How I learned to cook better... with minimum effort

The easiest way to get cooking is simple: read the full recipe in advance and follow it to the letter. Not doing this is the number one thing that trips people up.

Those who struggle with cooking often start off freestyling: “I’m short on time so I’ll just skip that step” or “I don’t have X ingredient, so I’ll try Y instead.” This is a classic rookie mistake.

Recipes are like instruction manuals. If you’ve ever assembled furniture while leaving out some parts or ignoring the instructions, you’ll know how easily this leads to disaster. Shortcuts and experiments can wait until you’ve got more confidence and experience.

Stick to accessible recipes before moving on to the ambitious stuff. Videos that guide you through each step are ideal because you can make sure you’re perfectly on course.

Multi-tasking is a common pitfall. When you’ve got too many things to do simultaneously, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and out of sync. The easiest way around this is to try one-pot recipes. There’s no juggling, you can focus on one thing, and there’s less washing up.

Make things easy for yourself by preparing your ingredients before beginning the recipe. Get all the chopping out of the way. Check what pots and utensils you need. Measure everything.

Don’t leave seasoning until the end. Taste things throughout the cooking process and add salt/pepper accordingly. This develops depth of flavor and helps you spot if anything’s missing.

A dash of acidity (whether it’s from vinegar or citrus juice) can do wonders, too.

There are three little tricks that maximize impact:

1) Use the best quality produce you can afford. Buy fresh and in season.

2) Introduce contrast in textures (sweet/savory, soft/crunchy) and colors.

3) A well-presented plate actually enhances flavor perception.

Lastly, don’t be hard on yourself. Ending up with an inedible mess can be frustrating, but it happens – and it only helps you get better. Try to practice by cooking for someone with no cooking experience whatsoever. Chances are, it’ll be hard to do any wrong in their eyes.