Cooking for dummies. Delicious and simple recipes with photos for beginners

Now it is especially important to master some practical profession - just in case. There are not many good Russian-language cooking courses, so we recommend trying Western ones: the language is not difficult, and at the same time you will improve your English.

America's Test Kitchen

This is a cool and very famous online culinary school, it contains more than 230 courses. Everything is serious: with communication with teachers and the opportunity to consult why something didn’t work out for you. Not free, but after registering you will have access to all courses for 14 days. Don't miss it.

CRAFTSY

There are many different online tutorials on Craftsy with videos and detailed instructions, as well as maximum approximations. You can chat with fellow students and the teacher in a virtual classroom. We found there six free lessons on cooking: “Perfect pizza at home”, “Slicing skills”, “Whole grain creativity”, “Mistakes in cooking”, “Baking” and even a course for children.

lililove.me

You can also turn to Belarusians: here is an excellent startup from the “from programmers to cooks” series. The desserts the guys prepare are simply amazing, but if you are not confident in your abilities (a full-fledged course requires time, money and kitchen equipment), then you can first take some lessons from free section. If you register, there will be more available: chocolate tempering, lime dessert, ciabatta, pizza, cherry tart and more... Remember this site, it will come in handy for Easter: there is a complete guide to Easter cakes.

Other Belarusians are also getting involved in culinary education: another project has recently opened, there is now two free lessons: “Salted caramel” and “Chicken, broccoli and tomato quiche.”

rouxbe

There is nothing to think about here - this is one of the leading culinary education projects in the world. Here you can start from the very basics, learn with whole teams, or become a super pro in healthy eating: in total, more than 1,500 training videos have been shot for Rouxbe. It’s not easy with freebies: if you register, you get 7 days of free lessons, so it’s better to explore the options in advance and schedule a course on this site as an additional educational course.

Kyiv Culinary Academy

class central

We like Class Central because it collects courses from different sources: here you can find classes from the super popular site Coursera, and online courses from universities from around the world. Most of them are needed by those who have already mastered the basics and want to improve in certain areas and theories. If you speak French, you can study

Culinary Many housewives have talent. But not everyone manages to reveal their abilities: either there is not enough time, or knowledge. Sometimes, throwing out another failed dish, we just give up.

Of course, the recipe often describes in detail every step of preparation and further preparation of the products, but there are tricks that every housewife should know in addition to this.

"With taste" I have compiled for you a selection of 15 tips that will help you avoid many culinary mistakes, and will also allow you to clean up your kitchen. Organized and clean work surfaces are the key to properly prepared food. Perhaps you are already familiar with some of the tricks, or maybe you want to add something of your own. Share with us in the comments.

15 useful cooking lessons

1. Remove excess fat from the finished dish
   Broth, goulash or roast turned out to be too fatty? An ice cube wrapped in a paper napkin will help. Swipe it over the surface of the finished dish: all the fat will remain on the napkin.
2. Get rid of unpleasant fish odor
   A tasty and healthy product, unfortunately, often leaves a specific smell on your hands. Lemon juice or soda will help correct the situation. Rub your hands with one of these products and rinse them with warm water.

   

3. How to store dill and parsley
   If the purchased bunch of greenery began to fade because it was not possible to use it completely, this advice will help. Finely chop the greens and place them in ice trays, cover with water and freeze. Subsequently, add ice cubes to the prepared dish.

   

4. How to extend the life of wooden utensils
   Spoons, spatulas and cutting boards made of wood lose their original appearance over time and also become saturated with an unpleasant odor. You can correct the situation by boiling them and then drying them in the sun.

   

5. How to avoid getting a cookbook dirty
   To prevent precious recipe notes from getting dirty while cooking, use a trouser hanger. Open the book to the desired page and secure it with clips, then hang the hanger by hooking it onto the cabinet handle.

   

6. Restore shine to chrome cookware
   Vinegar diluted with water will help give the initial shine. You can leave the dishes in this mixture even overnight.

   

7. Bake cupcakes without molds
   Use baking paper. Form it into cups and fill with dough. By the way, you can serve baked goods directly in them.

