Hello everyone! It is customary in our family that I am the mistress of the kitchen. Cook food, clear the table, wash the dishes, clear the table again......No one, I think, will argue that this is not the most exciting activity. Honestly, I hate spending more than 1 hour in the kitchen on a weekday. On my husband’s weekend, I can pamper my household with more complex dishes, provided that I have “extra” time. Maybe for some this time seems eternal, but for me, a mother of two children, this is fundamental. In this article I will give you some simple tips on how to learn how to cook quickly and reduce the number of minutes of active cooking.
Planning time in the kitchen
One of the most important rules of quick cooking is planning. Make it up in advance. This is a great time saver. You won’t need to rack your brains over the question “What to cook?”, open your notebook and, voila, the plan is ready. Moreover, try to choose dishes for the whole family. If you have a child, prepare what he will eat. There is no need to cook for everyone separately. This, of course, applies to those who value their time. This melt works great, I have experienced its advantages myself. Taking 15 minutes a week means you're putting it to good use and making a huge contribution to your free time over the next few days.
Grocery shopping for the week
Buy groceries for the week ahead. Having compiled the menu, write down the products that need to be purchased. By the way, this not only saves time in the kitchen, but also... The list will keep you from getting completely overwhelmed in the store. Constantly check the purchased products. Before I started practicing this method, I spent a lot of money every time I went shopping. Everything that was needed and not needed ended up in the grocery basket; of course, the wallet suffered from this. I'm sure this situation is familiar to many housewives. Well, what can you do, we are women. So let's pull ourselves together and go to the store with a list!
Search for new recipes
Learn new recipes, add delicious and simple recipes to your cookbook. Fortunately, today there are a huge number of books and websites. Modern technologies, namely the Internet, open up a lot of opportunities for us. But why not use such a gift for the benefit of our family? Make it a rule to cook 2-3 new dishes a week. If you don't have a recipe book, be sure to get one. At any moment it will become a lifesaver for you.
Order in the kitchen
This is one of the important rules that must be followed by the hostess. Every item in the kitchen should have its own place. It is impossible to quickly learn how to cook food if there is chaos everywhere. Order in the kitchen must be maintained even during active cooking. To do this, properly organize the storage of household appliances, cutlery, and dishes. Get rid of unnecessary things that you don't use. Clear space on your countertop. I'm sure you'll be surprised at how much junk you have accumulated. If you are interested, you can read the article here. She fully covers the topic of decluttering.
In the opinion of a famous Japanese woman who organizes space and helps housewives put things in order in the house, a kitchen should not be beautiful, not comfortable, but easy to clean. The rule: “keep it where you use it” should resonate with an empty countertop and a minimum number of kitchen utensils on the walls. Since oil splashes during cooking will undoubtedly settle on them and you will have to spend extra time on washing.
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The secret to quick cooking - simple dishes
Choose for your menu. First boil, then fry, then bake - you must admit, this is not a quick task. If you have time, that’s a different matter, but if you don’t, then there’s nothing you can do about it. Leave complex recipes to the chefs, they have enough time, but you don’t.
Avoid fried foods
Avoid frying. It slows down the process so much that it’s impossible to do everything in one hour. Bake often, use foil, baking bags, etc. Remember, fried food can be tasty, but, unfortunately, it is harmful. Since childhood, many have become accustomed to pies, fried potatoes, cutlets... But I believe that meatballs in the oven, baked pies, and potatoes in a pot cook much faster and do not contain carcinogens that are formed during frying. More often prepare dishes from raw, unheated vegetables, for example, salads, side dishes.
Prepare enough food
The amount of prepared food should be enough for the whole day. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the number of people in the family and their eating habits.
Kitchen appliances - the main assistants
Quick cooking is impossible without kitchen appliances. A food processor, a multicooker, and a modern oven save a lot of time in the kitchen. If you wanted to buy something from technology, feel free to buy it, you won’t regret it. The main thing is to learn how to use it correctly.
Freezing food
– a lifesaver for every housewife. You can freeze vegetables, berries, meat, and herbs. I often make a mixture for frying (onions, carrots, bell peppers) and put it in the freezer. You can quickly prepare food using semi-finished products. Minced meat, meatballs, stuffed peppers - you can buy them or make them yourself. This feature saves many housewives from spending unnecessary time in the kitchen, significantly saving effort and even money.
