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How can I learn cooking? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by Jankatarch@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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Hello. I can't really taste or smell anything since birth.

Cooking for myself is fine but I only know texture is is good. It might taste unedible for all I know.

I will have to cook for other people at some point in future afterall. Any of you found a trick to use during covid or something?

Please tell me even if it's not that effective. I have no idea how to fix this. Thank you very much.

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[–] ALoafOfBread@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Learn what you need to do to follow recipes, and then you'll learn the rest over time. Cook things you like to eat.

Don't get a bunch of junk for your kitchen. You only need basic things and can buy them as you go.

Knives - you only need a chef's knife (8" or 10") for most kitchen tasks and a paring knife for small things. Optional: bread knife (i just use a chef's knife), filet knife, boning knife, cleaver.

Pots and Pans - get all stainless steel and/or cast iron/enameled cast iron. Don't buy aluminum or nonstick. Frying pan. Saucepan. Big pot and/or Dutch oven (can use as a soup pot on the stove or in the oven for other things, enameled recommended). Baking sheet (and a silicone matt for nonstick).

Other: peeler, box grater, garlic press (way easier than mincing garlic), citrus juicer, steamer insert for a pot, measuring cups and spoons, cutting board (plastic is OK - bamboo is another good budget option, one for meat and one for plants recommended)

Know what it means to steam, boil, simmer, sautee, bake.
Keep your knives sharp.
Learn the basic cuts (dice = .5 - 2cm cubes, mince = very tiny little pieces, julienne/batonnet/chiffonade - strips of stuff of various sizes).
The key to cutting anything is to break it down into manageable, regular pieces that you can easily turn into cubes or rectangles.

Since you have difficulty tasting:

Don't over-salt. You can always add more, but you can't remove it.
Acidity and fat are important to make food taste good. Vinegar is often a hack to make food taste better.
Adding MSG to your food is also a great way to make it taste better.
Learn what herbs and spices belong in different kinds of food. Some can go in a lot of different cuisines and dishes - like salt, pepper, garlic, onion, parsley, and chives. But others have more niche uses, and some combinations are very typical of specific cuisines. Buy individual spices, not spice mixes. Dry spices are stronger than fresh spices, so if substituting dried for fresh, you will use less than you would use if they were fresh.

The head chef of Alethea (3 star michelin restaurant) totally lost his sense of taste for years and still ran one of the best restaurants in the world.