Who taught you how to cook?

[wishesuponastar]

Budget cause you are cooking at home

My x-MIL taught me how to make chicken cutlets (fried) and sauce.
ex-H taught me how to fry an egg LOL

MIL & FIL taught me how to make chicken marsala, chicken in wine sauce,
DH taught me how to make meatballs.

All the rest I learned from a cookbook, online recipe sites and Rachael Ray (yay for teaching me how to shred chicken)

 

[hereyago]

My DF and an ex boyfriend, also Mickey Mouse started it all with a kid's receipe book I had when I was a kid.

 

[disykat]

My mom did. Not only did I learn by watching her do the basics, I didn't think she was a particularly good cook so I took over a lot of the cooking.

 

[Maddies Mama]

Alton Brown, Paula Deen, Emeril. Seriously! I grew up eating meals out of a box and I started watching the food network religiously before I got married because I didn't want to serve my family meals out of a box but I didn't really know how to cook still - in my mid-twenties!

 

[robinb]

I am self taught. My mom's palete is plain-Jane and I became an adventurous eater thanks to an ex-boy friend. I learned to cook from cook books and old TV cooking shows on PBS. I now use the internet for most recipes and I tweak them as I go.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

I learned some things by cooking with my grandmother. Other than that, self taught.
I use recipe websites and do a lot of tweaking, the same for a few low carb cookbooks that stay out on the countertop.

I encourage my kids now to be in the kitchen with me so they can pick up a few tips here and there.

 

[CTdiznymom]

I would have to say my interest in cooking started in junior high school with a wonderful Home Economics teacher. Looking back, I realize what an impact she had on my kitchen skills. She also was a great sewing instructor. Thank you Mrs. McCoy! Years later I took a job in a greasy spoon diner, and every now and then I worked the grill. I can cook breakfast for a crowd without batting an eye! Learned how to get everything on the plate and served all at once from my stint at that diner!

 

[charming23]

My mom and paternal grandmother taught me how to cook from a very young age. My Aunt taught me how to bake.

 

[Marionnette]

Budget cause you are cooking at home

My x-MIL taught me how to make chicken cutlets (fried) and sauce.
ex-H taught me how to fry an egg LOL

MIL & FIL taught me how to make chicken marsala, chicken in wine sauce,
DH taught me how to make meatballs.

All the rest I learned from a cookbook, online recipe sites and Rachael Ray (yay for teaching me how to shred chicken)

My mother taught me the basics and I had to take home ec. in junior high. I've also picked up technique hints from cooking shows on Food Network and PBS, Cooks Illustrated magazine and knife skills from a friend who attended The Restaurant School.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Probably Betty Crocker I am not a good cook for sure.

 

[Tricia's mom]

My Mom and Grandmother...I learned just being around them and watching. They where both excellent cooks. As I talk to friends I realize how lucky I am that I have the ability to do so... Some just HATE it. I don't mind it it....but I love to cook for larger groups. We are just a family of three and it gets alittle boring sometimes....

Hint : For not cooking and eating out on a budget.... I like to go to local chain restaurants (like famous Dave's) and order three kids meals ....and make salad at home ....$4.99...not bad .

 

[SPBendersky]

My father taught me how to cook. Told me to always make and add things I think I would like together. Take original items and twist them to new tastes. The basics and when it came to sweets, LOL he would say add something no one else likes so you can have it all to yourself, ( Raisins to Brownies) Etc.

 

[babyrich]

My mom taught me, since I was the youngest I was always hanging around the kitchen with her. I started asking questions and learning how to do different things? Unfortunately, she passed away when I was only 24, so I had to learn some things on my own. She taught me the basics and some awesome recipes too.

I still make her beef stew, Sunday meatballs and gray..........

 

[chimilady]

I can tell you who taught me, Tyler Florence and Alton Brown. Seriously.

I used to have only one cable channel, food network, and I would wake up super early on Saturday mornings and the only thing on was "How to Boil Water" by Tyler. I really learned a lot from that show. And then I also learned the "Why" from Alton, so between the 2 of them, things started to make sense for me and I started to cook and eat foods I would never eat prior, like seafood, or ethnic foods. I was a meat and potatoes gal growing up because that's what my mom cooked.

Oh, but my meatballs are from Mario Batali.

 

[Eastern]

Book of the Month Club taught me how to cook. I purchased a bunch of cookbooks back when they had their 6 for 25cents thing or whatever it was. It was a looong time ago. I got The Silver Palate Cookbook, NY Times Cookbook, Joy of Cooking, Pierre Franey, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, etc. Then Julia Child, Betty Crocker, even the Philadelphia Cream Cheese cookbook. Nearly every good recipe I have is either from a cookbook, or from a site like allrecipes.

My mother was a terrible cook (as was her mother, even worse!). Still is to this day! At least cooking ability is not genetic (my childhood food recipes that stand out are Rice-a-Roni, Ragu, Bundt cakes and burnt london broil. she never was very patient when it came to cooking).

 

[bettymae1121]

Mom taught me the basics, food network did the rest!

 

[diznee25]

My step mom taught me the basics...browning ground beef, stuff like that. My family has a very bland palate....I had bleu cheese dressing for the first time when I was 20! No joke.

As an adult I'm a more creative cook, I use recipes from Food Network, and Martha Stewart. Plus I love to bake desserts from scratch, and gained the nickname "Betty Crocker" from an old co-worker. Everyone begged me to bring in stuff all the time!


diznee25

 

[eliza61]

My grandfather and uncle. They owned a soul food restaurant for most of my life so all the kids pretty much grew up in it. My mother could not cook at all.
Truthfully we did not do a lot of home cooked meals when I was younger. Lived in Manhattan so we tended to go out 5 times a week or eat at the restaurant.

 

[phred52]

My mom taught me. I'd be in the kitchen and soak up the atmosphere. Just loved when she'd "let" me help. By high school I was doing a lot of the cooking and baking.

Now?? my 21 yo dd teaches ME new tricks and recipes! Both my dd's are great cooks but the younger one is very adventurous in the kitchen, tries new things then invites us over for dinner

 

[mombrontrent]

I would say I am mostly self taught. My mom was a pretty good cook but never really showed me much. I moved out and in with my DH when I was only 17 (still together 15 years later) so it was really a learning experience for me. I loved reading cook books and online recipe sites, I still do. My cooking went from pretty bad to really good over time. I still ask my mom for cooking tips from time to time and she always says "Why are you asking me, you are a much better cook then I am". I guess a girl will always want moms imput I love to cook and bake and am always experimenting with different types of food. We eat such a variety as I am always trying new stuff. Nothing I make will ever be the same as I look for recipes as a guideline or to get ideas but am always changing it up or tweaking it. My DH will love something and want it again but I never know exactly what or how much of something I put in so I cannot duplicate it exactly. Cooking like this is something that evolved over time, it I tried to do that 10 years ago, the meal would have been inediable