I used to say I hated cooking. I'm not sure that was ever really the right word for it; say rather, I was intimidated by my own lack of experience, deeply self-conscious about not feeling I really knew what I was doing.
I'm not sure where the flipover happened, but focusing on a couple of recipes I really liked was a start (Darkhawk's chicken soup was, I think, the very first of those). I started paying attention to the why of things, like how different kinds of preparation change the flavor of garlic and onion, and the value of searing meat beforehand, and how amazing broccoli is when roasted.
I tried reading cookbooks but that never clicked (until I picked up J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's The Food Lab, but that came much later). Then I happened on Jacques Pépin's adorably cozy short videos and got hooked on those, then on few other channels, started collecting interesting-looking recipes in my zkn and trying them out--
--and suddenly people were telling me how amazing my cooking looked. I'm still baffled every time it happens, and I really haven't had many people taste any of it, so I have my doubts about its general palatability, but that's probably just the self-consciousness talking still. I like it. And that's the point, right?
Somewhere along the way I just started enjoying myself. And taking comprehensive notes on what I've cooked and how it turned out has been a big part of it.
Renditions
Pending
- Darkhawk's chicken soup
- Pulled pork - Kate's citrus, chile verde
- Genevieve's pozole rojo
- Greek lamb kleftiko
Favorite cooking channels
- Jacques Pépin - The original.
- Nat's What I Reckon - NSFW Aussie whose style is just fun
- Uncle Roger - This one's primarily comedy, but fun and sometimes informative. Do not watch if you like Jamie Oliver.
- Chef James Makinson - A soft-spoken professional whose explanations are excellent.
- Chef Brian Tsao - Mostly reaction videos to other chefs, but he often includes very useful side notes.
- B. Dylan Hollis - Hilarious and charming renditions of antique recipes.
- Emmymade - Odd fruits, foods, and recipes, all with a happy, bubbly cheer