Solo Living 101: The Very Basics of Cooking

Living alone and actually striving on it is probably one of the most fulfilling things an adult can experience in his/her life. However, for some who just did not have the opportunity to learn some essential life skills, this stage can be daunting.

I thought of writing Solo Living 101  of what could be the basics that could make solo living a lot easier for a younger me had I known these in the past. These will be written with the hopes that it would also help those who had no idea at all what they're doing.

On this post, I will talk about the very basics of cooking that one should at least know for a smoother process. I am admittedly not a chef or an expert cook - I can cook enough to eat well and survive. Having said that, I have learned a few of these tips that I would give to someone who is just starting to.

Prepping your ingredients

Before the cooking even starts, there are some things you need to do in order to properly prepare:

• Thaw your meat or other ingredients that needs to be thawed. You can start this process by placing your meat in a bowl and moving this to the lesser cold area of your fridge (usually the bottom part where all the rest are stored) the night before you plan to cook. Around three or four hours before you start cooking, take your meat out and wait for it to go down to room temperature. 
• IMPORTANT: Thawed meat must be cooked as soon as it is in room temperature. Do not store it back in the fridge.
• If you forgot to tow your meat and you are in a rush, you can use the defrost feature of your microwave. This may affect the taste of your final dish so I don't suggest you do this often.
• Wash your meat and veggies prior to cooking. There are other frozen products that need not be towed or washed so make sure you check the instructions if there are any.
• If you want to disinfect your ingredients, you can soak them in a vinegar-water solution (1:3) for 15 minutes and drain completely after. You can also do this prior to storing your ingredients if you have the time.

Slicing/chopping your ingredients

For almost all recipes, you will have to cut or chop ingredients as part of the preparation. Here are some ways you can avoid accidents:

• With your non-dominant hand, stabilise your ingredient by applying pressure in the area the closest possible to the "slicing area" and start cutting/chopping with your dominant hand. Keep your non-dominant hand away from the "slicing area". I really hope this makes sense. 
• Personally, I like to keep the distance from the tip of my non-dominant hand to the knife around 0.5 to 1 centimeter. If the vegetable is a lot more slippy like an eggplant or a cucumber, I hold it in the middle to help keep it more stable while I chop.
• Start cutting or chopping very slowly and gradually increase your speed as you build up confidence.
• Do not rush this process. This can take months to really learn and it is normal to end up with uneven portion.

If you don't like to tear up while chopping onions, stick them into the freezer for a few minutes before chopping them or keep a wet paper towel near your chopping board. 

Follow exactly as the recipe says

When you are starting with cooking, the best way to start would be to follow exactly as the recipes say. This will help you learn how much seasoning and condiments you prefer. I suggest looking for recipes with the exact amount of ingredients. It will also be handy to have measuring tools with you.

Finding the right recipe that matches your preference will be a matter of trial and error and that is completely okay.

Once you get the hang of it, you will be able to modify or even cook without following any recipes. Heck, you'll even be able to make something out of whatever is left on your fridge.

If you're scared of oil splashing...

Make sure your ingredients are in room temperature unless they are required to be cooked frozen. You can also buy splatter screens to protect you from oil splash while frying. 

Honestly though what I can tell you is you can only do so much because getting tiny bits of oil splash when cooking is completely normal. There will be dishes like fried pork, fried chicken or even a simple fried egg where it is unavoidable so it's best to avoid it while you can and don't freak out if there are oil splashes while you are cooking. It's a matter of getting used to.

Start simple

You can start off with a few fried dishes or even just salads until you learn to be more confident with cooking. This is a skill that has no guaranteed shortcuts and we all have different learning phases. Just be sure to be patient with yourself and do give yourself some credit for whatever progress you make.

I know this barely scratch the surface but I do hope this help kickstart your cooking skill and lessen chances of mishaps in the kitchen.