You need to learn how to cook… fast
Cooking is one of those life skills that you really can’t ignore. After all, we do need to eat. Unless you’re eating out every meal (not recommended), you’re going to be doing it pretty much every day. And if you’re going to be doing it every day, you might as well know what you’re doing.
Sure, you can live off the bare minimum… but maybe you also want to be able to impress that certain someone with a dinner date. Or you want to show appreciation for your friends with a fun dinner party. Or, you want to let your parents know that you CAN in fact thrive outside of their house.
And we’re talking about going beyond just chicken and rice here people.
That’s why I created this complete post-grad cooking guide—a simple, practical roadmap for anyone learning to cook after college.
Let’s Talk Equipment
Here’s a basic list of things in your kitchen you will absolutely need:
- Pots/Pans
- Knives
- Cutting Board
- Sheet Pans
- Cooking Utensils
- Others
Pots/Pans
When you are getting your first set of pots/pans, you don’t need anything crazy as far as quality or quantity. However, you do need a few go-to pots and pans of different sizes that won’t break upon first use.
As far as material, pots and pans tend to come in just a few types: stainless steel, cast iron, ceramic, teflon, and carbon steel. I personally use stainless steel due to its durability and even heat distribution. And I also try to steer away from non-stick teflon as the non-stick coating can release toxic fumes at high temperatures.
There are a lot of great options out there. I personally own and use this 8-Piece Stainless Steel Set from Calphalon which I bought from Amazon. For around $300, I’m able to have reliable pans that come in 3 different sizes and 2 different sized pots, with lids.
If you plan to do a lot of cooking, something like this Cuisinart 17-Piece Cookware Set might be a better option, and right now it looks like you can get it for ~$250.
It is true, with proper heating and practice, you can make stainless steel be totally non-stick. But if you want to bypass that learning curve, here’s a great non-stick option for a Ceramic 9-Piece Set by KitchenAid.
You don’t have to buy the most expensive cookware for sure, but also I would not recommend just buying the cheapest set you can find. A decent set of pots and pans will last you a long time with proper care so it will be worth the investment in the long run.
Knives
You really only need 2 knives; a chopping knife and a cutting knife. The Japanese would refer to these two types as a santoku and a gyuto.
Your chopping knife, or santoku, would be responsible for a lot of the heavy work—chopping vegetables, herbs, and meat without bones. It has its weight more balanced and used for very up-and-down-cutting motions (aka chopping).
Your cutting knife, or gyuto, or even chef’s knife, is a little longer and has its weight forward. This knife is used for more precision work, specialty cutting techniques or cutting around bones in cuts of meat or taking skin off of fish.
If you were to pick only one to start with, I definitely would say the cutting knife, maybe something like this nice 8-Inch German Chef Knife from Henckels or even this 8-Inch Chef Knife made by Babish (more on him later).
If you are doing a lot of cooking and maybe need another sturdy knife for full meal prep, take a look at these chopping knives, one again from Henckels with their 7-Inch Santoku Knife, or maybe a little higher end with this 5-Inch Santoku from Wüsthof.
Again, like the pots and pans, you don’t need anything crazy but a decent kitchen knife or two will be an absolute game changer. Buy the best you can afford. Better knives will go dull less frequent, will give you more control, and will last a while.
Also, while you’re at it, buy some kind of knife sharpener. I have this one and it does the trick just fine.
Cutting Board
I own one cutting board. It’s 19″x25″ and made of wood. It just sits right out on my counter top. And I love it.
I think you really only need one good cutting board. Sure, multiple help with larger preps, but having one with enough space works well for me.
Buy the biggest you can, a) that you can afford, and b) that fits in your space. As my mom would always say, it pretty much takes the same amount of effort to clean a big cutting board as it does a small one.
I like wood, but if you don’t mind that whole internet woohoo over microplastics, then plastic is cheap and easy.
Here’s a big ol’ wood one on Amazon (they make smaller sizes too) and here’s a plastic option with a simple, minimalist look.
