How did you learn to cook?
(assuming you can)
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Mostly used recipes that my grandmother, my khalas and my mom used for their own cooking. Sometimes I used my own "versions" and made things accordingly.
I have great cooks in my family, so most of it was by watching and viewing on a regular basis. Luckily, I did it prior to getting married. That helped alot ! :)
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I learn by watching my mom's cooking, for continental dishes I watch different cooking programmes and magazines. Sharing ideas with friends is also helpful for new experiments.
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At first I really had a hard time cooking. I was sick of eating out all the time. But thanks to Shan Masala packets (and the recipes on the back), I bought the proper cooking pots and started following the recipes with a slight twist of my own. Luckily, the first couple of tries were a thumbs up. I got encouraged and made sure I cooked at least on the weekends.
Before that I was only making deli sandwiches and pasta at home.
Desi cooking isn't so hard with the availabilty of pressure cookers, already minced garlic, ginger, fried onions, etc. I have never spent more than 45 minutes in the kitchen cooking something. Yes, even Biryani in less than an hour.
I also call up my mom for a few family dish recipes. I write them down and plan on having a family cookbook publushed soon (Only available to my family members)
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Forgot to also ask......is a lot of the art of cooking down to a natural talent or can someone be taught how to be an excellent cook?
Some people seem to be able to turn their hand to any kind of dish, and rarely have anything go wrong with the food they're cooking. While others can follow a recipe exactly to the letter and still end up with disastrous results.
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In the kitchen, experience is definitely the best teacher.
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Okay that was pretty obvious. I meant to say i learnt by trial and error. Theres no other way around it really.
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that is so true Shahreen.. i used to end up making a mess even if i did follow the recipe very closely... but my brother would make such tastey stuff and only by listening.. i think it does come naturally to a certain extent.... i learned by trial and error too just like Chee... mom always made me watch cuz u really pick up tips from there... then followed mom's recipes whenever she was away ... was left alone quite a lot having to feed the siblings.. so soon enuff i learned what to do when and with what..... experience in the kitchen.. thats all one needs to make a good cook i think :)
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People who can cook well are usually the ones who 'love to cook'. If you hate being in the kitchen then chances are you will not put the love and affection a dish requires. I enjoy making stuff in the kitchen and thus it comes out really good.
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^ Chalo fungi atleast your have your own vote. :k:
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Cooking skills are not innate but to learn (especially for a guy) you need patience & a big heart to forget the disheartening comments when the things don't go right.
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That is so me. Even if I follow a recipe to the tee, it comes out not as good as its original.
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I love cooking. Learnt partly from mum, partly through practice.
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Rukhsarbibi, I’m with you on that. 
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well you know some people are just born with it 
heheh kidding
well, I learnt by experimentation in the kitchen 
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im still learning desi cooking. I do make incredible italian dishes thou and that just came for the immense love i have for italian food.
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I doubt that too 
my food usually turns out excellent if im in a rush or am not at all bothered to cook but mom has shoved me in the kitchen adn locked teh door… great food then.. i usually mess up when there’s a gathering and im cookin and i want everything to go fine… follow recipes 100% and its just not good 
its like when u have nowhere to go and ure skin is wonderful and hairstyle is great (altho u just shoved it into a bun or something like that).. but when u HAVE to go somewhere.. the skin breaks out and u cant capture that hairstyle again…
bah indeed!
so in a nutshell.. dont give a damn bout anything and ure on ure way to greatness
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Ive learn cooking from my daddi jaan when i was in Pakistan then learn from my nand
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I had few stages: as a kid i was afraid of burner stove..so i used to ask my brother to light up the stove for me..and when everyone would be asleep in backhome..i used to make things out of leftover food and used to serve them at tea. That was grade 4/5th.
Then grade 7th backhome..i would collect money and buy meat and use recipes from tv or newspaper..when my uncle (chacha) saw this spirit..he would bring in the raw supplies for me and in ramadhan food dinner..my relatives would tell me..ok go ahead and make 6 chickens (roasted)..
After that i stopped cooking..i don't remember why? for few years...and after that when i resumed cooking it would be some different and innovative..i can never follow a recipe..i change it..
I never learnt anything from my mom as she didn't had the patience to teach or tell..and i never cook the way she does because i like to use different ingredients..
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I learnt to cook from my uncle.
He told me 'beta kuchh seekh lay - shaadi kay baad biwi ko khilana padayga'.
May he rest in peace..