Are you one of the many twenty-somethings out there that can't cook anything other than pasta and stir-fry? It's become increasingly common for young adults to get by without cooking with the advent of sites like JustEat and Seamless that deliver food from great restaurants right to your door. We believe, though, that learning to cook is just about the best thing a twenty-something can do for themselves.
If you're looking to build up your culinary chops this coming year, take these tips into consideration:
1. One thing at a time. Don't try to learn everything at once, because the food world can be overwhelming. There's so much to learn! Think of one dish that you love and set out to learn to make it. If you do this once a week, you'll have learned to master 52 dishes by the end of the year. Not bad, eh?
2. The internet is your greatest resource. Here are three fantastic YouTube channels that will show you how to start from scratch and learn to make amazing meals.
Hilah Cooking: This channel has a Learn To Cook! Cooking Basics playlist that will help you get over your first cooking hurdles.
Jamie's Food Tube: This channel is run by Jamie Oliver - who is delightful - and whose recipes are always amazingly flavorful but very straightforward. Try his chinese-spiced steak.
Chefsteps: With a scientific approach, this channel has amazing visuals and shows you the building blocks of all your favorite foods. It's impossible to not be mesmerized by their videos, like this one that shows you how to make the very complicated but delicious French pastry called Kouign-Amann.
These videos are more inspirational than instructional, so don't worry if you don't have their ingredients or equipment - pretty much no one does.
3. Learn to love Pinterest. Despite the fact that it's full of mommy bloggers and posts about making DIY candles, Pinterest is actually one of the best food resources out there. Get an account, follow a few boards that look tasty and search for any recipe you can think of. It works as a "what shall I make today?" idea board as well as a foodie Google.
4. Ask a friend or family member to teach you how to make a dish. Make an afternoon out of it. Not only will you bond over food, you'll leave with new knowledge and skills.