Sheet Pans
Ok, you NEED sheet pans. They are so versatile and allow you to be able to make large quantities of food in the oven (very useful).
Sheet pans come in three main sizes: full pan, half pan, and quarter pan. Right off the bat, a full pan will not fit in most home ovens, period. So that leaves half sheet pans and quarter sheet pans.
Practically speaking, quarter sheet pans are nice to have in ADDITION to half sheet pans, but you do need at least one half sheet pan.
You don’t really have to worry about non-stick with these—just use some parchment paper, which makes cleanup easier too.
This is a great deal on not one but two half sheet pans WITH baking racks (boosts versatility even more), all for under $30.
Cooking Utensils
There are so many sets of cooking utensils out there you can get, either from Amazon, or Walmart, or Target, or HomeGoods, or any other store.
Here’s a nice set that’ll give you everything you need. Again, I prefer wood in this case. However, you have to watch out with warping (dry immediately after cleaning) and also breaking. I like metal for some tools too, but be careful not to scratch up your pans.
I see cooking utensil sets up to 50 pieces… but here are the main things that I find myself using on the daily:
- Wooden Spoons (slotted and solid) – mixing, stirring
- Spatula (metal and wooden) – mixing, scraping
- Soup Ladle – scooping
- Set of Tongs – grabbing
Others
How about another list, because who doesn’t like a list? Here’s some other useful items, in order of priority:
- Kitchen Towels – hand towels, dish rags, multi-purpose cloths
- Can Opener
- Pepper Mill – fresh cracked pepper is way better than pre-ground and makes you look like a badass chef
- Vegetable Peeler
- Microplaner
- Box Grater
- Whisk
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Rolling Pin
Obviously, this inventory list will be different based on your style of cooking, what you like to cook, and how often you’re cooking. If you do more baking, you’ll probably need measuring cups, and maybe a hand mixer.
I’d start with the basics shown above, and as you realize you’re missing items, you can slowly build your kitchen.
Let’s Talk Pantry
You’re going to need to have some basic ingredients stocked at all times. Luckily, most of these are shelf stable and can be stowed away to use for a long time.
Here are the categories for what a basic kitchen will need:
- Spices & Seasonings
- Fats/Oils
- Other Dry Goods
- Sauces
Spices & Seasonings
Any kitchen needs salt and pepper at the very least, period. But aside from that, I have found it best to have an all-around, a spicy, an herb, and a cozy. I have accumulated more over time, but this is a great place to start.
- Salt – Most importantly, you need salt and pepper. There’s a lot of different types of salts out there but I truly think getting a basic kosher salt will be great and be super versatile for all cooking and baking needs. I personally use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and have a hard time using anything else. Overall, it’s not too “salty” and, most importantly, I have a gauge about how much to use and how aggressively I can season something without over salting. Get something you’re comfortable with.
- Pepper – Like I had mentioned above, freshly cracked pepper from a pepper mill will provide a better overall pepper flavor, and make you look cool. Plus, you have the ability to change the coarseness of your pepper—from fine powder in soups to larger chunks for a grilled steak. Pre-ground pepper is convenient, but if you want to step up your game, buy a pepper mill and buy whole peppercorns.
- All-Around – Sure you can do a lot with just salt and pepper, but you need a couple of versatile spices that are used in a lot of different dishes and provide additional depth of flavor. Some examples include garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, or even a mild chili powder.
- Herb – Fresh herbs are great too, but dried herbs provide a nice greenness and freshness to most dishes, while giving a lovely aromatic profile. These would include dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried dill, or dried sage.
- Spicy – Alright, now we need to ramp up flavor a bit. You want a bit of heat to your dish. These could include red chili flakes, cayenne pepper, or even a smoked paprika.
- Cozy – Those heartier dishes in the fall, winter, and spring need a layer of warmth and comfort. To achieve that, look for cinnamon, nutmeg, all-spice, ground coriander, or ground ginger.