Be Julius Caesar
Don't waste your time. While the water is boiling, peel and cut the vegetables; while the pasta is boiling, remove the dirty dishes. Cook several dishes at the same time. Some will say that it is complex and confusing. Nothing like this. Everything is easy and simple. You just have to try once and you will be drawn into the process, because every minute in our lives is worth its weight in gold. Duck, he won’t waste it left and right. I am sure you will be able to cope with the task.
Well, that’s all the advice on how to learn to cook quickly. Remember, planning time in the kitchen should be an integral part of running your home. I hope you had fun with me. And don't forget to share your secrets. I kiss everyone! Bye bye!
If you want to become an excellent cook who can always please guests and comes up with recipes yourself, your dream is quite easy to fulfill. Learn something new, devote time to cooking every day for a month - and the result will surprise you! So, here are simple tips that will lead you to your goal.
Sharpen your knives
If you can't even cut an avocado without effort, how will you cook interesting dishes? In some stores you can even sharpen knives for free! Try to put all the knives in your house in order. 
Learn to cut an onion
Cut off the top of the onion and discard it. Remove the top layers and then slice the onion vertically. After that, slice horizontally - that's it! This is how you should cut an onion correctly. 
Learn how to cook rice properly
Always remember to use two parts water for one part rice. This is the ideal proportion that will help you achieve fluffy and delicious rice. 
Learn to make a poached egg
Always crack the egg into a small bowl before pouring it into the water. Then the yolk will remain intact. If you want to feed a large crowd, try baking eggs in a muffin tin. 
Leave fat after frying
If you fried lard, leave the fat in the pan - you can fry pancakes or scrambled eggs on it. 
Learn to make pickled vegetables
Knowing how to cook pickled vegetables sounds impressive, but it's really easy! You will need vinegar, water, salt and sugar for the brine, as well as chopped vegetables and spices. Just mix the ingredients for the brine and heat them in a saucepan, then pour the vegetables into a jar and put it in the refrigerator after cooling. These vegetables can be stored for three weeks! 
Learn to use scraps
Vegetable trimmings, bones and hard cheese rinds will be an excellent base for broth. Store them in a bag in the freezer until you are ready to make a flavorful soup. 
Try new spices
For example, discover turmeric. It is very tasty and extremely healthy. 
Swap your aluminum frying pan for a cast iron one
Cast iron pans can handle any temperature, last a very long time and are great for many dishes. 
Buy bigger pots and pans
What separates an amateur from a professional? The size of the pans! If you use a pan or pan that is too small, your food may not cook evenly. 
Store chicken breasts in the freezer
Chicken breast can make a great dinner in no time, so it's always a good idea to keep a small supply on hand. 
Try a new vegetable
For example, try turnips. You can make fries, mashed potatoes or roasts from it, and you can add it to soup. 
Store cheese in oil
Drizzle mozzarella, feta or goat cheese with herbed olive oil to make it more aromatic and delicious. 
Taste while cooking
Season your food and taste it as you cook. If something is missing, you can always add it. 
Prepare a new dish using your favorite ingredients
Do you like cauliflower? Make tacos with her! Fry it in large pieces or just bake the whole head of cabbage! 
Make homemade burgers and freeze them
Make homemade burger patties. They can be made from beef, fish or vegetables. Freeze them and you'll always have an option to surprise your guests. 
Make soup from scratch
Stop using processed foods and learn to make your own soup. It's worth it. 
Buy soy sauce, lemons and parmesan
These ingredients can transform almost any bland dish. Always keep them on hand. 
Make your own jam
Your breakfast will be much more enjoyable! You can make jam in just five minutes. 
Learn to roast vegetables
Remember the tip about having a bigger pot? The same goes for the baking dish. When you cook vegetables, they should not be too dense so that everything turns out crispy. 
Cook something in red wine
Learn to make pasta in red wine sauce. This is an incredibly tasty dish. 
Try a new variety of meat
For example, lamb. Or pork chops. You can even decide on offal, for example, liver. 
Make your own bread and freeze it
You can make your own flatbreads for dinner and then freeze them. Then they can be used for two weeks. 
Try new varieties of fish and seafood
Try scallops, cod, mussels or tuna. You shouldn’t limit yourself to the usual varieties of fish. 
Add salt to salads
This secret seems too simple, but it's a great way to bring all the flavors together. It is salt that makes the difference between a mixture of products and a delicious salad. 
Try a new variety of cereals
You can try quinoa or amaranth. These are delicious and healthy varieties of cereals that you will love. 
Add wine to butter
Making gourmet butter will instantly make you feel like an accomplished cook. 
