to pull specific info from as opposed to a general purpose device like a phone or tablet. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060
I am assuming from your dialogue that is a fake-ass post. But in case it is real, NTA.
Also, if you want to learn how to cook, start with simple things. One of the mistakes newbies make, is to try to make something that they really like. Usually it is something that is not easy to make if you are a beginner. So I would suggest you start with this book. I have had many friends thank me for getting them started using this to learn.
HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING-THE BASICS : by Mark Bittman.
Make sure you get the new edition and not cheap out by getting the 2003 edition. The old edition is crap on a stick. The new edition (2012) kicks ass.
This book was very helpful when I decided to eat better and cook for myself. Highly recommended.
How to Cook Everything The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food--With 1,000 Photos https://www.amazon.com/dp/0470528060/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8ZTjFbBT24TD9
Mark Bittman is a perennial favorite, great for beginners
Congratulations! If you're interested in cooking more, Mark Bittman has a series of "How To Cook" books that cover not only recipes but techniques, definitions and ingredients.
Buy yourself a copy of Mark Bitman's How to Cook Everything: The Basics. It has really good photos for ... well... how to cook everything.
Hey, try to be kind to yourself. Dealing with problems you've been ignoring or avoiding can be really uncomfortable, and so a lot of people just avoid ever looking squarely at those problems. So you're already a step ahead of the game.
I can sympathize with not really wanting to deal with your body, maybe wishing you could just sort of be a brain in a vat. But I've also learned that focusing more on my body and taking care of it better actually feels good, physically and also in a self-care sort of way. I mean it feels good to be kind to yourself, instead of secretly hating parts of yourself, or being ashamed by them.
If you're looking for places to start, reddit actually has some good resources. There's /r/SkincareAddiction and /r/malefashionadvice and /r/HaircareScience (which has a lot of good info in the sidebar) and /r/malegrooming
And if you're interested in learning how to cook a bit, How To Cook Everything: The Basics by Mark Bittman is a really good resource. It's a teaching cookbook, with lots of useful pictures (not just pretty food pictures) like: what does the inside of a chicken breast look like when it's raw, partially cooked, cooked just right, over-cooked, etc. And unlike a lot of cookbooks that proclaim to be "basic" but actually assume quite a lot of basic cooking knowledge, that one really explains everything from the bottom up.
And remember: you don't have to look like a Greek god in order to be attractive to people. Good hygiene and clothes that fit and a good haircut go a really long way.
There is also How to Cook Everything: The Basics which I love. From knowing absolutely nothing, it has a good guide including pictures on every major technique. For example, a picture guide to simmering water vs boiling it, slicing vs mincing vs chopping vs dicing. A guide on how to pick out meat and how to cut it. A guide on how to stock your pantry. It's fantastic for an absolute beginner.
http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-The-Basics/dp/0470528060
When it comes to burning fat, exercise alone isn't going to do it. You'd be much better off modifying your diet.
Some diet pointers:
Cut out all liquids except water. Sodas and beer in particular are a huge source of empty calories. Carry around a water bottle and sip it all day; it will help you to feel more full.
Start cooking at home. Almost any food you prepare at home is healthier than restaurant fare, provided you don't deep fry it or smother it in cheese and mayonnaise. If you don't know how to cook I recommend this cookbook. It will walk you through the basics, and also has helpful information about portion sizes with each recipe.
Find healthy snacks that are filling but low-calorie. I'm talking about nuts, trail mix, carrots, air-popped popcorn, and dried fruit. Keep these in your cupboards, backpack/purse and desk so that you're not tempted to go to the vending machine and eat crap. Fair warning: dried fruit will give you diarrhea if you eat too much of it.
Finally, relapses happen. They don't mean that you're a horrible person and doomed to fail. Keep going and in a few months you'll start seeing results :)
Best of luck!
I am in the same situation, albeit without the gluten issue. To bring myself up to speed I ordered a copy of How to Cook Everything: The Basics last night. It's not a Keto cookbook but I'm hoping it will give me at least a basic set of cooking skills. I can then use those skills to adapt the books recipes to something more keto friendly.
It should be in tomorrow. After I've had a chance to read it I will come back and tell you whether or not I think it was a good buy.
Here are a couple of things that helped me:
Binging with Babish Cooking Equipment- This will give you an idea of the right tools that will help. If you can only afford one of these, get a knife. You can get like a $30 knife on Amazon here. I use this one and it's great. You don't have to spend $150. Some of these tools will be unnecessary for a beginner, but you'll start to get an idea of some of the most helpful tools.
How to Cook Everything: The Basics- I recently bought this book because I wanted to learn some of the easy things (how to cut a chicken, how to make the best eggs, etc). This book is GREAT - it assumes you know nothing. It has pictures of what the recipe should look like during prep, during cooking, and when finished and that is SO helpful. I've made probably 25% of the recipes in it (that's a lot in one book, for me). Read through the summary sections (he also includes a more thorough - and probably more realistic - equipment list) before you start to cook, and it'll give you a great ground level to start on.
