How would you teach someone to cook if they know nothing?

Teaching someone to cook from scratch involves starting with the basics and gradually building up their skills. Here would be our approach:

Start with the basics of seasoning: Teach them how to properly use salt and understand flavor balance. This is fundamental for any cooking. Begin with simple, raw dishes like salads or sandwiches, where they can practice seasoning.
Introduce flavor profiles: Show them how ingredients interact and change the flavor profile of a dish. Simple recipes like rice bowls or pasta salads are great for this. These dishes allow them to experiment with different ingredients and understand how they work together.
Learn basic techniques: Once they are comfortable with flavors, introduce basic cooking techniques such as , , and . These methods are the building blocks of many recipes and will give them a good foundation.
Level up: As they become more confident, gradually introduce more complex dishes and techniques. Encourage them to read recipes, watch cooking tutorials, and practice regularly.

Check out our fundamentals pages for a primer on the basics and then more advanced techniques and food science.