Go to specialty stores
A large supermarket is very convenient, but in specialized cheese or vegetable stores you can find more interesting products, and they will also be fresh. Be sure to try visiting such a store, you will immediately understand the difference. 
Buy a small grater
With a special grater you can grate Parmesan cheese directly over your guests’ plates. It's a simple detail, but it makes a huge impression on others. 
Make simple desserts
Don't spend hours in the kitchen. A bowl of fresh fruit with whipped cream is as delicious as a complex soufflé. You can just relax and enjoy your food!
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The way to the hearts of all humanity, not just men, is through the stomach. That's why website I have collected 15 dishes for you that would be great to be able to cook masterfully. They can become your signature dishes, and your family will only be grateful to you for it. Bon appétit!
Pasta with cheese
Cook pasta according to package instructions. For the sauce, melt the butter (1/2 stick), add 4 tablespoons of flour, whisk it all, add about 2.5 cups of milk or cream and whisk again. Add spices, beaten egg yolks (2 pieces) and grated soft cheese to the sauce. Place the sauce over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring. Pour the sauce over the pasta and place in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. After cooking, you can sprinkle the dish with the remaining grated cheese.
Italian omelette frittata
Preheat the oven. Whisk 8 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, fry 3 slices of bacon. Add 1/2 chopped onion, a cup of cherry tomatoes and a handful of cauliflower or chard leaves. Cook for about 30 seconds and then pour the egg mixture into the pan. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. First, keep the omelette on the stove for 30 seconds, and then put it in a preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Perfect chicken in the oven
To cook perfect chicken in the oven you only need three ingredients: pepper, salt and the chicken itself. First, you need to let the meat reach room temperature first. Do not wash the chicken under water - all possible bacteria will be killed by the high temperature in the oven. Preheat oven to 230°C. Use paper towels to dry the chicken inside and out. Salt and pepper it well - and from the inside. Tie the chicken with a thick thread, starting from the legs. Then sprinkle it with the remaining pepper and salt and place it in a preheated oven for 50-60 minutes. During this time, do not remove or lubricate it with oil. Once the required time has passed, remove the chicken and let it rest for 15 minutes. Only after this can you begin to remove the thread and prepare the meat for serving.
Baked vegetables
Preheat the oven. Mix all the vegetables together: 1 large head of broccoli, chopped zucchini, a cup of cherry tomatoes, 3 carrots, cut into rings, mushrooms. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2-3 teaspoons of salt and ground black pepper to them. Divide the vegetables into two equal parts. Bake each serving of vegetables for 35-40 minutes, removing them from the oven every 15 minutes and stirring them.
Grilled cheese sandwich
Prepare 2 slices of sandwich bread, 2 sticks of butter, 2 slices of cheese and salt. Melt 1 stick of butter in a frying pan over low heat. Toast the bread on one side, moving it gently through the pan. Remove the bread from the pan, place cheese slices on one piece and another piece on top, so that the toasted sides of the bread are inside. Melt the butter in the pan again and fry the sandwich on both sides over low heat, moving it carefully around the pan to prevent burning.
Cocoa brownie
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Combine 10 tablespoons (140 g) butter, 1/4 cup (250 g) sugar, 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons real cocoa, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium heatproof bowl, place over a saucepan over low simmer water, stirring until the butter melts. Remove the bowl and set aside briefly. Add vanilla and 2 large eggs to the mixture, stirring vigorously. When the mixture becomes homogeneous, add flour and stir, then beat the dough with a wooden spatula or rubber spatula. Bake the dough in the oven for 20-25 minutes, cool and cut into 16 or 25 squares. Can be served with fresh berries.
Perfect Steak
45 minutes before cooking, remove the steak from the refrigerator and dry it thoroughly with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and let sit for another 45 minutes to allow the meat to come to room temperature. Place a cast iron skillet over high heat. Pat the steak dry again with paper towels. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan. Place the steak in the pan. Without touching it, let the steak cook for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, turn it over and cook on the other side. For 8 minutes (for a thick cut of meat) or 6 minutes (for a smaller cut), continue turning the steak every 2 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 65-70°C. Then add 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan. When almost melted, add 5 sprigs of thyme to the pan. Then pour melted butter over the meat, turn over and repeat the procedure. Remove the steak from the pan, let it rest for 10 minutes, cut and serve.
Guacamole
Place 5-6 vegetable physalis or green tomatoes in a blender, add 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped, 1/4 white onion, 2 chilies, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon spoons of fine salt. Mix. Then add avocado pulp to the mixture and mix again until smooth. Add a little water if necessary and serve.