   

8. Cook pasta correctly
   To prevent boiling water from overflowing, place a wooden spoon or spatula on top of the pan.

   

9. Chop onions without tears
   A method that will help without fail: put the onion in the freezer for half an hour. Advice in case you heat-treat the onions in the future.

   

10. How to get the most juice from an orange
    It is necessary to cool the fruit and then microwave it for 15–20 seconds. Do the same with lemons and other citrus fruits.

    

11. Trick with cling film
    Store the roll in the refrigerator: the material will become more manageable and will not stick to your hands.

    

12. Easily peel eggs
    Add a pinch of soda or a teaspoon of vinegar to the cooking water. These substances will penetrate the shell and make the cleaning process easier.

    

13. Roast a whole chicken
    It is better to place the carcass in a baking dish or on a baking sheet, breast side down. The meatiest part of the bird should be close to the heat source.

    

14. Easily remove seeds from vegetables
    A special ice cream scoop will help you. Its pointed edges will help you extract seeds from zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins and other vegetables.

    

15. Preserve the taste of nuts
    When stored for a long time, nuts become bitter. The product will not lose its taste if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

    

Use ours and let your dishes always turn out with a bang! Share cooking lessons with friends.

The speed of cooking, the amount of ingredients, their processing and dozens of other factors determine the complexity of preparing a dish. Delicious and simple dishes, recipes with photos for beginner cooks and novices occupy a separate section of cooking, because preparing a dish from a small amount of ingredients and in a short time is an entire art!

When embarking on the culinary path, don’t be afraid to experiment. Sooner or later you will succeed! Always try the dish first. You, as a creator, will appreciate it as the most picky and strict critic. And don’t be afraid of mistakes, because they are all just steps on the path to success!

Prepare delicious and simple dishes with photos to delight yourself and your loved ones!

You can find delicious, inexpensive, easy and simple recipes with photos of dishes for beginners and novices on the Culinary League website. Using such simple recipes is very convenient. Thanks to them, you will learn the basic principles of cooking, but you can only achieve true heights in this difficult task through your own work. Experience, experience and more experience is the key to your success. If you think any combination of products is successful, try it, and perhaps you will give the world a new dish! Sometimes culinary masterpieces are born precisely from the combination of the incongruous: everything is in your hands!

Do you still think that cooking according to simple recipes with photos of dishes for every day from the League of Culinary Artists is difficult? Get rid of this misconception right now by trying out one of our recipes with photos for beginner cooks and beginners!

The ability to cook well brings universal recognition to the cook and gastronomic pleasure to those around him. Chef talent can be a gift or the result of exercise and experimentation in the kitchen. The main thing is to learn how to prepare several options for appetizers, soups, side dishes, main dishes, salads and desserts. From a basic set of dishes it is possible to create many variations of a complex menu for lunch, breakfast and dinner.

36 culinary tricks from professional chefs

Live forever and learn, says popular wisdom. There are countless life hacks for increasing cooking efficiency and adding originality to your dishes. The video lesson contains techniques for cleaning and effectively cutting fruits, squeezing juices, storing food, and serving ordinary dishes in an interesting way. The video is edited dynamically (half a minute for each trick) and presents a large master class in a compressed form.

5 breakfast ideas. Simple recipes

For novice chefs, breakfast poses the greatest challenges when creating a menu for the week. In morning dishes, simplicity, lightness, satiety and usefulness are important. What to cook for breakfast, besides classic oatmeal and scrambled eggs? Watch the video lesson with ideas and detailed recipes from the Olya Pins food blog.

How to shred correctly

Cutting is a simple mechanical action, even a child can do it. The speed and quality of the shredder helps you instantly identify a specialist. Everything is decided by the result of the work and the time spent: thin circles and straws, even bars and slices, cubes and slices from small to large - in a matter of seconds. The lesson from a professional chef contains theoretical and practical parts. At the beginning of the video, an overview of cutting boards and knives and tips for choosing are given. The practical part demonstrates how to properly hold a knife and cut all kinds of vegetables and herbs.

How to fry potatoes correctly

The master class from the chef reveals the secrets of preparing and frying potatoes, from peeling to the finished dish. What slices should I cut for good and quick frying? How and with what to stir potatoes in a frying pan? Why can't you salt a dish while cooking? How to get a golden brown crust? The master's answers are simple and understandable for beginners.

