So, you’ve settled into your Chicago apartment and you’re ready to hit the books. Congratulations! Being out on your own is a very big step, but one that comes with responsibilities. After all, Mom’s not going to be around to feed you, do your laundry or pick up after you any longer.
Unless you want to live off of noodles, peanut butter sandwiches and canned soups, now is the time to learn how to cook. Keep Mom on speed dial for the hard recipes, but don’t worry, there are plenty of tips and tricks that can help you get started without pestering her to death.
Recipes and Cookbooks
One of the first things you’re going to want to do is pick up a few cookbooks. Check out “The Must Have Basic Cookbooks” on Amazon.com.
Basic cookbooks offer great cooking tips and easy recipes for beginners. Cooking classes are also a great choice and they can prove to be rather fun, too. But, if you don’t have the money to invest in a cookbook or cooking classes, below are a few webistes where you can find tons of free recipes and useful tips:
The best way to start out learning how to cook on your own involves nothing more than diving in. Try to find some quick cooking or easy recipes that don’t involve a lot of ingredients. Start out small – salads, soups, basic stir fries and even spaghetti and sauce are all great choices for beginners.
Utensils and Tools
To help you along the way, a few items are must haves for your Chicago apartment kitchen. Make sure you have not only the basic ingredients on hand, but also:
A good set of knives – Don’t try to cut up your vegetables or meat with a butter knife. Invest in a decent set of kitchen knives. A nice serrated knife for cutting bread will come in handy as well.
A strainer – This is a must have if you want to make rice, pasta and other items. It is also one of the cheapest kitchen tools to buy.
Pots, pans and a crock pot – A starter set of pots and pans should more than suffice as you learn how to cook. A crock pot is a great investment for those days you have non-stop classes and no time to cook. Just throw in the ingredients before you leave, set to low and dinner will be waiting when you get home.
Measuring cups and spoons – These are lifesavers. Make sure you have the right cups and spoons to measure out what you need to make easy recipes picture perfect. You have a little freedom with quantity and measuring when it comes to cooking, but when you’re baking a cake or cookies, you have to measure ingredients exactly as the recipe states for your baked goods to come out right.
Pot holder – You aren’t going to get anything out of that oven with bare hands. Make sure you have a pot holder on hand before you pre-heat your oven.
Plastic spoons and spatulas – You need something to mix your cake batter and flip your hamburgers with. Also, if you have a set of non-stick pots and pans, make sure your spoons and spatulas are made of plastic or wood because metal ones can chip and scratch the teflon coating. You don’t want to ruin your pans and eat teflon flavored stir fry.
Stocking Up on Supplies
Of course you can always find the utensils you need in a Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, or Linens-n-Things, but if you are interested in checking out some specialty stores in Chicago, read the following reviews to find out which store best fits your needs. Some of these stores offer cooking classes as well:
Learning how to cook reasonably well is not rocket science. With a little experimentation and patience, you are likely to find cooking in your Chicago apartment fun and rewarding. Who knows – you just might find yourself cooking for Mom the next time you visit!
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