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Link not working for "stove-top macaroni and cheese".

The Mac'n'Cheese link doesn't work for me either.

:D

Thanks for letting me know, randomname. I had an errant space.

It's fixed now.

When I was FIRST starting to cook, I made a lot of:
-lemon mustard chicken (mix lemon and mustard and rosemary, coat chicken, cook in oven), which I actually still make and is pretty delicious.
-mashed potatoes and rosemary roast potatoes
-this recipe for lemon pasta salad with tomatoes and feta
-steamed vegetables, particularly with cheese.
-roasted root vegetables

I think the hardest part, and the most important, was learning to figure out when meat was done: how cooked chicken or steak feel when you press on them and they're done, how they look.

For me, it was figuring out how to do quick breads (muffins, banana breads). and how easy it was to make from scratch, and how much better they tasted.
I think it helps to have an understanding of how chemistry plays into cooking so that things make sense. Watching Alton Brown 's 'Good Eats' has helped me tremendously in that respect.

V, I agree with your "hardest part." I struggled with that a lot when I first started cooking, and a few years ago finally had the revelation that I should *buy a meat thermometer.* (Maybe that should be added to the list of things to buy for new graduates.) It's reassuring to know that what I think looks/feels good is actually safe enough to eat!

I would recommend for beginning cooks to strive for balance and to get a good basic cookbook. While pasta is easy, it's also not the most nutritious meal one can make. I really like How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman as he gives plenty of basic vegetable recipes. So while you're about to boil pasta, I would recommend cooking a little bit less than you think you need and double the amount of accompanying vegetables. Vegetables are way cheaper and can go further than a box of insta-whatever.

I generally prefer emphasizing technique over specific recipes. Learning a recipe can sometimes be limiting for a novice cook when s/he lacks the confidence to improvise. Some good ones:

• Scrambled eggs: How a person scrambles an egg is a dead giveaway about their training as a cook. Learning to do proper scrambled eggs teaches patience, and it also trains the eye (since they're so easy to overcook).

• Pan-fried chicken breast: This is so basic, but it's also incredible flexible (great sliced into salad, over pasta, etc). Again, it's a matter of patience and training the eye to watch for doneness.

• Salad with dressing: Great for learning knife skills, and figuring out how to do an emulsion never hurt anyone.

• Basic stirfry: Again with the knife skills, and the new cook also learns a lot about how different ingredients cook, and how to cope when you have five different items that all cook at different rates.

I've always thought that learning to cook was a lot like learning to write: once you know the rules of grammar, your options are endless. It's just a matter of making grammar lessons interesting enough that your fledging cook keeps coming back.

Chili and soupe au pistou are very beginner-friendly, I've found, as the recipes are basically just "dump everything into a pot and simmer it a long time." True, the best soupe au pistou does involve homemade pesto, but I've cheated with store-bought and it's still good.

As someone who is just learning to cook right now, one thing I've found to help is to buy pre-made ingredients (like sauces and soups) and add in fresh ingredients. It has been helpful to identify what flavors go well together. Once I feel like I'm getting the hang of that, I'm going to start trying to make the pre-made ingredients, too :)

My friends and I are starting to try and cook meals together, also. Cooking as a social activity is a lot easier than cooking when it feels like a chore!