One Word of Advice...

[dustysmommy2013]

If you could give just one piece of advice to a new baker/cook, what would you say?

I would say that gadgets are fun and definitely make things easier but they are not necessary. It is possible to get by with a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon!

 

[Ellyn]

Don't stress, but be careful with "making do". Virgin olive oil instead of extra virgin olive oil is possibly fine, I've substituted blackstrap molasses and brown sugar for "dark brown sugar" that I can't find anywhere, but...baking powder is not baking soda. It's really, really, really not.

 

[monkeyboots]

Read through the recipe and make sure you have all of the ingredients before you start mixing.
Also, it is said that baking is a science, but once you know what you're doing it becomes an art. Improvise, make mistakes, have fun!
Oh, and parchment paper!

 

[dustysmommy2013]

Definitely agree with reading through the recipe first! Nothing sucks more than when you get your heart stuck on something to bake, only to open the fridge and realize there are no eggs. Unfortunately, I speak from experience on this one!

 

[Tina Nord]

I also agree with reading directions and making sure you have everything you need before you start. The new baker should understand that there will be mistakes made along the way.

 

[ACSAPA]

I would tell them to resist the temptation to check on their baked goods every few minutes. Opening the oven every 3 minutes doesn't help your food get done any faster.

 

[Danyel72]

If you could give just one piece of advice to a new baker/cook, what would you say?

I would say that gadgets are fun and definitely make things easier but they are not necessary. It is possible to get by with a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon!

The one word of advice I would pass on to a new cook would be to buy plenty of Pam cooking spray!! I remember when I was new at cooking the many times I would put my heart and soul into making something special and then I could't get it out of the pan. So disappointing and very frustrating for a new cook. Now it's almost a staple in our house. Not to mention if you spray your pans, it is soo much easier to clean!!!

Danyel

 

[JessiFox]

Don't be afraid to improvise! Whether it's a matter of budget or not having something in the house and not wanting a trip to the store, or a matter of dietary reasons, there are plenty of substitutions that you can make that will not ruin your end result. Learn them, experiment with them and be comfortable swapping ingredients around if/when you need to.

 

[Trellum]

If you could give just one piece of advice to a new baker/cook, what would you say?

I would say that gadgets are fun and definitely make things easier but they are not necessary. It is possible to get by with a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon!

For some things it is possible to make it with only a bowl and a wooden spoon, but oh boy you should have seen me two days ago trying to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks formed, but I failed miserably, lol. Man, how much did I wish my mixer was still working! My mom swear my mom could beat the egg whites until stiff formed with only her hand, a bowl and a fork!

 

[Trellum]

As for the advice... Well, I'd first advice them that a cheese cake needs plenty of sugar or they can use condensed milk instead. Hopefully they'll not make the same mistake I did with my very first pie: I didn't add enough sugar. The pie turned out to be kinda salty, lol. Ugh Fortunately my dad ate it... which takes me to the next advice:

NEVER EVER GIVE UP! Yes, even if things go horribly wrong the first time... you got to give it a try other 2 or 3 times! Cooking and baking isn't easy, so don't expect great results the first time, but if you do... well kudos to you! If you don't... just keep trying!

 

[sweetkymom]

My most important piece of advice is to go over the recipe you're wanting to make and see if you have all the ingredients it requires. It really sucks getting half way through the recipe and come find out you don't have something. I've had to drop what I was doing several times and go to the store so I could finish.

 

[justme4910]

Patience is the main thing for me,take the time to go over your recipe first and find a couple of videos to watch beforehand and don't worry about mistakes,it happens,as I well know lol

and don't be afraid to try the same recipe again and figure out what you did wrong,oh and look for a different recipe if it doesn't work out or you just don't like it,when I'm looking at recipes,I usually type in the word easy to begin with

usually finding a recipe that works with my skill level ,is what makes them come out good,just keep it as simple as you can and make sure you have all the ingredients on hand to begin with