Try to have at least 1-2 of each category at the ready, and ideally stored somewhere close to the stove. This makes it way easier to quickly access something you may have forgotten as you’re cooking. I also leave salt and pepper out on the counter to use at any time.
I like to get all of my spices in bulk at Costco and put them into 4oz glass spice jars. Here’s the exact set I own. It makes it look nice and function a little easier, but absolutely not necessary at all.
Fats/Oils
Now I know there’s a lot of controversy right now with seed oils and their health value and whatnot. Bottom line is, do whatever you want, but you do need some kind of cooking fat to be in your kitchen at all times.
I personally cook everything in olive oil. And when I mean everything, I truly mean everything. Chicken, steak, ground beef, french fries, oven roasted vegetables. I use olive oil for salad dressings, sweating onions and garlic, you name it. Olive oil is just so versatile and tastes terrific in my opinion.
The other two fats I keep on hand are coconut oil, for certain baking applications, and butter (which needs to be refrigerated if you didn’t know).
Again, get whatever you like to use, but you can definitely get away with just owning olive oil and using it for everything, even if the recipe calls for a different type of oil. Like the spices, I buy olive oil in bulk, from Costco.
Other Dry Goods
Here are those ingredients that you might not need all the time or use anywhere near the spices, but good to have stored for those one-off moments you just feel like making banana bread.
- Flour – Have all-purpose flour (APF) on hand. You never know when you’ll need, even if you don’t intend on doing any baking of sorts. Look further down the post to see my recipe for an easy “Shake-and-Bake Chicken” using APF.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder – As the names suggest, this is important to have if you’re baking a good amount. There are some alternate uses, such as using baking powder on oven baked chicken wings to get crispier skin, but these are leavening agents used to help baked goods rise in the oven. Baking soda does have a lot of other uses outside of food in general, so I always keep a large container in my pantry.
- Sugar – We all know what sugar tastes like and what it does. Used for desserts, of course, but also do wonders as a pinch in a tomato sauce or stir fry. White, confectionary sugar is the standard and most well-rounded.
Sauces
Always have some go-to, long lasting sauces on hand. These should have multiple uses either being incorporated into recipes, or just to make basic meals have an instant boost of flavor. Sure, mustard and ketchup and mayo are good to have on hand but we’re talking beyond those.
I always like to have on hand:
- Hot Sauce – My favorites are Cholula, Tabasco, and Sriracha (call me basic, I know).
- Soy Sauce – or liquid coconut aminos if you want to avoid soy
- Barbecue Sauce – for marinades or to dip
- A Creamy Sauce of some sorts – something like ranch or this Avocado Lime Sauce from Primal Kitchen
Let’s Talk Basic Skills
So now that you got everything you need or at least some of it, let’s go over some basic principles and skills that you should start to know in the realm of the kitchen.
- Stovetop Cooking
- Oven Cooking
- Knife Skills
- Flavor Theory
Stovetop Cooking
The stove top is probably where at least 75% of your cooking is going to be conducted. As you’ll realize, not all stoves are the same. Stovetops come primarily in two configurations: gas stove and electric stove. Both get the job done but do have their intrinsic differences that you should be aware of.
Gas Stove
As the name implies, the gas stove uses propane gas to fuel a live flame that protrudes upwards. Your pots and pans are placed directly on a metal grill that sits above this flame. They are typically known for being fast, responsive, and easy to control.
I am personally a fan of gas stoves, although they are much less common in most large apartment complexes. The flame provides instant heat and a great visual to see how high the heat is set—a small flame directly correlates with less heat and vice versa for a big flame. It’s great for searing and the quick heat makes it harder to overcook/burn both the food as well as the pan.
It’s also nice that whenever you finish cooking, you can simply turn off the burner and leave the pot/pan where it is. This is in opposition to electric stoves, where that element remains hot until in eventually cools after some time.