It sounds like you're on the right track regardless. Hope these recs help.
classic cook book is "How to cook everything: the basics". I believe the first recipe is how to boil water (for later how to boil an egg). It grows in complexity to recipes such as pizza. It details what tools you need and how to wash vegetables
https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060
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YouTube is your friend. Most cookbooks don't have enough pictures whereas, in the video, you can see all the in-between information (ie just how vigorously do you stir it) that the new cook will not know but is easily filled in by veteran cooks.
My grandmother Iris used to always say, "If you can read, you can cook."
You are about to embark on a special journey. Cooking is a unique way to both practice skillsets and develop expertise, while also being creative. Once you get the hang of the basics, you will be having so much fun.
For a self-paced beginner course on cooking, I'd use Life School's Cooking Level 1 (it teaches you to cook by intuition & improvisation so you don't have to spend so much time looking for recipes). Alternatively, I'd check out this list of YouTube channels for some inspiration. If you want to buy a book I would recommend Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything The Basics.
Mark Bittman How To Cook Everything: The Basics
https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060
I started after reading http://fourhourbody.com/ and decided I wanted to improve my health and strength. Ferris has some good advice on how to cook for those stuck on the "bachelor chow" habit.
From there, I started on http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-The-Basics/dp/0470528060.
Also, cooking has been a great way to bond with people: both people who like to cook and those that like to eat (uhm, like everyone!). I also know it is a great way to get to date...
It took me a while but I remember thinking the same thing. Great advice above. These sites and books are basically what taught me how to cook:
https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060
And
https://www.budgetbytes.com/ this has a ton of pictures per step and videos. I haven’t used the app but that could help. They also have meal plans so you could try for like a week with that and it gives you the grocery list and everything.
Hang in there, it gets easier!!
I 2nd this. In uni, a family member got me this book: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0470528060/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_PYAFCW33DFM645XXRDT1
Changed everything for me
Got this one(below) from a reddit Secret Santa last year. It's excellent it literally goes through all the basics down to boiling water and a million different things in between. My 11 year old and I have done quite a few things from it.
How to Cook Everything The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food--With 1,000 Photos https://www.amazon.com/dp/0470528060/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_g_DJEZT2A35DX9JAT5M17X
I also got snoop doggs cookbook but haven't used it yet.
From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen (Snoop Dogg Cookbook, Celebrity Cookbook with Soul Food Recipes) (Snoop Dog x Chronicle Books) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1452179611/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_g_7FQ6EMN7D6YY8KYMVWQR
My first cookbook was Joy of Cooking. I recommend it, or another similar that also has a very wide range of recipes from begginer level to a bit more advanced. Now what it, and a lot of older cookbooks DON'T have is photos, which are extremely helpful to someone who is learning. For this reason, I gave one of my sons the Mark Bittman book How to Cook Everything The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food--With 1,000 Photos.
Have a look at
How to Cook Everything The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food--With 1,000 Photos by Mark Bittman
https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060
or the Cooking School by America's Test Kitchen
https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Kitchen-Cooking-School-Cookbook/dp/1936493527
If you'd rather have an actual cookbook to learn from, see if you can pick up a used copy of How to cook everything - the basics by Mark Bittman. https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Basics-Food/dp/0470528060 It has tons of pictures and explains details that they assume you already know in most cookbooks. Also, a lot of libraries have copies of this. And of a lot of other cookbooks, of course. Ask a reference librarian if you're having trouble finding cookbooks for beginners.
Also, if you're not sure what tools to get, get the cheap versions of the stuff on this list, and then upgrade as you can. (You'll want to at some point, because it really is a lot easier to cook with decent quality tools, but they can get expensive.)
I hope this helps at least a little bit.
How to Cook Everything The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food--With 1,000 Photos https://www.amazon.com/dp/0470528060/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WkBQDb19H77Y0
Also Binging with Babish on YouTube has a playlist of basics.
How to Cook Everything: The Basics is a must have!
How to Cook Everything: The Basics is what you need!
Good on you for deciding to make a healthy change! Definitely check out the /r/EatCheapAndHealthy/ sub. It's a kind and helpful group that routinely gives great tips and recipes.
If you're just starting out, investing in a basic cookbook is an excellent way to learn cooking skills at your own pace. I'd get one that starts with boiling eggs and such basics, then progresses to simple recipes. How to Cook Everything: The Basics and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian are good ones, both by Mark Bittman. Another good resource is BudgetBytes.com.
Also, you might do some reading up on meal planning. IMO, it's just as important as the cooking and eating.
I really liked this book when I was just learning to cook.
This is a pretty great recipe book. Tons of basic recipes for everyday foods.
I'm sure you know allrecipes.com as well - great user-submitted recipes for a variety of different foods. Also Budget Bytes for the cheap and tasty!
Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, The Basics is a good one.
Thug Kitchen and Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything the Basics