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Step 1
Read recipes properly before you start cooking. Gather all the ingredients, measuring spoons and measuring cups needed before you start. Some recipes need to be made quickly so you must have everything ready to use.
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Step 2
Understand imperial measurements like 1/8, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 3/4 and 1 cup which are used in American recipes. They are used with the terms tsp., tbsp., cup, qt., pt., lb. and oz.
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Step 3
Measure your dry ingredients using cups. Pour the ingredients into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Make sure you the ingredients are accurate or the recipe may not turn out properly.
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Step 4
Use cups or fluid ounces to measure liquid ingredients. Use a measuring cup with a spout to measure these ingredients accurately. Place the cup on a flat surface and look at the liquid at eye level.
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Step 5
Slice your vegetables into thin pieces; chop your vegetables into chunks or julienne your vegetables into long think sticks. Learn these cutting techniques to create many dishes where texture and size matter to the recipe.
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Step 6
Sauté your vegetables in a frying pan of oil or butter; steam your vegetables with a vegetable steamer or boil them in a pot of boiling water. Fry meat in broth or oil or bake it in the oven. Use these different techniques to cook a variety of food.
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Step 7
Set your stove and oven temperatures properly. You want to cook your food according to the recipe. Remember that all stoves and ovens cook differently so always check your food to make sure it isn't burning.
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Step 8
Learn to recognize when food is done. Cut meat to see if it is cooked inside and poke baked goods with a toothpick to see if the insides are cooked properly. The toothpick should come away clean. Cook it longer if any batter sticks to the toothpick.
