- Becoming a new home cook can be overwhelming.
- Ina Garten suggests starting with foods that you know and love.
- Pick six recipes and master them—and be sure to properly season the food.
If you’re new to home cooking, it can seem like a daunting task. Ingredients, measurements, cooking techniques and seasonings—it can become overwhelming. And maybe you’ve already had some fails, especially if you’ve attempted more involved recipes, and are ready to throw in the (kitchen) towel.
Don’t give up so soon, says Ina Garten in her latest Substack blog post.
Instead of trying to cook to impress, Garten recommends cooking what you know and love. “Learn six really good recipes and do them over and over again until you’re really good at it,” suggests the Barefoot Contessa. “Then, vary it. If you know how to make a roast chicken, then you’ll know how to make a good roast turkey. You will learn to make variations without stressing out.”
We highly recommend adding simple but delicious dishes like our Baked Lemon-Pepper Salmon and Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce to your repertoire ASAP. As long as you have a few simple mains in your arsenal (and know how to roast veggies or make a salad on the side), you’ve got plenty of options for tonight’s dinner.
Garten’s second tip is to be liberal with seasonings, especially salt and pepper, emphasizing salt’s role in flavoring dishes. “For example, in chicken stock, the proper amount of seasoning is the difference between tasting like dishwater and full, rich flavors,” says Garten. “If you look at the research, the amount of salt necessary to season things is a healthy amount.”
We agree—to a point. Some salt is usually necessary to bring out the best flavors in your food. It’s why restaurants, prepackaged and convenience foods are loaded with it. We use salt in our recipes too.
The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, with an ideal goal of only 1,500 mg per day. If you’re doing a lot of cooking at home, staying within those recommended limits can be pretty easy—but you may want to adjust them if you’re sensitive to sodium or a healthcare provider has recommended you limit your sodium intake.
If you’re still new to the kitchen, try to follow the recipe as is instead of attempting to modify it, including the amount of salt the recipe calls for. As your confidence, knowledge and kitchen skills improve, it’s time to really have fun by experimenting with different seasonings. When that time comes, a whole world of seasonings awaits exploration. And many herbs and spices even have health benefits when consumed regularly.
There are many salt-free seasonings you can buy. Or, once your kitchen confidence is secured, try making your own (they also make great gifts!).
If you don’t have any favorite recipes to start with, try our high-fiber lunch recipes that are ready in three steps or less, or our five-ingredient dinners. Before you know it, you’ll be asking for the latest, greatest kitchen gadgets as gifts, and will be showing off your cooking skills for guests.