They do have their drawbacks, however. It is an open flame and those flames can creep up the side of the pans, especially if there is oil residue leftover. It also can interact with alcohol if you are deglazing the pan. A WILD flame can erupt if the flame gets close enough to the alcohol vapor as it burns off. Professional chefs use this intentionally in a technique called flambé. With that, your landlord probably isn’t as supportive as, say, Gordon Ramsay might be.
Electric Stove
Electric stoves are going to be what you see most often, especially in your first apartment. How it works is a coil or glass top heats up, warming your pan gradually. They are slower to react, but keep a very steady and consistent heat once up to temperature.
With the nature of electric stoves, it’s great to keep a low simmer or doing some slow cooking. The lack of flame also makes it quite a bit safer (probably also a reason they are preferred in a rental housing setting). I’d say the biggest benefit I’ve noticed is the ease of cleaning since it’s just one large, flat, glass top.
All in all, be patient with electric stoves and make sure to keep an eye out for whatever you’re cooking. Check the bottom of your food regularly—things can burn fast once the coil is fully heated. If things are getting too hot or you are sensing any potential burning, remove the pan from the burner unit completely and this will give a little time to cool down. You can just place it back on the burner after a minute and resume.
Stovetop Principles
Stove Temperature Control
No matter what type of stove top you are using, you will adapt. With that being said, the principles of controlling burner temperature is one of the most important things you can learn. Knowing low vs. medium vs. high heat doesn’t just make you look like you know what you’re doing, but certainly will make your food way better.
Low Heat (Simmering)
- Gentle bubbles in sauces or soups.
- Perfect for rice, stews, eggs, reheating leftovers.
- Gas = easy to maintain. Electric = give it time to settle.
Medium Heat (Everyday Cooking)
- Where most cooking happens.
- Great for sautéing vegetables, cooking proteins, and reducing sauces.
- With electric stoves, “medium” might feel hotter; watch out for sticking or browning too fast.
High Heat (Searing & Boiling)
- Boiling water, searing meats, stir-frying.
- Gas gives you quick, intense heat.
- Electric takes a moment to get there—but once hot, it stays hot.
Deglazing
This is one of those elements that are really crucial in elevating the flavor and cohesiveness of your dishes. It might sound fancy, but it is as simple as it gets.
Whenever you cook a piece of meat or vegetables, there is often a layer of brown bits that gets stuck on the bottom of the pan. A lot of the time we accept that as just part of the mess that needs to be cleaned. This is often lost flavor and is referred to as fond.
Deglazing refers to adding some sort of liquid to the hot pan to loosen and dissolve this fond. Liquids can vary from stock, to wine, to juice, to even just water. Once the liquid goes in, grab one of those wooden spoons we mentioned earlier and just start scraping the bottom of that pan until all of that goodness is worked in.
This deglazed pan is the base for a super easy yet decadent sauce. Let the liquid reduce a little (the boiling liquid will thicken as water evaporates out), remove pan from heat, add a little pat of cold butter, and stir in. Bam—you have a glossy, restaurant quality sauce that elevates the dish tenfold.
Oven Cooking
How hard can the oven be? You just set the heat and wait. Well, that’s exactly it, but they do all behave differently, and knowing how to work with your oven makes your food come out dramatically better.
Oven Temperature Control
Low Heat (200–300°F)
- Low-cooked meats, braising, warming leftovers.
- Gentle, even cooking that keeps food tender.
- Longer cook times.
Medium Heat (325–375°F)
- Casseroles, veggies, baked chicken, cookies, muffins.
- This is your everyday, most reliable zone—cooks through without burning.
- Uneven browning; rotate your pan halfway to try to avoid.
High Heat (400–450°F)
- Roasted veggies, sheet-pan meals, pizza, quick browning.
- Strong, fast heat that creates crisp edges and caramelization.
- Food might browning quicker than cooked inside; use high-smoke-point oils.
Max Heat (475–550°F)
- Bread, intense searing, broiling.
- Rapid rise + deep browning.
- Watch out for fast burning, especially under the broiler.
