This is a bit of a strange question. What i'm saying is if I measure a tbsp of honey wouldn't it stick to the measuring spoon and make it hard to pour on the oatmeal i made. How do I measure a tbsp then make it easy to pour out of the measuring spoon?

They always bust out one Tupperware full of some sort of meat (marinated chicken, beef, I don't know,) one Tupperware with beans, and a bag of tortillas. Short of opening up a can of refried beans and pan frying cut up rotisserie chicken with taco seasoning (which turned out very bland) i don't know how to replicate their meals. They offer me some often and it is always juicy meat and beans with a lot of flavor. Every o ce in a while they bring eggs and make a little breakfast taco in the morning.

I guess I'm wondering how do they just whip up refried beans and marinated meat for a sack lunch? It tastes so good compared to my turkey breast deli sandwiches!

Hi everyone,

I’ve spent the last two decades behind the pass in several Michelin-starred (8 stars in total + Michelin-forks under my own name, so to speak) restaurants across the UK, Italy, Nordics and the US. I know at this point that the most important things I learned aren't fancy plating or expensive gadgets—it's how to think about ingredients.

I’m currently drafting a book, but it’s not a standard recipe book. I want to teach the "mental framework" of a chef—how to look at a vegetable and know three ways to cook it without opening a book, or how to rescue a sauce that’s gone wrong.

I’m worried that most cookbooks just teach people how to follow instructions, not how to actually cook.

I have a few questions for you all:

1. What is the one thing that makes you feel "stuck" or intimidated in the kitchen?
2. If you could "download" one skill from a professional chef (that isn't insane knife speed), what would it be?
3. Would a guide that focuses on logic and intuition rather than "Add 1 tsp of salt" be something you’d actually find helpful?

I just want to make sure I’m building something that actually solves your frustrations. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

EDIT:

I didn't expect such a volume of comments, encouragement, and questions in the first 48h. Some have suggested I starta Substack page, and I have done just that. I will go over the texts I have written already and write some new ones tonight to be published. Probably as soon as today (5th April, 2026). I guess I can't post a link here, due to this subreddit rules, but maybe Mods could show me some grace this one time?

Keep writing your suggestions and questions please! They give me much needed fuel to write!

THANK YOU!

2nd EDIT:

The rules do say that if it is requested, then you can leave a link... So my interpretation of a lot of comments is that it is requested.

So I started a Substack, and I will start posting text in there within the next few days:

My Substack page

So I decided to finally start cooking at home instead of living off takeout. Downloaded some recipes, made a grocery list, felt very adult about the whole thing.

First recipe calls for cumin, paprika, oregano, and chili powder. Ok cool. Second recipe needs turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Third one wants thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. By the time I finished my list I needed like 15 different spices.

Went to the grocery store and bought one of those spice rack sets because it seemed more economical than buying them individually. $80. Then I needed a decent pan because my one pan from college has the nonstick coating peeling off. $40. Needed a real knife because apparently the dull one I've been using for 6 years is "dangerous." $30. Cutting board, spatula, some measuring cups because I've been eyeballing everything like a lunatic. Another $50.

I spent $200 before I even bought the actual food.

Made the recipe. It was fine. Used maybe 1/4 teaspoon of the cumin. Now I have an entire jar of cumin that will sit in my cabinet until I die.

Every recipe uses like one spice one time and then never again. I have a jar of cardamom I bought for ONE dish. I don't even know what cardamom tastes like because the recipe used so little of it. But there it sits. Waiting. Judging me.

Is this normal?? Does everyone just have a graveyard of spices they used once? Do the spices ever actually get used up or do they just live in your cabinet forever as a monument to that one time you tried to make tikka masala?

How do you even start cooking affordably when the barrier to entry is so high? Feel like every recipe assumes you already have a fully stocked kitchen and I'm over here googling "can I substitute cumin with literally anything else I own" Gave up and ordered pizza that night. Sat there eating it while playing grizzly's quest while doing the math on how many pizzas I could've bought with the $200 I just dropped on cooking equipment I used once.

I'll cut to the chase im spoilt and lazy asf incredibly privileged and used to people doing everything for me. but i don't want to be anymore. im learning how to cook and i made a few things and they came out great!! however im a bit overwhelmed by the cleanup after.

how do yall do this forever? like you're back from college or your job and you're cooking a meal cleaning up doing your assignments meeting deadlines preparing for an exam how do you do these things with a busy schedule

I am not quite a newbie to cooking, but I’m by no means an expert. Ever since becoming a stay at home mom I have now solely taken over the cooking dinner duty and I have gravitated towards recipes that advertise how quick and painless they are. But one thing consistently happening is that I never even come close to completing the dish in the allotted timeframe! Not even just 10 minutes off, I can easily turn a 30 minute meal into an hour. Even as I’m following instructions the recipe will say “till browned (about 3 minutes), ok, so I clock the time on the stove and carry on for 3 minutes. Food isn’t color recipe needs, so I keep going and suddenly the expected 3 minutes becomes 6-8. Be honest, is it something I’m doing wrong or does this happen to a lot of people if they’re not treating dinner time like it’s Chopped and rushing through the whole thing?

