Not into cooking? These 5 tricks will help you learn to love cooking in no time.
Or, at least, not totally hate it.
For me, cooking wasn’t always something I enjoyed.
In my 20’s I dreaded the weekly trip to the grocery store. Wasting money on vegetables that would inevitably go bad and fruit I’d forget to eat.
I wish I was the person I thought I was when I bought all that produce.
Yet, week after week I’d promise to make an effort to cook healthy meals for myself, only to run out for a California burrito instead. (in fact, I could go for one rn)
I viewed cooking as yet another chore that I didn’t have time for.
Learning how to cook felt overwhelming. Like, what cooking utensils would I even use? The sad spatula and one wooden spoon in the tool drawer?
But eventually I slowly overcame my resistance and learned how to cook.
And to my utter shock, I found ways to actually enjoy the process.
And now cooking is one of my favorite ways to escape the stresses of life.
And now it’s your turn.
Ready to overcome your aversion to cooking?
Here’s how I did it:
1. Never cook hangry
This was one of the hardest lessons I learned along the way and, really, am still not sure I’ve mastered.
One of the worst things about cooking is waiting for your masterpiece to be finished, amirite?
So do yourself a favor and get started on preparing your meal before you start getting hungry. I know it seems crazy, I get it.
But if you have any hope of learning to love cooking, this is the first hurdle.
When we are hungry, we get impatient. And when we get impatient, we rush through steps or take shortcuts to speed up the process.
This can result in a less than awesome meal and eating mediocre dishes certainly won’t help you to learn to love cooking.
Be patient.
[RELATED: “How Can I Learn To Cook Better In 2021?“]
2. Laugh (at yourself mostly)
The reality is that you can’t learn to love cooking without making a few (read: tons of) mistakes.
Even professionally trained chefs make the occasional cooking blunder.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. Years ago I pulled a beautiful Thanksgiving turkey out of the oven and promptly dropped it on the floor.
I was momentarily relieved to find that no one saw me do it until I realized that meant I had no one to laugh about it with.
The point is, shit will happen in the kitchen.
You’ll drop turkeys, you’ll burn yourself, you’ll completely fail in making a challenging new dish.
But who cares?
Cooking failures are only not funny if you’re too hangry to appreciate the humor (back to point #1).
So get over it. Have some fun.
{RELATED: “7 Of The Best YouTube Videos To Learn How To Cook“}
3. Invite your friends to laugh at you
If you cook it, they will come. Idk about you, but I can’t think of a single friend or family member who wouldn’t come running over at the offer of a free meal.
You don’t have to go it alone. You can learn to love cooking with your besties.
And, in fact, there is no better way to determine your progress than by soliciting friends and family for feedback.
When I was first learning to love cooking, knowing that I was cooking for others made the effort feel worth it.
I had a hard time getting excited to cook for one, but once I invited a couple of friends to sample my latest attempt it felt like a party.
It felt special (read: worth it).
When my friends continued to return for more free food, I realized I wasn’t half bad at this cooking thing.
And we all know that any activity is more fun when you’re good at it.
So invite your people over, pour a glass of wine, and make learning to cook a social experiment.
[RELATED: “A Beginner’s Guide On How To Learn Cooking Techniques“]
4. Make yourself comfortable
It’s your house, your kitchen, your vibe.
If your kitchen isn’t a place that you love spending time in, then you’re unlikely to ever learn to love cooking.
Now, that’s not to say you have to have a fancy, state-of-the-art chef’s kitchen.
You can learn how to cook anywhere, so long as it’s a space that you feel comfortable in.
There are no rules.
Play music, dance, whatever.
Fill your kitchen with things that spark joy. Your favorite color, a plant, your dog, your spouse (questionable).
Whatever you’re into, create a vibe in your kitchen that draws you in. You’ll learn to love cooking pretty quickly if you already love hanging out in the kitchen.
Do I hear an excuse to redecorate? Yes, please.
[RELATED: “10 Fun Things To Learn How To Cook Like A Pro“]
5. Treat yo-self!
Ok guys, here’s the big secret to how to learn to love cooking.
Cook what you like to eat.
It’s really that simple.
So many of us focus on eating foods that we “should” eat or avoiding foods we “can’t” eat for various reasons.
While dietary restrictions are a real thing, if you start your journey toward learning to love cooking preparing only “healthy” dishes or meals that fit into one category, you are inevitably going to get bored.
There is an art to choosing which recipe to try and you’ll get better at it as you practice.
You’ll learn to recognize a good recipe from a bad one, and you’ll start to understand how method impacts the final dish.
But when you’re just starting out and cooking feels like a chore, why not make it fun by focusing on foods you’d be excited to eat?
If that means brownies, cookies, or cakes I’m here for it.
If that’s fried chicken or pizza, go for it.
I learned how to cook by baking. I have a ridiculous sweet tooth and baked to satisfy it.
Baking eventually led to cooking dinners and other meals, but I still love to bake.
The reward is SO worth the effort.
So start with what you love and learn to love cooking your favorite treats.
You’re working hard, you deserve it.
Now that you see how easy it is to learn to love cooking, why not learn how to cook like a chef? Find out how here.