Rack Position
Most ovens have removable racks inside that you can move to different height levels based on what you’re cooking and the result you are trying to achieve.
- Top Rack – Hotter due to its proximity to the top element; best for browning, broiling, finishing, and melting cheese
- Middle Rack – The most even cooking; best for baking, roasting vegetables, and overall general use
- Bottom Rack – Used for bottom browning due to its proximity to the bottom element; best for pizzas and bread
Learning Your Oven
Each oven acts and operates differently. It’s important to keep note of these individual variables in order to get a better sense of temperature, cooking time, and performance.
Oven temperatures vary wildly from house to house (+/- 25–50°F) and tend to drop up to 50° upon opening and closing. Let your oven fully preheat and then some (maybe 5-10min extra from when it says it’s done?).
And because oven temperature will vary, so will cooking times. Be wary of that when following any recipe and look for visual/tactile indicators instead of exactly 20min or whatever it says. Remember, you can always cook something for longer, but you CANNOT uncook it.
‘Done’ can look like:
- Crispy, golden edges
- Bubbly sauce
- Knife or toothpick comes out clean
- Internal temperature is sufficient (buy yourself a thermometer like this one, it makes cooking some things foolproof)
And to finish off, it’s important to know that ovens have certain hot spots and cool spots where uneven cooking occurs. By nature, the back of the oven tends to be hotter than the front that’s closest to the door. If you are consistently seeing this, have a mental note of where these occur. An easy way of dealing with this is to simply rotate whatever you’re cooking halfway through so things can even out.
Knife Skills
Wielding the knife holds tremendous power, and therefore, tremendous responsibility. That might be a bit dramatic, but I do know I cut myself with a kitchen knife way more often than I burn myself on a hot pan or drop a frozen turkey on my foot or something (never have actually done that but seems like it would hurt).
Here are the 4 elements for controlling the knife and not letting the knife control you:
- Proper Knife Grip
- Proper Non-Knife-Hand Grip
- The Motion
- The End Result
Proper Knife Grip
Good knife control starts with a solid grip. To properly hold the knife, pinch the blade right between your thumb and the side of your index finger—right where the handle meets the blade.
Once you have that pinch in place, wrap your remaining three fingers around the handle of the knife. Make sure your grip is firm enough to have total control but loose enough to not strain yourself.
Please DO NOT grip the knife with your index finger on top of the back of the blade. You might feel like you need that extra force downward, but your finger is relatively narrow and you will be giving up a lot of control. Lack of control with a sharp blade is the last thing you want.
Proper Non-Knife-Hand Grip
Now that you got the grip on the knife down, let’s talk about what your other hand is going to be doing.
More often times than not, this other hand is going to be holding down whatever it is you are cutting. Just like the knife grip, it is vital for hand safety that you have a secure grip with this offhand. Improper hand placement can result in some proper hours at the ER—not fun.
Your offhand is going to performing what is referred to as a “claw grip”. As you might gather from its title, this grip requires your hand to make a claw where fingers are spread and knuckles are bent, as if you were to scratch something (or someone).
This “claw grip” will go on top of the cutting subject and a slight downward pressure should be applied to keep it in place. Make sure fingers are curled inward and the knuckles stick out. The knife will push right up against the knuckles, creating a smooth-gliding track but also, more importantly, preventing your delicate fingers from being in the way as you chop down or if the knife slips.
With that, try to create as flat of a surface to cut through as possible. If cutting an onion or apple, for example, cut them in half and lay that flat side down on the cutting board in order to have a nice strong base.
The Motion
Let the knife do the work.
—Gordon Ramsay
Pshh, yeah let the knife do the work… whatever that means.
In all seriousness, the reason he says this over and over, because the initial instinct for most is to apply too much force or excessively saw, or best of all, pull out the tomahawk chop. WHACK!
Instead, use smooth forward and down movements. When you get through that first cut, slightly lift the knife and repeat. Generate a nice rhythm to it, and the more you do it, the faster you’ll get, so worry about solid technique for now.
