Cooking is one of the most worthwhile life skills you can ever learn. For one thing, being able to prepare your own food is a great way to save money and consistently eat healthfully.
Not only that, but it’s also very effective at reducing stress, plus it hones your critical thinking skills and encourages self-expression. And of course, there’s no better way to bring family and friends together than through good food prepared with love.
These days, there’s little question that technology has permeated every aspect of our lives — and yes, that includes the kitchen. You can, in fact, leverage the internet and various tools to elevate your cooking, making it more fun and exciting in the process. Best of all, you can even save a pretty penny in the process. We hope the following tips will help.
Here’s a fun fact: your journey to culinary chef-hood starts at home learning from family, friends and the internet. Make the best out of it.
Learn the skills with online courses & tutorials
Although it certainly helps earn you that extra michelin star or two, you don’t need to spend years and thousands of dollars in culinary school to be a fine cook. If the proliferation of cooking shows on TV proves anything, it’s that there are many good chefs who learned to cook in the comforts of their own homes. If you are looking for where to start, FanaticallyFood.com has a super easy article on the basics of learning to cook at home.
And you can do the same. At present, there are many cooking resources and classes online that teach everything from the basics of finding your way around the kitchen to highly specialized cooking skills.
The best part is that most of these courses are either free or cost no more than a few dollars. Start by doing your research to find the best online cooking classes, and get world-class instruction from Gordon Ramsay, Ina Garten, Le Cordon Bleu and the like.
Connect & get inspiration worldwide
Now, whether you’ve been cooking for a while or just starting out, you’ve probably found out by now that the internet is a bottomless pit of cooking inspiration.
There’s just thousands upon thousands of platforms that encourage cooks from all over the world to share their recipes these days. Moreover, the majority of these recipe apps and websites are completely free — or charge only a nominal fee — so it’s really just a matter of separating the wheat from the chaff (no pun intended).
You also need not look beyond your favorite local restaurants for inspiration. More often than not, some of the best eats and drinks are developed by chefs and bartenders for restaurants, bakeries, and farms in your own area.
It’s always worth trying to reach out through social media or email for recipes as the effort won’t cost you. Better yet, why not challenge yourself to recreate these dishes at home for a lot less than what you would pay at a restaurant?
Buy and grow what you need
Lastly, a big contributing factor to your success as a home cook comes from having the right kitchen appliances and tools to whip up those delectable creations with.
Items like a digital slow cooker, an Instant Pot, a smart kitchen scale and even a smart speaker can be invaluable tools for budding cooks.
Also, if you’re planning on doing a lot of cooking, you may want to invest in a range hood to remove kitchen odors and keep your home’s air fresh.
In addition to handy kitchen tools, you can also shop for groceries online and have them delivered straight to your home.
No doubt, this can be a godsend when you’re busy yet still want to cook delicious and healthy meals with the freshest ingredients from the safest sources. All you need to do is pick and choose what you need and wait for it to turn up on your doorstep. It’s an effective way to not go overboard with your shopping, too, so you really get to stick to your grocery budget.
Don’t limit yourself to shopping for food. If you have space on your property, you can start growing your own garden so you’ll have your choice of the freshest ingredients.
If you’re a gardening novice, it may be a good idea to hire a landscaping professional to plan and dig out your garden. Visit Angi to find well-reviewed landscaping services and special deals they may be offering.
Of course, when it comes to produce, buying in-season and from local purveyors is highly recommended. Not only does buying from a farmers’ market provide the option to support local farmers, but you enjoy the added bonus of truly fresh produce grown in your region.
Suffice it to say, technology and the internet have contributed greatly to making cooking at home a truly pleasurable activity. Gone are the days when preparing food was a chore, so consider these wallet-friendly measures as the push you need to up your kitchen game.
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Suffice it to say, technology and the internet have contributed greatly to making cooking at home a truly pleasurable activity. Gone are the days when preparing food was a chore, so consider these wallet-friendly measures as the push you need to up your kitchen game.