Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm a beginner cook, so all I know how to do right now is to blindly follow recipes.
But when I search on the internet for some dish, tons of recipes come up, mostly with 4-5 star ratings. They're not all the same though, as some of the ingredients or amounts will be different.
This might be the most difficult thing for me right now. How do I decide which recipe to use, when there are so many out there?
It'd be a shame if I tried one recipe that tasted bad and decided never to cook that dish again, not knowing that a different recipe would have tasted great!
Am I supposed to just keep trial and erroring different recipes until I find one I like?
If you like spicy food scan ideas with strong hot ingredients. At our house, we like to use coconut milk because it gives a smooth and cool flavor to food. My husband doesn't eat meat but I do so that is a challenge.
What would you like to try cooking, let me know and maybe we can talk about your ideas. How is your time? I like to make bread, but generally don't bake as much because it is less forgiving than making a curry which you can adjust as you go.
It takes a little time to find your own cooking voice but don't be discouraged.
A lot of the difference is personal taste, and that does come with experience.
As an example, I do not like sweet foods, and I prefer natural ingredients whenever possible. I will scan recipes and avoid those that call for corn syrup or adding sugar in favor of those that do not. I like spicy foods, and after years of cooking, I know what certain peppers and spices taste like, so I use those recipes.
The best way to figure things out is trial and error. Try two similar recipes, see which one you prefer. Look at the ingredients and determine why. This will give you more info for next time.
Your comment about peppers reminded me that although I don't like green bell peppers, I do like the small red Italian bell peppers which are mild. So, this a good time of year to think about growing a few of your favorites in your garden or pots. Fresh ingredients do make a difference in your cooking.
I can look at a recipe and get a pretty good idea what it's going to taste like and how troublesome it'll be to prepare. Of course, I've been cooking for 50+ years now.
Try some stuff. Even if it doesn't meet expectations it'll still be edible food. Eat it up and take note of what you didn't like about it.
You don't have to be obsessive about it, just pay a modicum of attention. Most important thing is to start.
A lot of the difference is personal taste, and that does come with experience.
Yes. Also, just how much time do you want to spend in the kitchen? A recipe that uses fewer ingredients and has a shorter preparation time and cooking time is one you're more likely to make during the week after work or when you're pressed for time than something really elaborate. Ditto for recipes that use exotic ingredients as opposed to ones which use ingredients you usually have in your refrigerator, freezer, pantry, and spice rack.
Ultimately, you learn how to cook by cooking. As you gain more confidence in your skills and know your likes and dislikes better, you'll find you have less need to slavishly follow recipes and will be more confident modifying them to suite your palate.
Am I supposed to just keep trial and erroring different recipes until I find one I like?
That might not be as bad as it sounds. At the least, it might lead you to some sites that have recipes you respond favorably to. The more experience you get cooking, the easier it will be to decide on recipes, and you will get an idea of what will or won't work for you.
Since you're looking online, look at recipes that have reviews. Get in the habit of reading the reviews, and not just the first two. There can be valuable information there. I stay away from blogs where the only comments are about how yummy the recipe looks and how they can't wait to try it. Try to stick with sites that have actual reviews from those who have made the dish.
I'm a geezer cooking for himself. I have eaten good chow (and BAD chow) all over the world. I am not persnickety! Like they say "I could eat the mud-hole out of a dead skunk." My "go-to" website is--- https://www.allrecipes.com/
Usually I spend more time on the "negative" reviews and look for "patterns" e.g., everybody complains the recipe is too salty or something, but, I usually follow the recipe the first time at least!!
It is something that comes with experience. I read "put this with that" and my brain might say, OK, that looks reasonable, or it might say, gosh, that is an awful lot of sugar.
You just have to keep cooking and you will learn.
The rating system is vaguely useful but often it is things like: this is awful I didn't have chicken so I used fish and I substituted mustard for white wine, yuck, one star.
That is really not very useful.
One thing to be aware of, the newer the recipe the more it will use too much salt or too much sugar. The old cook books are often the most reliable recipes.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
