Learning how to cook rules. You get to control and make things exactly how you want them, with enough cheese, enough garlic, enough whatever ratios that you like. The skills build on top of each other over time and soon your flexibility in what you eat rises in quality in all the ways. I was always discouraged from branching off of a recipe by my parents, but the experimenting I did when I was just gaining experience has led to consistently having my roommates over the years go “Wow” to the things I make today. I’d recommend sticking to recipes only when there is a technique or a combination of flavors you haven’t tried yet involved. Which could be every technique and flavor when you’re starting out. After you have a hold of it, try out some new spices and ways of layering things. Here’s a recent example of a pile of information my brain was able to put together successfully yesterday:
Roasted red pepper sauce
2 whole bell peppers (one red, one orange because I figured the flavor was good with both)
Put them in a very hot oven on a pan, turning occasionally until at least 1/2 of the skin is scorched looking
Place in a bowl with a lid or inside a paper bag to steam in its own heat for a while after taking out of the oven, which makes them much easier to just slide out of the peels. I didn’t scorch enough or wait long enough to steam this time and peeling was kind of annoying.
While they’re sitting in the steam, chop and sautee some onion and a little celery in a pan with olive oil and a dash of salt
Add everything to a blender: peppers without stems, seeds, or skins, the onion and celery, a couple of raw garlic cloves, a glug of olive oil (fat aids in nutrient bioavailability of veggies anyway plus it makes the mouthfeel way better), a touch of water, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste (the first time I ever used crushed red pepper flakes I dredged or coated some pork in them because I thought they were bell pepper flakes and not the spicy things they are. My guests said “It’s good….it’s just spicy….”) and blend on high until it all comes together smoothly. Add less water to start because you can always add more. If the blending isn’t happening you probably need a touch more liquid though.
Because peppers are actually fruits the sauce may gel while sitting waiting for you to put it on top of something (I wanted this for a shepherd’s pie I was making but it also served over a vegetarian pasta too). Just stir it up when you’re ready to use it again.
Your pile of knowledge might start with learning how to chop an onion effectively. Everything in the world is on YouTube. Have fun, develop your skills, and be independent. It’s a great skill to share with friends, family, and love interests.
And it will also enhance your enjoyment of going out to eat, as you begin to appreciate the processes involved more and how flavors come together. You may find you become more curious and also more picky about where you eat since you eventually have to compare eating out against the quality of food you make at home, but having someone else cook and do dishes does rule ;).
Do as many dishes as you can during the process of any cooking endeavor to make your life easier. I’m a hand-washer so this matters more. Having a sink full of soapy water allowed me to quickly soapify things so I could clean quickly, but also cook and bake tons of food to eat after competitions back in my comp days without licking every bowl when I was still cutting weight. This paragraph will make no sense to most people lol.
How is your day going to go today?