Do you try new recipes or are you afraid to try new things? Some people love to cook, and others hate it. But truly, cooking your own meals is one of the keys to staying healthy because you can control what goes into your mouth. Neophobia is the fear of eating new or unfamiliar foods. Some people suffer from anxiety over cooking. For those who love trying new foods, recipes, and ideas in the kitchen, we cannot imagine, but not everyone is there. And that’s okay. We crazy cooks may suffer from other anxieties!
Some people have zero experience with cooking. They have never done it; thus, they have no confidence, thus even “basic” recipes seem overwhelming. OR they may have cooked, but somehow just got out of the habit. Prepared foods or take-out became the norm because “it’s easier.” Thus, cooking from scratch became a daunting task because of lack of practice.
Avoiding something, however, just leads to more anxiety – whether cooking or some other fear.
Some people are embarrassed to talk about cooking anxiety. But let’s get it out in the open. Your health depends on it. Look at it to grow and improve yourself. Wherever you are starting from, you CAN get better and you will find it easier and less anxiety-provoking the more you try it.
Tips to help you jump back into the cooking mindset:
- Allow yourself at least twice the amount of time you think you will need. You don’t want to be eating dinner at 10pm!
- Write things down. Cooking is part art and part science. Recipes are a guide; thus, I like to tweak them as I go. I print recipes and makes notes on them as I tweak, storing them in a binder so I can remember!
- Set realistic expectations. Start with simple recipes and build from there.
- Get yourself a few good kitchen utensils. My basics are a good knife, cutting board, mixing bowl, stainless steel frying pan and 3-quart pan, baking sheet, wooden spoons, measuring cups/spoons, & 9×13 baking pan. This is a great place to start.
- Make something that you like! Next time you are eating out, think “I could totally make that!” Then jump onto “Dr. Google” and find a recipe!
- Use good ingredients. Cheap, bad, stale does not equal a good dish. Most great dishes do not require a lot of ingredients, but the few that you do use require fresh and high quality. We are blessed to have access to great shopping right here on Sanibel, as well as online. I love SavorySpiceShop.com for lovely blends of spices that make cooking easy. Check it out.
“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook – try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all, have fun!” Julia Child