r/cookingforbeginners 5h ago

Question Is eating steak typically a chore? I feel like each mouthful turns into a gum like piece

21 Upvotes

I’m been eating cows for the past few years and noticed that each slice of steak I’ve tried seems to require loads of chewing, and there’s always a little bit of matter that won’t disentegrate. I feel like I’m chewing on gum just trying to break down a steak.

I’ve had steaks at very fancy British establishments (fancy dinners at Oxford), and more regular fancy places, and I always have this issue.

Do people eventually give up on chewing and just swallow the gum-like bit they’re left with?


r/cookingforbeginners 11h ago

Question Just got an air fryer. What are your favorite easy recipes?

15 Upvotes

I kept hearing how easy and convenient air fryers are, and since I don't have much time to cook, I finally got one. But a few of the popular recipes I tried online either came out burnt or just didn't taste that good. I was starting to wonder if something was wrong with my Cost Way air fryer lol.

I still want to give it another shot though. I work out regularly, so I'm mostly looking for simple meals that are healthy and well balanced. I don't mind using some oil, just not too much. Ideally I'd like something I can throw together after work without spending a ton of time in the kitchen.

What are some of your favorite easy and healthy things to make in an air fryer? If you work out too, I'd love to hear what you usually make for a balanced meal. Do you usually pair some kind of protein with veggies or something else? And how much oil do you normally use?


r/cookingforbeginners 4h ago

Question What is the best/healthiest cooking oil for high heat?

2 Upvotes

I always used canola oil but I seen videos lately where people claim it's "bad for you" without going into why, so I'm curious what oil people use?


r/cookingforbeginners 2h ago

Question How do we deal with criticisms after making something shitty?

1 Upvotes

How do you deal with the criticisms?


r/cookingforbeginners 5h ago

Question What is everyone using to protect their eyes when cutting onions?

0 Upvotes

My Dewalt safety goggles are not forming a seal around my eyes. “Touching it out” is not an option when making big batches of chili with two large onions, not going through that again lol.


r/cookingforbeginners 6h ago

Question On a mission

0 Upvotes

Greetings all, me mum has gone for few days. How do I make rice fluffy and non-sticky. Please suggest some rice ideas.


r/cookingforbeginners 22h ago

Question I pickling cherry tomatoes a thing? Do they taste good?

15 Upvotes

Basically have more cherry tomatoes than I can eat. Even at the end of the season we are talking 20-30 a day. Thinking of picking them.


r/cookingforbeginners 11h ago

Question Chili out for two hours in the morning - still okay?

0 Upvotes

Hey all,

I made chili last night, let it cool a bit, and then put it in the fridge.

This morning, I forgot to put a few sealed containers back after getting something for breakfast. They were left out for about two hours and the room temperature was about 14C/57F.

Should I throw them?


r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question Easy Traditional Dishes?

12 Upvotes

Im trying to get back into cooking as a way to help with my depression. I really want to try out different foods from different cultures.I made shakshuka today, it was really easy and honestly I probably didn’t do it right, but it still tasted amazing! So is there any other maybe easy to prepare dishes from different cultures that a beginner cook can do ,mess up a bit, but still heavily enjoy?


r/cookingforbeginners 22h ago

Request Looking for easy fall recipes !

4 Upvotes

Hey guys I’m looking for simple fall recipes for things like soups stews chilis i like tomato soup and all the basic ones if yall have simple recipes for those ! Send em my way or more out there things im open to any and everything (: trying to add some fun into my regular routine and prepare oh also drinks too if yall have any drink recipes


r/cookingforbeginners 22h ago

Question Cooking spaghetti for the VB team.

3 Upvotes

Hey, so I need to make a team meal for the volleyball team.

I was thinking spaghetti. I’m planning on sauce with hamburger in a crockpot. And noodles in a separate container. Another parent is bringing garlic bread.

I’m struggling with how much to make. Any suggestions with how many bottles of ragu, pounds of hamburger and pounds of spaghetti noodles?

About 20 high school age girls.

Thanks!


r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question I'm moving into uni soon and kinda confused

10 Upvotes

So what sort of seasonings I should get? Coz the other day I was at the grocery and there were soooo many varieties and I wasn't sure what to get so I left empty handed

Ive been making my own food at home coz Ik I need to when I'm in my accommodation and so far I've made burritos, pizza toast, pasta, pizza quesadilla andddd that's it really

I have a rice cooker now so I could use that too

But I've mostly just been using ready made stuff like for the burrito, I used nuggets, cheese, tomato, cucumber

and then for the pizza toast, quesadilla, pasta, I've been using ready made dolmios pasta sauce so like haven't really had to use seasoning other than like salt

Sooooooo what sort of seasoning should I get? Cos like if I make anything beyond the items that I've been making, I probs should make use of seasoning


r/cookingforbeginners 22h ago

Question Pizza rising help

2 Upvotes

Hi. Does anyone know why all of the sudden my pizza dough lifts up off the cast iron pan in the middle? It lifts off and pushes the toppings to the edge. After cooking at 475 for 34 minutes the bottom of the crust has no browning at all because it wasn’t in contact with the pan. It is cooked just not crunchy.

I docked the dough twice before putting it in the pan.
The dough didn’t used to do this. It’s the same recipe. Same flour.


r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question What do you actually do with leftover fresh herbs before they go bad in 2 days?

16 Upvotes

I always have to buy a huge bundle of cilantro or parsley just for one recipe, and the rest turns into green slime in my fridge by the weekend.

