I agree about not spending a ton of money on equipment. However, you should take the time (spend the money) to invest in QUALITY knives. They should fit your hand and be balanced. I have small hands & most knives are made by men for men (IMO) so it took a while to get the perfect fit. But, it was worth it. Improves efficiency- not having to wrestle with your tools.
I agree with everything Wendy said and can add there are so many websites and blogs about cooking. Many are very interesting to read, but start with the basics so you have a really good base for your culinary explorations. America's Test Kitchen products (cookbooks, TV shows and website), along with Serious Eats, are excellent as their wide-ranging recipes have been tested by both professional AND amateur cooks. TIP: read through ANY recipe twice so you understand the steps. TIP: make sure you have ALL your ingredients in front of you before you begin and practice Mise en Place... measure and prepare your ingredients so you have WHAT is needed WHEN it is needed. Enjoy your efforts! At first, your final dish may not look quite the same as a recipe photo, but I bet it tastes JUST as good!
I would suggest buying at least one cookbook to start. I always recommend the latest edition of “The Joy of Cooking.” It covers a large range of recipes, from simple to intermediate, but most importantly includes proper techniques and indexes of ingredients, substitutions, and tools.
Do you want to learn or begin with one type of cuisine or dabble here and there.
Be careful of being oversold! You don’t need much to begin with and you will have your own preferences soon so don’t invest in expensive tools to start. There is nothing wrong for buying your tools at a thrift or consignment store as they are easily sanitized.
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TIP: read through ANY recipe twice so you understand the steps.
TIP: make sure you have ALL your ingredients in front of you before you begin and practice Mise en Place... measure and prepare your ingredients so you have WHAT is needed WHEN it is needed.
Enjoy your efforts! At first, your final dish may not look quite the same as a recipe photo, but I bet it tastes JUST as good!
I would suggest buying at least one cookbook to start. I always recommend the latest edition of “The Joy of Cooking.”
It covers a large range of recipes, from simple to intermediate, but most importantly includes proper techniques and indexes of ingredients, substitutions, and tools.
Do you want to learn or begin with one type of cuisine or dabble here and there.
Be careful of being oversold!
You don’t need much to begin with and you will have your own preferences soon so don’t invest in expensive tools to start.
There is nothing wrong for buying your tools at a thrift or consignment store as they are easily sanitized.