Step-by-step video cake recipe

The video gives step-by-step instructions on how to make a cake from scratch. Sponge cake, cream, chocolate glaze, glossy fruit decoration - several recipes in one video. The author of the video notes the simple method of preparation and the especially delicate taste of the dessert from Andy Chef, a famous food blogger. Subsequently, you can use each when preparing other types of cakes.

Simple recipes for novice housewives. Chicken noodle soup

The secret to the success of first courses is a successful combination of ingredients and harmoniously selected spices. The author of the video lesson shows in detail the process of preparing a simple soup from start to finish and comments. Novice cooks will learn the secret of clear broth and crumbly noodles, the order of loading food into the pan and the exact cooking time. The video contains tips for cooking other soups based on the recipe provided.

Easy and simple to cook

For beginner kitchen masters, regular practice is important. Subscribing to the channel will provide beginners with video lessons with new recipes for every day. The channel's presenters speak in simple and understandable language, give useful professional advice, teach how to cook a variety of dishes from world cuisine - just what beginners need!

How to make delicious rolls. Simple inexpensive recipe

The traditional Japanese dish has taken root in our area due to its convenient and beautiful design, usefulness and taste diversity. We recommend that lovers of rolls and culinary feats watch a video about the method of preparing an exotic dish that has become traditional in European cafes and restaurants. Watching the lesson takes only 3 minutes. The video explains the amount of food per standard serving, the specifics of preparing rice, and shows how to carefully roll a roll using a special mat.

Easy recipe for minced meat cutlets

Cutlets are considered home-cooked dishes. Many people cook cutlets regularly, but only a few people turn out delicious from time to time. The cooking video shows how to prepare juicy, tender minced meat cutlets. The author of the video gives recommendations on choosing and preparing minced meat. From the online lesson, novice chefs will learn professional details and nuances that affect the taste and quality of the dish.

Baking wheat yeast bread

We offer a lesson on baking classic bread from Oleg Kochetov, author of the book “School of Home Baking”. Oleg advises starting to master the bread business with a simple recipe. A minimum of ingredients and simple manipulations allow you to start cooking without any cooking experience. Despite the simplicity of the recipe, the bread turns out airy on the inside and crispy on the outside, reminiscent of store-bought bread.

Chapter:
"Cooking for Beginners"
1st page

Introduction to the section

This section is a unique culinary tutorial for beginners.
To make it easier to master the cooking process, each page is preceded by an article that provides definitions of unfamiliar culinary concepts, a brief description of a certain type of dish, and the secrets of experienced chefs for preparing them.
The culinary recipes themselves within each section are arranged in order of increasing complexity.
The section also provides brief rules for table setting, a list of necessary kitchen equipment, as well as basic hygiene requirements.

Cheers to aspiring home cooks!

Mastery of the art of cooking, i.e. culinary skill, is necessary not only for a person entering a new stage of his life - independent or family, but also for young creatures who decided to please their parents, present them with a magnificent surprise, for example, by setting a festive table, or preparing a “weekend” breakfast, or just helping mom.

The inability to cook creates various everyday and everyday problems. In childhood, it seems small and insignificant, and then it imperceptibly turns into a source of irritation and begins to interfere with normal life.

First, let's find out what a culinary recipe is, which we use as a cheat sheet when preparing a dish.

A culinary recipe usually consists of two parts:
1) a list of ingredients of the dish indicating their weight and quantity;
2) descriptions of the stages of preparation (depending on the quality of the recipe - a detailed or not so detailed order of culinary actions);
- sometimes (but rarely) a list of necessary equipment is included.

However, the final result depends not only on the correct execution of the sequence of steps, but also on many other factors that affect the quality of the prepared dishes.

It is very important to what extent you master culinary technologies and what products you use. Also (all restaurateurs know this) in what mood do you start this culinary act; how the dish you have prepared will be decorated and served.

There is no need to take on the preparation of a very complex dish if you are not yet familiar with preparing simpler ones.

It is important to note here that dishes that are easy to prepare can often be much tastier (and healthier) than the most complex ones. In general, the more complete the original products, the less cooking they require. Cooking with good ingredients is a pleasure.

