Learning to Cook

These days, cooking seems to be something of a lost art. We're often so busy with work, family, and social obligations that we convince ourselves there is no time in our schedules to cook. And in this age of fast food and convenience foods, you can find ready-to-eat or microwaveable versions of almost any dish. (Too bad they're usually far inferior to the homemade versions.)
So if you think you don't have the time, and you can get takeout any day of the week, why should you cook? Not only is it healthier for you, but…
It's cheaper. Americans now spend about half their food budget at restaurants every year, while delicious meals with fresh ingredients can be prepared at home for much less than you'd be paying outside.
You're in control. I've said it before and you've heard it many times over — the only way to know for sure what's in your food, and how much fat, salt, and sugar it contains, is to make it yourself.
It lets you be creative. When you cook, you get to create something new at every meal. Once you've got a recipe down, you can experiment with it to find your own flavorful spin. And many people underestimate the sense of accomplishment they'll feel by creating something delicious out of a pile of ingredients — until they actually do it.
If time is limited, there are plenty of "quick and easy" recipes on the Living Well site and in cookbooks — with such recipes you can get dinner on the table in well under an hour. If you've never cooked before, there are plenty of simple recipes geared toward beginners; you could also consider signing up for a class at your local YMCA, community center, or culinary school. Or ask a member of your family who cooks to teach you some of the family recipes — he or she will probably be delighted to pass on the knowledge. Whatever it takes, just get cooking — once you start, takeout will never taste the same!