1Learn to Cook and Reap the Benefits

More than being better for your budget, cooking at home can be fun for your whole family! Learn how to cook healthy meals and consider allowing your kids to help you pick out vegetables for dinner and allow older kids to help you prep the veggies for dinner. This is not only a great way of spending quality time with your family, but it is a great way to instill a love of cooking and of healthy food in your kids!

The health benefits of cooking fresh vegetables at home cannot be overlooked; prepackaged and fast food is chock full of unhealthy preservatives, high levels of sodium, and oftentimes unidentifiable chemicals that certainly cannot be as healthy as preparing fresh vegetables for dinner.

Before you set out to learn to cook for free determine what kind of cooking you are interested in. Are you looking to learn how to cook Chinese food? Do you want to learn how to grill? Are you looking to learn how to create family-friendly sushi? Or are you interested in learning how to bake cakes and cookies to delight your family’s sweet tooth? There are many different types of cooking so it is a good idea to focus on one or two main goals when you first start to learn cooking.

2Learn How to Cook Online

There are many options when it comes to learning how to cook online; there are quite a lot of websites that can not only provide you with easy step-by-step directions but will often play host to a forum that will allow you to communicate with other intrepid home chefs who may be able to give you pointers or advice on how to learn to cook. There are many websites that offer free recipes and even step-by-step instructional videos to help get you started.

• Chef2Chef (www.chef2chef.net)

  This website offers guidance and cooking lessons online for the aspiring chef.  With a community of aspiring chefs and professional chefs, this website is a great way to learn cooking or expand your cooking skills.

• YouTube (www.youtube.com)

  YouTube is a great source of instructional videos that can teach you a range of cooking skills.  From scrambling eggs to making an extravagant meal for your family, there are thousands of useful videos for you to learn to cook. Free cooking lessons at your fingertips? What more could you want!

For free sources of great recipes and great cooking communities, the following three websites will help to set you in the right direction:

• All Recipes: http://allrecipes.com
• Food.com: http://www.food.com
• Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com

3Learn to Cook: Free Classes

If you are more the hands-on type of student then perhaps you will be better served by attending demonstrative cooking classes that will place you in front of a professional chef who can readily guide your hand and answer any questions that you may have.

• Community College Classes

  Many community colleges offer free cooking classes taught by professional chefs; you may need to bring your own knives and cooking ingredients, however. This is an excellent method of learning how to cook without spending copious amounts of money!



• Community Centers

  Pay a visit to local community centers to find out if anyone is offering free cooking classes; many times there are free cooking classes taught to intrepid home chefs. As with lessons offered by the community colleges you may need to bring your own set of cooking knives as well as your own cooking ingredients.



• Friends and Family

  Perhaps one of the best sources of finding free cooking classes is to look towards your friends and family members who may have a love of cooking. Ask your friends, or even your favorite uncle with a flair for cooking, for their cooking guidance. They are sure to be able to provide you with the guidance that you need to get started on your own culinary adventures.



• Restaurants

  Find out from your favorite restaurants if their chefs offer free cooking classes; many restaurants offer free cooking classes in an effort to get their patrons more interested in the food that they serve. You are sure to be a hit at your next dinner party when you create your friend’s favorite meal from their favorite restaurant!

4Books for Learning How to Cook

There are many great books that you can use to learn to cook and get started in the right direction in your kitchen.  From selecting and understanding each of the ingredients to preparing healthy nutritious meals, a cookbook can definitely help you in your mission to learn to cook! It is no secret that cookbooks can be costly; however, you can easily find free used books to help you on your way!

• The Library

  The library is one of the best resources for finding cooking books to help you on your mission to learn how to be a fabulous home chef. Take a look at what your local library can offer and ask the librarians for recommendations; your librarians may even be able to provide their own cooking tips!



• Borrow from Friends and Family

  Take a look at the cookbook collections that your friends and family have, you may be able to find several great books that they would be willing to let you borrow.

Remember that it is never too late, or too early, to start your own recipe collection. Consider purchasing a notebook that you can use to jot down your recipes in, as well as any modifications or notes to yourself about each recipe!

More than taking just yourself to free cooking classes to learn how to cook healthy and nutritious meals, consider making it a family project by getting everyone in on the cooking classes. Imagine the fun that can be had by having your whole family learning how to dice, slice, sauté and bake!