In many ways, the art of professional (restaurant) chefs lies not even in the preparation itself (which is facilitated by equipment, simplified and standardized), but in the decoration and method of serving the dish. Sometimes, at highly professional competitions, participants (or even jury members) even forget that culinary specialists are called upon to prepare tasty and healthy food, and not elegant sculptural structures, which are often not clear from which side to approach with a spoon and fork, otherwise and it’s just a shame to destroy them. But this is already from the area of ​​fundamental misunderstanding of the very essence of cooking and lack of a sense of proportion.

Still, even the simplest dish should be prepared beautifully and with soul by the home cook, based on his taste and capabilities, but in such a way that it is convenient to eat.

It is also necessary not to forget about how to properly set the table, how and in what order and on time to serve dishes. If you care about those you feed, these issues can be resolved using simple common sense. The main thing is that it is convenient for the eater, attractive and on time, especially when serving hot dishes.

Some tips on table setting and proper serving of food.

1. The festive table must be covered with a cloth tablecloth, but if this is an ordinary family meal, then you can use oilcloth and small napkins (including paper ones).

2. Plates should be placed at a distance of 2 cm from the edge of the table.

3. Place the cutlery on the right side of the plates in such an order that the one that will be used first is the one on the far right. For those placed on the left, the leftmost one should be first.

4. The knife should be placed with the blade towards the plate, and the fork and spoon with the concave side up.

5. Place a glass for drinks in front of the knife edge, and a salad bowl to the left of the plate.

6. Place the folded napkin to the left of the plate or on the plate.

7. Salt shakers should be close to each device, so it is recommended to place several small salt shakers on a large table.

8. The table can be decorated with low bouquets in small vases (the flowers should be alive and not crumbling).

9. When food is served, the dish is brought from the left side, holding it with the left hand, and the used dishes are collected from the right side (you cannot place the plates one on top of the other directly with the cutlery placed on them - then everything on the tray can crumble).

10. Drinks are poured from the right side, holding the bottle or jug ​​with the right hand, into a glass standing on the table.

11. The soup is served in a soup bowl with a spoon, which is used to pour it, and the broth is served in special cups and eaten with a dessert spoon (average in size between a soup spoon and a tea spoon)

12. A hot appetizer is served on the dish in which it was prepared.

13. The meat is served cut into beautiful slices with a simply decorated side dish, salad or vegetables.

14. Fish, if it is not portioned, is served on a platter with a fork and spoon or spatula.

15. Serve butter on a dessert plate with a small knife, and sliced ​​cheese with a knife and spatula.

16. Bread is served on the table in slices in a basket with a napkin placed under it.

A set table should evoke appetite, not only at the beginning, but throughout the entire meal. Therefore, you need to make sure that the table is in order at all times, that empty dishes, dirty plates and cutlery are removed on time. You should also remove anything that is not needed for the next dish, such as the salt shaker before dessert.

In order for the food to be prepared and the table to be set correctly, it is necessary to have kitchen equipment. You can acquire it gradually.

For good farming you will definitely need:

1. Table set, tea set, cutlery set (spoons, forks, knives, spatulas), salad bowls, herring bowls, glasses and drink glasses - for table setting.

2. Several saucepans, preferably of different sizes and materials: one aluminum saucepan - only for boiling milk (but not for storing it, and for nothing else); made of stainless steel (the best and most durable cookware) - for preparing porridge and for cooking meat, fish and root vegetables; enameled (which should not be forgotten to be replaced more often as cracks and chips appear) - for preparing soups, compotes and sweet dishes; thick-walled - for pilaf and deep-frying.

3. Sauté pans and clay pots - for cooking in the oven;

4. Stainless steel or cast iron frying pans - for frying chops, cutlets, potatoes, preparing omelettes, scrambled eggs, sautéing for various dishes; A separate cast iron frying pan (used only for pancakes) should be allocated for baking pancakes.

5. Knives, meat grinder, grater, masher, colander, slotted spoon, strainers, cutting boards, bowls, scales, measuring cup, funnel, mixer, coffee grinder or hand mill, garlic press, porcelain mortars - for processing food.

6. Sieve, rolling pin, dough board, biscuit molds, baking sheet, pastry syringe (cornet) - for preparing baked goods.

7. Bowl for jam, canning machine - for making jam, compotes and canning vegetables. Jam can also be cooked in good enamel containers (without damage to the enamel).