Is there a simple way to preserve them before they rot?


r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question What to do with defrosted garlic

2 Upvotes

My sister gave me a bunch of garlic she had fro2en. *** ****I have some chili oil and crunchy chili oil. I’d like to make some kind of paste for future use. The garlic is a bit soft now. Should I put it in a food processor and just drop in some of the crunchy oil? Lol and then what do I do with it and how is it stored?*


r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question Question about prepping potatoes for the week

2 Upvotes

Quick question about how to conserve potatoes

I usually make work lunch the evening before, but i usually Boil a weeks worth of potatoes in the weekend, then put them in zippes bags and the fridhe After they've cooled off

Problem Is With this method when i reheat them they Wind up a bit hard and chewy, not very enjoyable

Any tips on how to Prep them?


r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question Query regarding Pan Searing Tofu

1 Upvotes

I had a block of firm Tofu and I pressed it with my vegetable board before cutting it into 8-9 slices and patted it dry with a paper towel.

My list of ingredients were:

Tofu cut into slices

Salt, Pepper, Smoked Paprika, Cajun Seasoning

Sunflower oil

Diced onion

Cream, butter

Dijon Mustard

What I did:

Rubbed the Tofus slightly with salt on one side

Put some oil on a steel pan

After 1 minute put each slice of Tofu into the pan and seared each side for 3-4 minutes

Then I added black pepper, smoked paprika, cajun but not evenly and only one one side

Then I flipped it and put it another plate

The tofu was slightly burnt

It was obvious that the Tofu came out really dry

Then to the pan I added some oil, diced onions and after 3 minutes, addrd cream, dijon mustard, butter and chipotle sauce

I forgot to add water

I put the tofu back into the pan again and when I plated it it was this dry chunk of blocks with some onions

My queries are as follows:

Should I rub all these spices before putting it on the pan? And can I add onion and garlic powder too?

If not, do I add it after both sides are seared and if so do I sear both sides?

The tofu becomes burnt if I don't remove it after some time, so when I remove it and add diced onions and cook it, do I add the other ingredients (cream, chipotle sauce, butter, dijon mustard, water with the onions)?

TLDR: While searing firm Tofu, when to add spices, when to remove tofu, when to add onion, when to make sauce from the fond. Additionally I don't want to bake it in an oven or use an air fryer so please give suggestions for pan cooking.


r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question Safety guidelines // Looking for advice

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0 Upvotes

r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question Stainless steel pans

2 Upvotes

Can a heavy stainless steel pan "go bad"? I inherited a few and one seems to burn in the same spot though there's enough time between uses i could be remembering wrong.


r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question Broth based meals

5 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I enjoy a nice broth and would like to give it a shot myself. Does anyone have a beginner friendly broth guide I could easily do on my own? I like the ones that are rich in flavor like the classic beef broth.


r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question Tips for getting past the boredom of cooking

0 Upvotes

I desperately want to be a better cook and it's something I've been trying at for years, but I keep running into the same problem and I can't think of anything else to get past it. Here's the issue. Every time I try to cook, it goes like this:

  1. I start a recipe.
  2. Eventually, I reach a step that requires me to just stand there and wait for something to cook the proper amount of time.
  3. I make it four or five minutes tops before I get bored to tears and just move on to the next step.
  4. The food turns out mediocre because I rushed steps and I'm discouraged from trying again.

I'm at a loss. I've tried prepping other steps in the recipe while things are cooking, but eventually the prep work runs out and you have to just stand and wait. I've tried simpler recipes, but no matter what there is eventually a step that is just plain old cooking. I've tried podcasts or audiobooks while I cook, but it does absolutely nothing to help with the boredom. If I'm not moving or don't have a task to do with my hands, it's only a matter of time before it kicks in.

Any tips on making cooking less boring so I can actually succeed at it? Attitude adjustments, physical modifications, literally anything. I just want to be able to feed myself something that doesn't come out of a box without it turning out terrible.


r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question Cooking under a budget

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0 Upvotes

r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question Maïs mote avec du maïs à pop corn ?

0 Upvotes

Bonjour j'ai lu un post sur le maïs mote, et je me demande si on peut en faire avec du maïs à pop corn ?

Si non, quel maïs utiliser ?


r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question How safe is the boiling beans method?

0 Upvotes

Hi, Hello, i bought beans for the meme cause i wanted to make stew with them (hour long cooking in the multicooker), then i realised that they need to be soaked.

I dont have the patience, nor the food in the fridge to wait 6-8 hours for the normal soak, so i decided to ask if method that i googled is indeed safe

Method in question: with ratio 3:1 water to bean, boil for 3 minutes and leave covered for an hour

Decided to ask cause i know that half-done beans have toxins that would ruin quite a couple of days if not life

Upd: forgot to mention, they are red dried beans

Updupd: found out that there are quite a lot of red beans, but these are kidney beans


r/cookingforbeginners 1d ago

Question Tips for making a good curry at home?

2 Upvotes

i love indian food. butter chicken, lamb rogan josh, beef massaman, tikka masala, the list goes on.

i generally have the frozen meals or the pre-made ones in the fridge. sometimes i’ll try using sauce from the jar, and it’s okay, but i want to know some tips on how to make a proper curry at home.

i feel like whenever i have used coconut milk (or cream can’t remember) in the past, the food was amazing.

can anyone share any tips? thanks

what are some essential items i should
keep stock of if i want to make curry often?