I know a lot of people that try to do most of the chopping or cutting with the top of the knife, but this is where the least amount of weight is and also where the least amount of control is. Do yourself a big favor and focus activity closer to where your hand is holding the knife. It’s like the difference of hitting the baseball off the end of the bat compared to hitting it on the sweet spot.
The End Result
You have the skills that allow for safe, efficient, and uniform cuts. Let’s just break down a few of these cuts that recipe might ask for:
- Slice → long thin cuts
- Dice → small cubes
- Julienne → matchstick-size
- Mince → tiny, fine pieces (garlic, herbs)
A bit of an aside, but if you want a super easy way to “mince” garlic, just take the fat part of the knife and give the individual clove a good whack. Peel off the skin, and then you can just run your knife through the smashed garlic until it’s as small as you want it.
I will reiterate, SAFETY is the number one priority when it comes to knife usage. So please, just always have an eye where your fingers are and don’t try to force something if it isn’t budging.
Flavor Theory
Flavor is not random, and definitely not something to be ignored. Once you understand a few basic ideas, you can create meals that taste balanced, complete, and intentional, even with simple ingredients.
The 5 Core Taste Profiles (BASSU)
What are the 5 core taste profiles? Well, they can be remembered by the acronym BASSU:
- Bitter
- Least common, adds a layer of complexity
- Coffee, char, dark greens, etc.
- Acidic
- Adds some bright note to cut some heaviness
- Lemon, vinegar, wine, pickle juice, etc.
- Salty
- Most important, directly tied to dish “flavor”
- Salt (duh), cheese, fish sauce, etc.
- Sweet
- Balances bitter and heat
- Sugar, honey, maple syrup, fruit juice, etc.
- Umami
- Creates savory richness
- Mushrooms, miso, anchovies, etc.
Practical Use of Flavor Theory
You have the tools, now here’s some ideas of what you do with them:
- Use your aromatics as a base; “sweating” onions and garlic in olive oil/butter instantly gets things going, bonus points if you add to the fond and then deglaze
- Use the fat as that inherently holds a lot of flavor
- Don’t just wait until the end to add seasoning but rather season each element of the dish as you go; creates strong layers of flavor
- Add acidity and fresh herbs at the end to keep that brightness and fresh note present
- Taste whatever you’re cooking regularly and adjust as needed
- Flat = add salt, Dull = add acid, Too spicy = add sugar or dairy, Dry = add fat, Too salty = add acid or sweetness
Classic Flavor Pairings
- Olive Oil + Garlic + Lemon + Salt/Pepper + Red Pepper Flakes (for optional heat)— great for chicken, pastas, veggies
- Tomato + Garlic + Parmesan Cheese + Basil— Italian foundation that creates a savory/sweet mix
- Sesame Oil + Ginger + Soy Sauce— Asian cooking staple for stir frys and marinating proteins
- Onion + Celery + Carrot + Tomato Paste— classic French mirepoix plus additional depth, base for hearty soups and sauces
- Cinnamon + Brown Sugar + Nutmeg— warm spices and sweetness, perfect for fall and winter
- Chili + Jalapeño + Lime— Mexican/Southwest style for a good mix of freshness and heat
Let’s Talk Recipes
As you get comfortable cooking, you’ll start to get a sense of what you like to cook and what you’re good at cooking. As with having a rolodex of stories (check out this blog post if you don’t know what I am referring to), it’s important to have a rolodex of recipes for different occasions so you can just create without having to think too hard about what you’re doing.
Here are 3 go-to recipes of mine that I cook on the regular:
Recipe #1:
Savory Sheet Pan Sweet Potatoes with Chicken Sausage
This is one of the easiest (and most forgiving) meals you can make. Everything cooks on one sheet pan, the flavors build naturally from roasted veggies/sausage, and cleanup is almost nothing. It’s healthy, filling, and perfect for meal prep or busy weekday nights.