Pasta with tomato sauce
Place chopped and peeled fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes in a saucepan, add 5 tablespoons butter, 1 medium peeled onion, halved, and salt. Simmer over very low but steady heat for 45 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Cook the pasta, pour the sauce over it and sprinkle with grated cheese.
Roasted greens
Wash the greens thoroughly - choose what you like. This recipe uses kale, mustard leaves, and chard. Heat a frying pan, add vegetable oil, sliced onion, finely chopped garlic and fry until the onion is soft. Then start adding the herbs and you can add a little water to speed up the cooking process. When the greens are cooked, garnish the dish with nuts, sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.
Fluffy pancakes
First of all, we need to break 3 eggs and carefully separate the whites from the yolks, beat the whites with a pinch of salt. In order for the whites to whip better, the eggs should be taken cold.
Then mix the yolks with cinnamon, sugar, vanilla and soda, whisk everything and add 2 cups of 10% cream and 2 cups of flour in parts. Knead the dough until smooth. Carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the dough.
Pour a portion of batter into the middle of a well-heated frying pan with a ladle - such an amount that the pancakes do not spread and remain 10-12 cm in diameter. Fry the pancake on both sides. Serve with honey, maple syrup or jam.
In the new issue of the column about effective self-education, we, together with experts, figure out what should be in the kitchen of a novice cook and which Moscow schools make sense to look into in order to cook the best steak.
First, ask yourself: why do you need this? At the very beginning, I would recommend listening to your heart and learning to cook if there is any response. If it doesn’t work out, don’t force yourself. Cooking should be fun.
You can start with good cooking shows, preferably foreign ones. You can use books, but learning to read a recipe is very difficult. “Fry until golden brown”, “saute the onions” - what is this? Understanding comes only with experience. I think the best thing to do is go to cooking classes. There you see what the cook is doing, you can always ask again, write it down, and besides, secrets are usually revealed there that will not be written about in books. Now there are a lot of video recipes on the Internet, you can watch them too.
As for the utensils needed to start, you should have a good knife, a cutting board (preferably two), a thick-bottomed saucepan, a frying pan and a heat-resistant dish. It’s all very simple; you don’t need a temperature probe or noisette right away. When conducting master classes, I often come across people who don’t know how to cook, but waste themselves on something difficult. However, first you need to basicly master a frying pan and a knife.
It’s good if you always have eggs, cream, milk, cheese, some herbs, olive oil and butter in the refrigerator. All products are simple, but their combination will allow you to do something at any time. Flour, butter, egg - this is shortbread dough. There is no need to buy a bunch of different spices at once.
It is impossible to explain what an ideal dish is. Some people like one thing, others another. Probably the ideal is the right combination of products. At my master classes, I always talk about the need to have a sense of proportion. For some reason, participants think that putting a lot of things on a plate is a good thing. For example, sometimes we make pizza. Some guests think that if they put all the ingredients on a poor yeast dough, it will be delicious. But that's not true.
It is worth reading the cookbooks of various good chefs and at the same time listening to yourself. If you like cheese and herbs, do something with it. If you love meat, cook it. You need to do what you like. I started cooking with soups and main courses; I didn’t like making salads and desserts. Now I love to cook everything.
You can only learn by practicing. If you just read and look at the screen, nothing will happen. Cooking is chemistry and physics. If you practice every day, of course, you can learn to cook.
It is important to understand that it is not the detailed recipe that rules the show. how to cut vegetables, cook broth and add meat, and understanding why we perform certain actions. It is the theoretical basis that allows us to come up with our own dishes “from what was in the refrigerator.”
To learn how to cook well and tasty, you need to remember one important rule: do not listen to your friends, mothers and grandmothers, no matter how tasty their borscht may seem to you. Sometimes the level of such homemade dishes is very primitive. Of course, your mother’s soup and your grandmother’s pancakes may seem to you the height of gastronomic pleasure, but this is far from the case.
Like any other field, cooking requires following rules, as well as attention to detail and processes. First you need to learn the basics. What basic sauces are there, how one type of cutting vegetables differs from another and, most importantly, where and in what context you need to apply certain skills. It is best to start with basic dishes, studying their history, subtleties and important technological aspects. Take mushroom risotto and learn how to cook broths and work with rice; Understand how to add volume and color to a dish using different types of mushrooms. We started cooking Bolognese and understood the “1110 rule” when cooking pasta, learned how to make meat stew, and became friends with tomato bases for sauces.
