I asked Google some questions about cooking and here’s what it told me…
There were 239,000,000 results for this search. Lots of sites have opinions about what everyone should know how to cook (especially by certain ages like 20, 30, etc.).1
The lists have lots of dishes that I’d love to learn, but my first reaction is… INFORMATION OVERLOAD.
There’s so much info out there, its crazy. I wouldn’t even know where to start.
I mentioned on Day 4 that my downfall in the past was trying to learn too many things, so I’ll stick with my plan to memorize 3 recipes for now. Focus, baby.
I just need to know where to start, so the next question I asked Google was…
This search was much more helpful.
I came across a good question on Quora where someone asked this exact question. Many people suggested starting with Eggs, and the author of the top answer — Jae Alexis Lee — said that eggs are a good place to learn foundational cooking skills like time, temperature and technique.
I’ll take it!
I also found the results from a Family Feud survey, asking people to name the first food people learn how to cook. The top answers were:
- Eggs
- Pasta
- Toast
- Ground Beef
- Potatoes
Eggs again… at some point I’ll create a guide to how I make them. For now I’m looking for what I should learn next.
Finally, users on Chowhound shared a lot of good dishes that they’ve taught their kids. Some of the most common responses were:
- Eggs of all kinds (scrambled, boiled, fried)
- Pasta with Meat Sauce (Spaghetti w/Meatballs, Bolognese, etc.)
- Grilled cheese sandwiches
I grouped the most frequently mentioned suggestions in a Google Doc and decided that my first dish to learn will be some sort of Pasta with Meat Sauce. I’ll follow that up with a Pan Roasted Chicken (sauce TBD), and a Baked Fish of some sort. I don’t have specific recipes yet, but that’s the general idea.
Now we’re getting somewhere! Over the next few days I’ll choose a pasta recipe to try and go grocery shopping for my ingredients.
Til next time… peace!
OTHER POSTS IN THE 100-DAY CHALLENGE SERIES
Day 1: Intro to Me & My Goal
Day 4: “Why Learn?” and My Cooking Background
Day 7: What Should I Learn to Cook FIRST?
Day 10: Pasta + Meat Sauce (Tomato Bolognese)
Day 21: Pasta + Meat Sauce (less Tomato)
Day 28: Pasta + Meat Sauce (Beef Stroganoff)
Day 35: Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs
Day 42: Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs
Day 49: Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs (coated with flour)
Day 56: Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts
Day 63: Miso Glazed Baked Salmon
Day 70: Miso Glazed Baked Salmon II
Day 77: Miso Glazed Baked Salmon III
Day 84: Final Exam
Day 95: What’s Next?
Day 100: Final Thoughts