We must not forget about maintaining cleanliness in the kitchen while preparing food. Dishes should be washed during the process or immediately after eating; they are washed faster and better. If the food in the pan is burnt, do not scratch or scrape it, but pour water into it, add a little baking soda and leave it for a while, then it will wash off more easily.

It is necessary to use different boards for cutting raw meat, vegetables, cheese, bread, which must be thoroughly washed after use.

Important note. It is better to use wooden or plywood boards, which immediately after purchase must be very generously greased 4 times on all sides with sunflower oil (sunflower oil polymerizes, i.e. “dries out”) with breaks between lubrication of 4-6-12 hours (depending on absorption). Then leave it to “dry” for 3-4 days. After such treatment, the wooden board will lose its hygroscopicity, will be easy to clean and will become almost “eternal”.

Now some tips on how to choose the right dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Many people are used to drinking coffee in the morning. This is good for those who do not have health problems, which, as we know, are “not eternal.” Therefore, it is better to take care of it in advance. It's better to give up coffee. In general, coffee is an effective immunosuppressant due to the many harmful alkaloids it contains, so it is better to replace it with strong brewed tea, which, by the way, contains much more caffeine than coffee.

Breakfast should be hearty and make up up to 30% of the daily diet. You can prepare some hot dish from boiled meat or fish, as well as a vegetable salad, cook a hearty porridge or a dish of pasta and cheese or with a delicious sauce. In addition, you must serve a cup of tea, coffee or cocoa, cheese, butter or jam.

Lunch usually makes up the main portion of the daily diet; it should be filling. To increase appetite, various guidelines recommend starting with snacks (although whether it is worth artificially increasing it and then fighting obesity is a separate question).

Snacks can be various salads, fish (smoked, salted, aspic), fresh or canned vegetables. There may also be a hot liquid dish (but it is completely optional to taste) - meat, fish, vegetable or milk soup.

Objective data indicate that excess liquid during meals only complicates digestion, artificially filling the stomach, but diluting digestive juices. To digest food, the body begins to secrete digestive juices in excess to achieve the required concentration, which is unnecessary for digesting the food itself, and therefore has a negative effect on the intestinal mucosa.

In a healthy diet (which elite athletes know especially well), it is not recommended to drink heavily less than 30 minutes before meals or in the next 30 minutes after.

HISTORICAL NOTE ABOUT SOUPS. In general, soups at lunch in a very liquid boiled form and in copious quantities, always eaten with bread, began to be intensively introduced into the diet of poor commoners and soldiers in the 19th century through the efforts of Count Rumfoord, when there was not enough food for everyone. While dealing with the problems of feeding the poor, Rumfoord mistakenly believed that excess water eaten with bread could make up for the lack of food.
Lack of food, and even famine, reigned in Russia for most of the twentieth century, so the popularization of soups in Russia became traditional, although many, including some nutritionists, did not even know about its origins.

For the main course at lunch there can be stewed, fried, boiled meat, fish, and vegetable dishes. Then some dessert should be served - fruits, puddings, a variety of pastries. It is better to drink compote, jelly or fruit drink instead of tea. The most important thing is to listen to your taste and body; Eating tasteless (and therefore unhealthy) foods, like overeating, is harmful to our health.

There is a saying - “give dinner to the enemy.” In fact, the nutritional balance of an adult is not daily, but weekly. And no one has ever lost weight by giving up dinner. So you need to have dinner according to your appetite. For example, in the navy, in addition to the main course and dessert, a good thick rich soup is traditionally served for dinner. Salads, vinaigrettes, egg dishes, and vegetable casseroles can also be served for dinner. And for some people, just kefir, yogurt or jelly is suitable for dinner.

You can take into account that in summer light cold dishes are more suitable, and in winter rich hot dishes.

To make it easier for you to master the cooking process, the recipes in each section are arranged in order of increasing complexity (first the simplest, then more complex).

In the recipes, all products are based on 4 servings.

For those who are not familiar with culinary concepts, each section will provide a brief description of this type of dish and useful tips for preparing it.

Start cooking any dish only after sufficiently studying the entire recipe.

Proceed in order, you will succeed.