Ingredients:
- 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 lb), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 medium red onion, sliced into wedges
- 3–4 fully cooked chicken sausage links, sliced into ½-inch coins
- 2–3 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a half sheet pan with parchment for easier cleanup if you’d like.
- Add cubed sweet potatoes and sliced red onion to the pan. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle on the salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, and dried oregano.
- Toss everything on the pan until the vegetables are evenly coated and spread into a single layer.
- Roast for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, toss the vegetables, and spread them back out.
- Scatter the sliced chicken sausage over the top. Return the pan to the oven and roast for another 10–15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender and lightly browned and the sausage is starting to crisp.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with a little extra salt or pepper if needed.
- Serve as-is, or top with a fried egg and hot sauce, and/or squeeze a little lemon over the top for brightness.
Recipe #2:
Creamy Roasted Tomato Pasta
This recipe is easy, affordable, but can be impressive and delicious to serve. Great for your next dinner date or just busy night, the sauce from roasting the tomatoes is sweet, silky smooth, and a major punch of flavor. It can act as a great base to either have as a side, or add chicken or sausage to create a more filing main course.
Ingredients:
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
- 3–4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz pasta (spaghetti, bucatini, or any shape you like)
- 1–2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼–½ cup reserved pasta water
- ¼–½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil leaves, for serving
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Add tomatoes, sliced shallot, and whole garlic cloves to a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and spread into an even layer.
- Roast for 20–25 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the edges of the shallot are starting to caramelize.
- While the tomatoes roast, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
- Option A (smooth sauce): Transfer the roasted tomato mixture and the tomato paste to a blender. Blend until mostly smooth.
- Option B (chunky sauce): Add the roasted tomato mixture and tomato paste straight into a skillet and crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter. Once melted, add the roasted tomato sauce. Stir in the heavy cream and a splash of pasta water to loosen. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Stir in the grated parmesan. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper as needed. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more pasta water.
- Add the cooked pasta directly into the skillet and toss until every strand is well coated and glossy.
- Serve in warm bowls topped with extra parmesan, torn basil leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil if you like.
Recipe #3:
Homemade Shake-and-Bake Pan-Fried Chicken
This is one of the easiest ways to get crispy, golden chicken without deep frying or complicated breading stations. The seasoned flour mix does all the work—you literally shake the chicken in a bag, pan-fry it, and end up with crunchy, juicy perfection.
Ingredients:
- 2–3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 4–6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1½–2 lb total)
- 2–3 tbsp olive oil (or other neutral oil)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional, for serving)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- ¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
Instructions:
- If using chicken breasts, slice them horizontally into cutlets or cut into evenly sized strips. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Add all coating ingredients to a large zip-top bag or lidded container. Seal and shake to combine.
- Add the chicken pieces to the bag, seal, and shake until every piece is well coated. Let the coated chicken sit for 5 minutes so the flour hydrates and sticks better.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter. When the butter is melted and foamy and the oil looks shimmery, you’re ready to cook.
- Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the pan (work in batches if needed to avoid crowding). Cook for 4–5 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy.
- Chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C), the juices run clear, and the thickest part is no longer pink. Adjust the heat down if the coating is browning too quickly.
- Transfer cooked chicken to a plate or wire rack and let rest for 3–5 minutes.
- Serve with lemon wedges, your favorite dipping sauce, and sides like rice, salad, or roasted vegetables.
You can either follow these recipes exactly, or use them as inspiration and see what you can create with your personal taste and flavorings. I’ve learned cooking is all about experimentation and putting those ideas to the test. Enjoy!
Let’s Talk Resources
I am very lucky to have family members that shared their passion of cooking with me. I have an uncle who went to culinary school, as mentioned in a previous blog post. I also grew up in a household where we went out to eat on seldom occasions as my mom cooked a fresh meal nearly every night. I also heard stories of my grandfather and great-grandfather conducting all-day cooking affairs (a very Italian trait on my father’s side).
