How to cook?

I am lucky as my mother taught me the basics at an early age. She is very precise about getting the exact amounts of ingredients, but I have realised that in most cases it doesn't matter too much. 

If something doesn't look like it's done, just leave it in a bit longer. Individual oven temperatures vary, and things like chips and rice are a matter of taste. 

Learn about food hygiene. That is the only thing you really need to be careful with. www.bupa.co.uk/.../food-hygiene

If you are cooking whole chickens or joints of meat I would use a meat thermometer to be on the safe side.
www.bbcgoodfood.com/.../top-five-meat-thermometers

A slow cooker is really handy if you like stews. They usually come with a book of recipes, which are often improved with a dash of Tabasco.

I love spicy foods and used to make curries from scratch with loads of dry spices, but nowadays don't bother as the curry pastes from Pataks and Waitrose are so good. If your recipe book is asking for a long list of dry spices, just ignore that bit and use some pre-made curry paste instead. Again, the amount is a matter of taste!

Second the advice to make large amounts and freeze!

Agree with a lot of what's been said already. Cooking until done can be a precise instruction but you have to know what "done" looks like and how to test whether it is done or not. Longman's tips for rice are spot on there. Getting a meat thermometer that you can leave sticking out of a roast in the oven can help to avoid an undercooked joint.

Cookery books often used to warn about the difference between ovens. These used to be less precise and results could vary a lot between different models. You need to work out what the temperature guidelines mean for your oven. We have a new fan oven too but we always use the normal oven temperature from the recipe or packet because this seems to work better. The temperatures quoted are "guidelines" (troublesome for an aspie!) so you can vary a bit - in this case if you look at whether the food is cooked then you can adjust your cooking time or temperature accordingly.

Precision is useful when cooking and digital scales make this much easier. However, it often isn't critical as long as the proportions are approximately correct. I would expect to get good results by following a recipe to within 5% of any amount but again you can make notes to help you get better results next time. Digital scales mean you can easily get to within 1% but you really won't be able to tell that there is 2% too much flour or 2% less water after you have cooked it.

I learnt to cook from the good houskeeping book, but I agree that experience is often required if you try other recipes. I write on my books in pencil, the additional bits, as I perfect each recipe. Pencil, because I can erase and amend as needed. 

I agree about chips, I allow 30 minutes. You could have a note book and write down how you do it, especially if it comes out well. I find Jamie Olivers books quite good for accuracy, but never believe the times taken. Eg his 30 minute meals take me over an hour and if you watch his cookery lessons on tv, you will see that everything is measured and chopped before he starts. I found some of his lessons on channel4 player on line.

I also cook larger amounts than I need and freeze some. If you master a recipe, then always cook double, and have a freezer box to put half in as you serve up. This way, you have your own healthy ready meal. Eg if you make pasta bolognaise, make double the bolognaise, but just the pasta you need for one meal. Freeze half the bolognaise, then you just do some pasta, when you want to have it, and microvave your sauce. Always thaw for 24 hours in the fridge, then microwave on full power for say 3 minutes and stir. Then test the temperature with your finger tip. To be safe, it needs to be hot enough to burn your finger a bit. If not, do 1 more minute and check again. Repeat this until you are happy that it is hot enough to burn your finger tip. Pop your slightly burnt finger tip quickly in your mouth to remove the hot food. Never use your freezer box to microwave the contents. Tomato based sauces burn the plastic. A covered glass bowl is better.

Hi I'm a mum to a 3 year old high functioning autism his not that great at eating meals and I'll be honest I'm not that great of a cook ither I take no notice of how many grams of what should go in unless I'm baking cakes I got a really good set of Cook books from Amazon for only a penny all I had to pay was pp they are weight watchers and they called esaential cook books the front cover has four picturs on it which is tacos spaghetti bolagnaise sausage and mash and Indian food these books are pasta family meals Indian food and ready in 30 min food again they give me some great ideas and I have cooked a few meals from these books but like I said I don't stick to the how many grams of meat I should be using I go to what's closer as we all know that if we go to the supermarket and buy 400 g of meat in a packet and a recpie says you need 410 grams it can be a pain I got given a clock with a timer on I have found this is a big help to me as I put things in the oven and forget how long it's been in so by setting the timer it helps as when the bell rings I know it's done I don't know if you have a timer maybes it mite help I do hope my post has been some help apologies if not like I said I'm not a great cook but books have been helpful or like the above post maybes go to libarmy another website which I have found really helpful is all recipes they do some nice easy recipes on there which people upload I've cooked a few meals of there and you can save your favourite recipes I cooked a chilli con carnie of there really easy to do With no real measurements good luck with it all 

Have a look in the children's section at your local library- they have taught me loads! My daughter excels at cooking, but like you, she likes to do things precisely. Children's books have step by step pictures,which are of help to her and keep her 'on track' and she reads then re-reads the instructions until she is confident to have a try. She has more confidence than me now and is becoming more & more adventurous! She does make mistakes & when these happen, I usually pick up the pieces, but I tell her that even the best cooks make mistakes or have an 'off day'! 

Thanks for the suggestions longman. Whilst I'm blessed by having a wife and children, it's also very difficult at times especially cooking for 4 different people, at least one of whom is a fussy eater. When I lived on my own I was happy making 2 different meals just for myself - now it's a whole lot more complex, even more so if the instructions don't work.

I've lived on my own for most of thirty years, which means preparing my own food. I try to prepare fresh rather than rely on pre-packed meals.

I've tended to learn a few basics and stick to them - just cooking for myself I can get away with routine and monotony!. I don't think I've had people round for a meal other than when a relative stays overnight. Your situation is clearly difficult cooking to potentially provide for another or others.

When I try to be more adventurous I hunt around for a recipe I can work with, either in a book or off the web, and annotate with my own notes. I keep a few books but seldom use them. My sister persuaded me to buy Delia's Complete Cookbook, which I confess sits on the shelf as if new and unopened - too complex for me. I also have a little used but well set out book- Sophie Grigson "The First-Time Cook" Collins 2004 which does have lots of basic information.

For years I used a book "Cooking in a Bedsit" until it fell apart. There are several books around aimed at students and people living in bedsits etc where the cooking needs to be simple.

A lot of cook books are trying to excel/show off. It is frustrating reading a recipe, where you find you need to consult half a dozen recipes for preparing components, some of which have to be done iovernight or otherwise well in advance and using ingredients you are never likely to find on a mini market shelf.

With cooking smaller portions I just divide proportionally with a calculator and a bit of paper, but keep some standby fluid, cornflour/flour etc to make adjustments. Sometimes you can cook to the amounts given and either freeze the excess or put it in the fridge for the next meal.

I tend to overcook. Things like rice and pasta, read the instructions for the recommended cooking time. You can sample to see if it is done well enough. I have spoons with drain holes and other devices for fishing out a sample to taste. I think what people mean by "when it is done" is a mouthfull is the right consistency and tastes alright. With meat make sure its the right cooked colour throughout and no blood/ juices run  free etc.

But I wouldn't be any good at cooking for a dinner party - besides not being able to handle the social encounter