“…No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.” ― Julia Child
Since discovering minimalism, my life has changed significantly. The process of promoting values and removing distractions has forced new intentionality in life. As a result, many of my habits have changed. I spend money differently. I spend time more efficiently. I exercise more. I wake earlier.
Additionally, interestingly enough, I have learned to enjoy cooking. I am not formally trained. I am not a chef. In fact, I’m not even sure I’m the best cook in my own family. But I have recently learned to fully enjoy the process of preparing a meal for my family. I find great joy in it—far more than ever before. And as I look back at this specific life change, I can directly attribute this change to a number of specific steps I have taken. Perhaps you may find them helpful as well.
A Simple Guide to Enjoy Cooking
1. Clear your kitchen counters. A clean, uncluttered kitchen counter is refreshing. It communicates calm and order. It saves time and promotes cleanliness. It encourages opportunity and possibility. And a clear counter provides the necessary space in your kitchen and your mind to begin cooking. Clear your canvas.
2. Cook healthy foods. There is a pleasant satisfaction that comes from preparing healthy food for you and your family. Its importance in the process cannot be overstated. It provides valuable motivation and incentive for cooking your own meals. And the positive benefits of cooking a healthy meal stretch far beyond the dinner table.
3. Use fresh ingredients. Among the changes I made in my life to spur my love of cooking, none may be more significant than the decision to start using fresh ingredients whenever possible. Once I began replacing dried spices with fresh ingredients (onion, garlic, parsley, basil, limes, lemons), the flavor of my meals improved dramatically. And so did my confidence and enjoyment.
4. Own a sharp knife. Learn how to use it. I don’t own expensive cookware—never have. In fact, I still use the pots and pans we received as a wedding gift 14 years ago. But when I began cooking regularly, I bought a nice Santoku knife and have never regretted the purchase. We use it nearly every day for slicing, dicing, and mincing. And once you learn how to use it properly, preparing meals becomes significantly easier and more enjoyable.
5. Start with foods/recipes you enjoy. The first cookbook I ever used was Top Secret Restaurant Recipes. I was already familiar with many of the dishes and knew which ones I liked. I began by preparing meals I looked forward to eating. And I incorporated the same philosophy into cooking all my new dishes at home. I like Mexican food, so I search for Mexican food recipes to follow. Lately, I have been exploring Thai food (another favorite) and trying new recipes. The Internet is full of simple, easy-to-follow recipes. Search for the foods you know you like, find a trusted recipe source, and read the comment section for additional thoughts and ideas.
6. Be confident. You can do this. Step up to the cutting board, the oven, or the stovetop with full confidence in your abilities. An anxious spirit does not enjoy creating. And unfortunately, an anxious spirit rarely succeeds. To enjoy cooking, you’ll need to convince yourself that you are able to do it. Eventually, a delicious meal and corresponding smile from your table guests will do the trick. But even before they do, believe in yourself. Start walking around your kitchen (and grocery store) like you know what you’re doing… and before long, you actually will. You will still make mistakes, but that’s okay. Just remember, the biggest mistake you can make is not believing in yourself.
7. Value presentation. There is an old saying among chefs that goes like this, “We eat with our eyes first.” Research and experience validates their claims. Food that looks good is more likely to taste good. And some studies seem to indicate we even absorb more nutrients from food that is visually appealing. Take some extra time to serve your food in a visually appealing presentation—even if you are eating alone. You’ll always enjoy it more.
8. Appreciate the eating. Be mindful of the cleaning. If you have a family, create the space and culture in your home that values eating together. For many families, this is not possible at every meal, but that does not mean space can’t still be created for some family meals together. You may need to establish some margin or get creative, but the more time spent together around the dinner table, the better. Appreciate the importance of sitting down long enough to enjoy your food. And likewise, learn to appreciate the act of cleaning up afterwards. It does not have to be seen as a chore if approached with the right mindset.
9. Record your favorite recipes. I store a small, black, index card box above the stove in our kitchen. Inside, I keep all the successful recipes I have discovered over the years. It is a simple system that works for me. And it has been an important step in increasing my enjoyment of cooking because the true value of the black box is that I have a wide selection of family-favorite recipes right at my fingertips…
…and if my family finds joy in the meal on the table, I find joy in preparing it.
Jennifer says
It is very healthy tips. Everyone follow the tips while cooking. Thank you for sharing this post.
