The Path to Becoming A Better Chef: Learning Project Blog Post #1

For my learning project, I have decided that I would like to become a better chef.  Cooking runs pretty strongly through my dad’s side of the family.  My dad and my grandma are both excellent chefs (my dad even owned and operated a restaurant when I was young), but unfortunately, I was not blessed with their skills.  My mother on the other hand is not the best chef, and she has and continues to admit that fact frequently.  I seem to have inherited her skills in the kitchen.  Over the course of this semester, I will use this class as an opportunity to become better versed in the kitchen.    

I chose cooking because of how universal and important this skill is in everyday life.  Everybody needs to eat, and because of that, we all need to spend time in the kitchen.  I cannot think of a skill I will use more than cooking.  I also believe that being a good chef can save you money and can lead to a healthier lifestyle.  Having the skillset to cook good, healthy, affordable meals is such a valuable asset to have.  I am not starting off with zero knowledge in the kitchen, but I want to expand my horizons.  My girlfriend spends a lot more time in the kitchen than I do, and when it is time for me to cook a meal I usually just pick one of the five or six meals I stick to.  I usually do not stray from what I already know how to cook because I am scared of failing and wasting my time and money.  This is something I plan on changing going forward because failure is a huge part of learning something new, and I need to accept that. 

The first thing I am going to do is start by going over the basics.  I have found an excellent Youtuber by the name of Pro Home Cooks that has posted many beginner cooking videos.  In his beginner videos, he goes over how to make a single dish in as much detail as possible explaining tips, skills, and hints along the way.  This will be a good starting point.  Another resource I plan on utilizing is called Udemy.  This website has thousands of paid and free online courses available including courses on cooking.  Once I feel comfortable with the basics, I am going to be branching out throughout the semester tackling more advanced meals.  Eventually, I would like to try and even tackle some ethnic foods as that is something I have always wanted to try but have never mustered up the courage to try and tackle.