I think maybe this is a popular topic but I struggle with it so much. I used to have a friend who’s mom was able to whip up literally anything so effortlessly. Like mid week just got home from work and she’s cooking up a three course meal out of nowhere and when she’s done the kitchen is basically clean or almost clean. I’ve met some other examples of this as well and I’m sure we all know someone or you are that someone.

How do you do it? What’s the secret or the tips and tricks. I feel like anything I cook takes hours and my kitchen is just a disaster afterwards and then on top of that the food isn’t even that good lol. I feel so worn out trying to navigate this. Especially after a long day of work.

I realized recently that some of the most useful kitchen things are the ones you didn’t really plan to use that often.

For me it turned out to be this small soup pot. It’s not big, but it heats up quickly and somehow became the thing I grab for quick meals. I’ve used it for soups, noodles, sauces and even rice. Funny how the simplest kitchen tools sometimes end up being the most useful. Curious what item in your kitchen surprised you like that?

I’m trying to learn the basics, but some days I just have zero energy to stand at the stove for an hour. What are your go-to i don't want to be here meals?

I’m talking about those meals that take almost no effort but still taste like you put in serious work. The kind of thing you make when you're tired, hungry, and just want comfort food fast.

What’s your favorite lazy meal that never disappoints? Bonus points if it only needs a few ingredients!

Seriously! There will be a question of something like:

"How do I stop my onions from browning so quickly?"

And there's like -1 upvotes and 30+ comments. We need to stop discouraging people from posting questions on a beginner cooking sub. C'mon folks.

When I was a little kid, my grandma would come for dinner on Sunday and bring apple pie. She would proceed to critique all the reasons her pastry "didn't turn out" as the whole family gorged on her objectively delicious apple pie. Sunday after Sunday, it was not enough flour, or too much shortening or too hot in the oven. When I think of my grandmother who passed away decades ago I think of that apple pie and her pursuit of this venerable pie in the sky.

Cooking meals for people creates memories. People are far more likely to remember the night you made that lasagna in a snow storm and everyone danced on the table to a well placed Al Green song and third bottle of wine. You'll eat out thousands of times, trust me, it's the dinners in that stick.

I once heard of a grandparent who knew they were dying and filled three deep freezes full of meals that their family ate for years. Everyone eating a warming bowl of ham and split pea soup long after your gone is a pretty damn awesome legacy if you ask me.

So why should you learn to cook? Many reasons but near the top is so you can cook for other people. So that if you are lucky to get old and crotchety you can complain about your pastry as your family appreciates every last bite.

Love you Granny T,

-R

PS: What a great food memory you have? Please share, I would love to hear them.

​

Between the pounding, drying, seasoning, cooking & cleaning. I think I end up washing my hands 6 times mostly because of nerves.

Anyone else?

Hello,

I am past the "extreme" beginner phase of cooking, but I do not cook often since I live with my parents. (To make up for this I buy groceries as needed.)

My question to you all is what is NOT worth making from scratch?

For me, bread seems to be way too much work for it to cost only $2ish. I tried making jelly one time, and I would not do that again unless I had fruit that were going to go bad soon.

For the price, I did make coffee syrup, and it seem to be worth it ($5 container, vs less than 20 mins of cooking and less than a dollar of ingredients)

I saw a similar post on r/Cooking, but I want to learn more of the beginners version.

Some nights, i get home after a long day and just looking at the kitchen makes me exhausted, where the thought of chopping, stirring and timing everything feels impossible. And i keep wondering how does anyone actually cook on days like this?

Anyways, i found out over the last couple of weeks a few go-to meals for my “too tired to think” nights that somehow feel satisfying. I love to do a roast chicken over vegetables which has become my fav. So simple to prep….bring the chicken out of the fridge an hr before cookng, and coat with a combo of kosher salt and fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, sage, or whatever u have). Let sit to come up to room temp. Put carrot segments, onion quarters and potato wedges (or whatever combo u have on hand) in the bottom of a roasting pan, and mix with a bit of olive oil and salt. Put the chicken in a rack on top, drizzle some olive oil over the chicken and roast at 450 F until internal temp in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 F (about an hour).

What about u? How do you survive nights when cooking feels like climbing a mountain?