But with that, I followed what I enjoyed and sought after more information. Here are some places where I learned the most:
Youtube Channels
Adam Ragusea
Adam Ragusea is like that cool professor you had in college who obviously knew his stuff, but also didn’t come off so high and mighty and elder like. He referred to himself by his first name and winced whenever someone called him “professor”.
Regardless, his videos break down cooking in a super digestible and logical sense. I appreciate learning techniques and cooking principles through actual recipes. This way you are covering the skill and also learning practical applications that can feed you. What’s the point of knowing a ‘G’ chord on guitar if you don’t know any songs that use a ‘G’ chord?
He’s a home cook. He’s not cheffy or intimidating. He teaches you how to cook real meals with real-person constraints—small kitchens, limited time, and basic ingredients.
He also has some science backed videos that further explain different ideas, and then these ideas are tied into subsequent videos, which is really awesome.
Here are my 5 favorite videos of his (in no particular order):
- “Homemade crusty loaf, with or without a dutch oven”
- “Pot Roast with Mashed Baked Potatoes”
- “Bolognese Sauce”
- “Why I Season My Cutting Board, NOT My Steak”
- “Mushroom risotto with homemade mushroom stock”
Binging With Babish
What started off as a dude recreating food from TV and movies, has amassed into a large component of the internet cooking realm. His videos range from ridiculous, to hilarious, to very educational, and I tend to enjoy most of them.
Andrew Rea, like Adam Ragusea, is not a professionally trained chef and simply has a passion for cooking and sharing. He launched his “Basics With Babish” series 8 years ago and has really been transformative in the way I have learned. If you want hours of content to supplement this blog post, check these videos out.
No matter the video, they stay light-hearted, entertaining, and, perhaps even, very bingable.
Here are my 5 favorite videos of his (in no particular order):
- “Steak | Basics with Babish”
- “Binging with Babish: Pasta Aglio e Olio from ‘Chef’”
- “Binging with Babish: White Castle Order from Harold & Kumar”
- “Binging with Babish: Krabby Patty from Spongebob Squarepants”
- “Fried Rice | Basics with Babish”
Sam the Cooking Guy
These videos might just be showcasing some of the most delicious food on the internet. If you are going to start watching some videos from Sam’s channel, please don’t do so hungry or you’re going to torture yourself.
His videos often take place in his outdoor kitchen, so I often find myself coming back to his channel during the warmer months. He mostly just focuses on recipes, but those recipes are unbelievably good and I have made a few in the past.
Overall, his content is highly entertaining, he is a great personality, and, obviously, loves to cook. Pay attention to his flavor combinations, comforting meal creations, and his food IQ.
Here are my 5 favorite videos of his (in no particular order):
- “Homemade Fish and Chips Recipe | SAM THE COOKING GUY 4K”
- “The Best Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken | SAM THE COOKING GUY 4K”
- “The Best Homemade Egg McMuffin | SAM THE COOKING GUY 4K”
- “The Best California Burrito | SAM THE COOKING GUY 4K”
- “The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich I’ve Ever Made | SAM THE COOKING GUY 4K”
Cook Books
I’ll be honest, I’m not sure if I have ever actually read a cook book. But I bet there’s a lot of really good ones out there.
Books are cool because they are timeless and mark a period of history. Cook books, I can imagine, operate the same way and allow you to access classic techniques, recipes, and ideas.
Let me know if there are any life-changing cook books out there. I’d love to check them out!
Woah, That Was a Lot: A Debrief
Ok, I know that was a lot of information and much longer than my typical blog posts. But I wanted to make this guide as extensive as possible. Read what you need to know for now, save it for later, and refer back.
Like any piece of life after college, the best way to learn is to do so through trial and error. See what works for you and what doesn’t. See what becomes your go-to dishes, and what you might want to stay away from.
Was there anything I missed? Let me know in the comments or send me a direct message.
As always, in the meantime, keep writing your story. Your delicious, aromatic, hunger-quenching story.
—Will
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