Elvis Mensah says
I usually do not care about clearing my kitchen counters as i am not a big fan of cooking but will be considering it after reading this post.
Thanks for this resourceful post
Larry says
I like minimalist cooking. I’m a fan of Jules Clancy who wrote 5 Ingredients 10 Minutes. I use it nearly everyday.
Stephanie says
“Keeping cooking simple” works best for me. My favorite foods to this day are the home-cooked simple meals of my mother and grandmothers. And I suppose the meals they prepared were fairly healthy as one grandmother lived healthily until just a year before she died at 89, my other grandmother is still living at 96 and healthier than many her age, and my mother is 76 and healthy thus far. When I try to get too much variety going on in my meals and trying out too many new recipes with too many ingredients I get bogged down thinking about shopping and expense and trouble. That’s when I turn to eating out too often or resorting to less nutritious food. My husband and I have different needs in our meals, which makes it another challenge; all the more reason I need to keep it simple.
Lori says
I think an important part of cooking is time. As we minimize our time commitments, there is more time to enjoy cooking and eating together!
Jill Carlier says
if you find yourself throwing away vegetables because they go bad too quickly, buy frozen. Heat your oven to $375. Spray nonstick spray onto foil, place your veggies on the foil, sprinkle lime juice and olive oil over the top. fold the foil up into a tent and heat for 30 minutes. Your frozen veggies will be yummy! Veggies are usually frozen at their freshest…so you are still eating healthy and this is so easy and clean up is easy, too!
Artshack says
I keep my recipes in notebooks with those plastic sleeves. It holds hand written ones on notebook paper, pages from magazines or printed 8 1/2×11 sheets. The plastic sleeves keep the recipes neat and clean. As you gather more, you can separate multiple notebooks into different categories.
I love this website. It has been life changing for me.
Lisa says
What a great post. I really struggle to enjoy cooking. I make nearly all of our food from scratch (two adults and two kids in our house) while also working full-time, and in the daily rush to just get something on the table before bedtime, I feel like I’m missing the part where I get to be creative, take my time, or fail as often as I would like to. I love putting a nutritious meal on the table every night and the benefits we see from it (in terms of health and family time), but…ugh, it’s tiring.
To go along with your #4, I have found that since I got rid of many of my kitchen utensils and appliances, it has been easier to find “the right tool” for the job. Also, I’ve felt a bit guilty at times because I’ve discovered that what I have is not the right tool at all, so I’ve gone out and bought the right tool and gotten rid of the wrong one(s). I feel a little less guilty after reading this. Having the right tools makes all the difference!
Dana says
You can get lots and lots of flavor from dried herbs and spices if you are discerning about where you buy them and what they are supposed to look and smell like when you do purchase them.
Years ago I owned a bay tree. Seriously, the real thing. It was a stick and three leaves when I bought it at an herb festival. By the time it and I parted company (circumstances beyond my control) it was a small potted bush. My favorite part of taking care of it, as you might imagine, was pruning it.
I was startled how different the leaves looked from the ones in the grocery store even when dried. They kept their dark green color and shininess for quite some time. I thought it was a fluke but several years later, I ran across a pouch of some of the leaves I’d saved and they were faded and dull–just like the bay leaves you find in the spice aisle at the grocery store.
I’ve had similar experiences with other herbs. Recently dried, they taste strong and awesome. If they’re more than six months to a year old, you have to use more to get the same level of flavor. They can stand up to more storage if in glass or metal but the trouble is, a lot of what’s in the spice aisle is packaged in plastic–and that’s porous and lets all the good stuff out. On top of that it’s sitting out in clear containers under harsh lights which further degrade the quality.
So don’t dismiss herbs in particular just yet. A lot of these plants stay small enough to grow in pots–just grow your own.
Candace says
I’ve recently given up eating out. The prices, portions & calories were out of control. Just disgusted at dropping $30-40 on one meal out (with no leftovers). With that money, I now prepare two fresh dishes per week (lasagna, chili, chow mein, enchiladas, fried rice, chicken wild rice soup). Leftovers last several days & provide approx 20 fresh, home-cooked meals for the price of one meal out.
martha@ simple-nourished-living says
So true, Candace. I laugh when I hear people say that eating out is just as cheap cooking for yourself. I think we can rationalize just about anything! The truth is that you can eat for days on what it costs for one meal out.