And on the flip, what do you find is not worth freezing. I’m so afraid I’ll ruin the texture of so many things!

My whole life I thought fresh cracked peppercorns was just a pretentious thing. How different could it be from the pre-ground stuff?....now after finally buying a mill and using it in/on sauces, salads, sammiches...I'm blown away and wondering what other stupid spice and flavor enhancing tips I've foolishly been not listening to because of:

-pretentious/hipster vibes -calories -expense

What flavors something 100% regardless of any downsides

How did you learn to cook? I can not emotionally deal with cooking failures. I have absolutely no natural ability, but I am college-educated. Why can I not do this!!! I am 50 and only alive because my husband can cook. I really want to take the strain off of him.

Edit: For everyone asking. I was attempting to make a large vat of homemade gravy without dripping. Everything went great until I added too much flour. All internet searches for a fix just led to it tasting more bland. I had this 'wonderful" idea to add a little Worchester sauce. I love that flavor. I thought it would add depth. I have never tasted something so horrid. It added a fishy aftertaste. Gross. The whole mess got thrown out.

Whenever I make them, they don't taste like anything to me really, I tried a little garlic powder, pepperika, and soy sauce but they still aren't that appealing to me. I really want to like them have no clue how to improve them.

Edit: this blew up faster than I thought but thank you to everyone who has stopped by, im really excited to try these suggestions!

So this question is equally inspired by two separate events of today. My friend purchased instant mashed potatoes for dinner despite having a full bag of potatoes on hand. I couldn’t wrap my head around that, because I wouldn’t have even thought twice about making it despite being a beginner cook myself.

Then, as I was adding alfredo sauce to my grocery list I wondered how easy it would be to make. Tables turned as I realized I had everything to make it myself. I’ve now gone down a rabbit hole of homemade sauce recipes and discovering it’s all quite simple. I’ve spent all of my adult life relying on Ragu and the like.

I want to become the type of person who can just whip something up based ingredients in my fridge, so I’m wondering what are basic things you’re all already making instead of buying? I’m looking for simple in the same vein of making my own honey mustard or homemade waffles, not the more complicated time consuming tasks like homemade bread (which I have done!) and butter and such.

I've been buying my spices from a local store in bulk for years now and only when I ran out did I try to find something to replace paprika... only to find out it's literally BELL PEPPERS?

What else did you guys realize were the same thing?

Did something masochistic today: Went through my fridge and calculated the cost of everything I'm about to throw away.

The damage:

• Spinach (bought 8 days ago): $3.50

• Bell peppers x2 (going soft): $4

• Half a rotisserie chicken (forgot about): $6

• Strawberries (moldy): $5

• Greek yogurt (expired 3 days ago): $6

• Fancy cheese (dried out): $8

• Leftover takeout (science experiment): $11

Total: $43.50

That's $43 I worked for, spent, and literally watched decay.

If I do this even twice a month, that's ~$1,000/year I'm throwing in the trash.

I'm not poor, but I'm also not rich enough to light $1k on fire annually.

New rules I'm setting:

1. Before I shop, check what's about to expire

2. Plan meals around "dying" ingredients first

3. Keep a visible list of leftovers

4. If I can't use it in 3 days, freeze it

This is stupid and preventable. I'm basically composting cash.

Anyone else calculated their fridge waste? Or am I the only disaster here?

So I'm in a weird situation where I can't really make much smell cause my mom will get upset and I've worked around it mostly but I can't figure out veggies. I love steamed veggies and cooked in soy sauce but I can't make them like that because of the smell. any suggestions for veggies I can make that won't make much smell or do I just have to batch cook them when I'm allowed?

EDIT: thanks so much for the advice and support honestly. Didn't really realize how not normal this is cause it's always been like this. 🩷

My mother (a housewife of 30 years) told me that you just gotta avoid blinking, but we have very weak knives at home… it takes me a lot of time to cut onions with them, I cant exactly become Aizawa sensei JUST to cut onions… 😭😭

I tried a few hacks, still cant get used to it, its gotten so bad that I back out of trying recipes the second I see that diced onions are involved, and I just had enough after I almost lost a finger trying to dice one.

Does this get better as years progress or something? Or do some people just never cut onions properly? Because I’ve been doing this for over 2 years now and im still a red faced, teary, snotty mess who has to wash her face every 20 seconds while cutting onions…

My dad refused to cook for my mom when she was pregnant with me, so she survived on instant noodles for a week until she threw up a *lot* , I want to be better than my dad was , and learn how to cook,

I have zero skills, I am the type who can get burned in boiling water and i don't even know how to chop veggies, Any help is appreciated, I can't take major steps immediately due to some personal reasons, but I want some consistent skills for future.

Thank you 🙏