It is worth stocking up on important and useful tools. First of all, you will need a couple of different, necessarily sharp knives, a heavy frying pan, and a cutting board. In confectionery - kitchen scales, spatulas and whisks, a good mixer. Once we've learned how to hold a knife in our hand and understand how a whisk differs from a spatula, we need to think about what ingredients are important to keep on hand. Everyone has their own taste, but it’s great when the kitchen always has a bag of flour, fresh vegetables, a bag of rice and spaghetti, a piece of good cheese and a jar of tomato sauce. Season your dishes with fresh herbs and ground pepper, and your family will begin to suspect you of cooking witchcraft.
Once the basics have been mastered, it’s time to move on to a more complex matter—taste. Need to try. A lot, often and the best. At least once a month it is useful to have dinner at a really good expensive restaurant, and when traveling to visit local seafood, vegetable markets and bread shops. Try and analyze what and why you like, what combinations of products delight you. Feel free to ask the chefs who surprised you about why this soup is so delicious. The secret may be quite simple, but knowing it will open new doors to the world of gastronomy.
What to read
Channel Jamie Oliver Food Tube
On his channel, Jamie Oliver does what he loves most: preparing delicious food and giving simple advice to viewers. Moreover, this is not just a collection of recipes, but a full-fledged interactive gastronomic channel-transmission. Other chefs who are Jamie's friends are also regular guests. In the new year, Jamie decided to launch a series of healthy meals, snacks and drinks, so you can start looking after your health in good company.
Learn to Cook
One of the most useful resources for those who decide to master basic cooking skills. Each article is like a full-fledged guide dedicated to one product: its types, cooking methods and mistakes to avoid. The text is generously accompanied by photographs and videos, so it is almost impossible to make a mistake with the color of a well-done salmon steak.
"Afisha-Food"
A huge database of recipes from cuisines all over the world, which are added by users themselves. If amateur experience seems dubious, here are recipes from the now defunct Afisha-Food magazine. Most of them are trustworthy.
Where to study in Moscow
When: The next class “Cocktails for two” is February 14
How many: 150,000 rubles for a basic cooking course, master classes - from 3,000 rubles
Project Meet&Greet
The Meet&Greet open kitchen is not exactly a cooking school. Rather, it is one of the ways to spend time, prepare and eat several dishes, while learning some culinary secrets. The school was founded by friends and hosts of the “Two and a Half Chefs” program, Kristina Chernyakhovskaya and Albina Preis. Meetings are held twice a week: dinner on Wednesdays and brunch on Sundays. Menus, which usually consist of two or three dishes, are announced several days in advance on the website and on social networks. There, project participants regularly share proven recipes.
Where: Burger Brothers cafe
When: every Wednesday at 20:00 and Sunday at 12:00
How many: 1,800 rubles for dinner, 1,000 rubles for brunch
Culinary school of Yulia Vysotskaya
At the school of the familiar host of the TV program “Eating at Home” there are many master classes that form cycles: “Italian Cuisine”, “Russian Feast”, “Sophisticated Asia” and so on. Each master class is independent, but by attending several classes within one course, you can gain comprehensive knowledge on the topic.
Where: studios at Belorusskaya, Okhotny Ryad and Mega Khimki
When: daily, depending on the site
How many: 900–3,000 rubles
Culinary workshop Just Cook
Another school where theory is preferred to practice. During the master classes, participants prepare three dishes each, following the advice of two professional chefs. Then everyone sits down at the table together and tries the result of the lesson. Classes are devoted to French, Russian, Pan-Asian and other cuisines of the world, but there are also separate master classes - for example, on fish or dumplings.
Where: Bratislavskaya, 18, building 1; Leningradsky Prospekt, 80, building 12A
When: from Wednesday to Sunday, depending on the site
How many: 2,000 rubles per lesson
The twenty-first century brought a culture of fast food and convenience foods, but nothing can replace home cooking. Whether you are learning from scratch or improving in the culinary arts, the Internet and mobile applications can always help you. However, finding among the variety of options can be difficult and time-consuming.
Do you dream of preparing a delicious dish yourself?We have compiled a list of the most interesting, educational and inspiring resources to helpyou become an excellent cook, a jack of all trades.
Online courses and websites where you can learn to cook
Salads 100 recipes
Inexpensive to prepare, tasty, and most importantly, healthy salad recipes are collected in the application: “One Hundred Recipes”. Beautiful photographs add interest to the use of this kitchen assistant. The only downside of the app is that recipes cannot be shared with friends. However, this is not a significant drawback if you want to prepare a tasty and light dish. Download the application for
