You Asked - We Answered - Real Life Beginner Cooking Questions Answered & Explained
You Asked - We Answered - Real Life Beginner Cooking Questions Answered & Explained
“Cooking is an art, but all art has rules. Once you learn them, you can break them beautifully.” – Julia Child
Cooking when you're just starting out or wanting to learn can be a lot. Like what do I even make? When do I season? Why does my sauce look like that? We’ve all been there. Every cook started by burning things, over/under seasoning, and wondering if they should just stick to boxed mac and cheese, instant ramen, and takeout. But the secret to good cooking isn’t just following recipes—it’s understanding why things work the way they do. Once you get that, everything becomes easier (and way more fun). The below cooking questions were asked by real life beginners looking for answers to some specific basics that maybe aren't discussed or explained as much as they should! I feel they're often taken for granted when making a recipe to post online or a YouTube cooking video - but if no one explains, how will people actually know!?
"How Do I Decide What to Cook Every Day?"
If you stand in front of the fridge or in the grocery store feeling lost or waiting for magic inspiration to hit, you’re not alone. The easiest way to avoid this? Have a simple formula that works with whatever you’ve got on hand or is on sale:
Building Blocks to Common Dishes:
- Protein (chicken, beef, tofu, eggs)
- Veggie (roasted, sautéed, or raw)
- Carb (rice, pasta, potatoes, bread)
- Flavour booster (sauce, seasoning, cheese, citrus)
This simple structure applies to almost anything, whether you're in the mood for a hearty meal or something quick and easy. E.g. pan-seared beef with roasted carrots, onions, and cauliflower, served with crispy fingerling potatoes. Or maybe a quick stir-fry with chicken, onion, garlic, and bok choy, tossed with spicy ramen noodles. Or a grilled cheese with a tomato and quick cucumber pickles can be just as satisfying.
Try having theme nights—Taco Tuesday, Pasta Friday, or anything that makes choosing easier. And honestly, breakfast for dinner/brinner is always a good idea. Check out some of the other blog content for some other amazing ideas and tips!
Complete Meal Prep Guide
How to Cook Like A Pro
Top Chef Tips Home Cooks Need to Master
How to Start Cooking for Beginners at Home
"What Order Should I Add Ingredients?"
If you’ve ever thrown stuff into a pan at once and ended up with a weird both over and undercooked (how?!) mess, there’s a reason for that. Cooking is all about layering flavours, and the order you add things matters:
1️⃣ Aromatics First – Onions, shallots, carrots. These build the base of your dish and need time to soften.
2️⃣ Garlic & Spices – These burn fast, so add them once the onions are soft. Stir them around for about 30 seconds until fragrant, but don’t let them scorch.
3️⃣ Meat Next (Usually) – Browning adds flavour (The Maillard reaction). Give it space in the pan so it sears instead of steams. However, sometimes you want to sear the meat first, remove it, and then go in with your aromatics. This is common for stir-fries, braised dishes, or when you want a deep fond (the browned bits on the pan) to build your sauce. Once the aromatics are softened, add the meat back in to finish cooking.
4️⃣ Liquids Last – Broth, wine, vinegar, and sauces should go in at the end to balance everything out. If you're making a sauce, you can use liquid to deglaze the pan—this helps lift all those flavourful browned bits left behind from cooking the meat.
The order may shift depending on what you’re cooking, but keeping this general structure in mind will help you build deeper flavours and avoid common mistakes.
"When Should I Add Acidity? And Which One?"
If your food tastes kinda flat or bland, chances are it needs some acidity. A little tang can make flavours pop and balance out richness or sweetness. What to use and when:
- Citrus (lemon, lime, orange, yuzu) – Great for seafood, salads, and anything fresh. Citrus juice adds brightness at the end of cooking, while zest can be added earlier for a more subtle, aromatic boost. A squeeze of lemon over roasted vegetables, fish, or even pasta can make all the difference.
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Vinegar (red wine, balsamic, apple cider) – Perfect for balancing sauces, marinades, and stews. Vinegar is a powerhouse when used right—it cuts through fatty meats, enhances the depth of sauces, and makes salad dressings what they are. A splash of balsamic in a tomato sauce or apple cider vinegar in a slow-cooked stew can bring out a deeper, fuller taste. (White vinegar can also be added/used if needed)
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Tomatoes & Wine – Naturally acidic, these work best in slow-cooked dishes where they can mellow out over time. Tomatoes add a nice tang to soups, stews, and braises, while wine deglazes pans, bringing up caramelized bits for added complexity. Red wine works well in meat-heavy dishes, while white wine is perfect for seafood and lighter sauces. (Quick tip: Add a pinch of sugar to homemade tomato sauces to help balance the acidity!)
Acidity can also balance out sweetness or saltiness and vice versa to a degree. If your dish is really rich, a small hit of acidity can really round everything out. Just don’t overdo it—acidity should enhance, not be the star/key flavour!
"How Do I Roast Veggies So They're Brown but Still Crunchy?"
It shouldn't be hard.. but it is somehow. The goal is that perfect mix of crisp edges and tender insides, but getting there requires a few key techniques:
- High heat is key – Set your oven to 425°F or higher. Lower temperatures will cook the veggies through but won’t give you that nice caramelization. If you want an extra crispy finish, you can go up to 450°F, just keep an eye on them.
- Cut evenly – The size of your pieces matters. Smaller pieces crisp up faster, while larger ones stay softer. If you’re roasting a mix of veggies, try to keep everything about the same size so they cook evenly. Or if things cook differently (E.g. one quick cooking veggie and one hard slow one like potato, cut the quick cooking veggie larger and the potato smaller to have them roast nicely at the same time!)
- Use enough oil – A light but even coating of olive oil, avocado oil, or another high-heat oil is essential for browning. If your veggies look dry, they won’t caramelize properly. Toss them in a bowl with oil (and salt + seasoning of course) before spreading them on the pan to ensure every piece is coated.
- Space them out – If the pan is too crowded, the veggies will steam instead of roast. Give them breathing room—use two pans if you need to or multiple batches (even though realistically at home I know you're never doing 2 batches to roast veggies unless cooking a meal for many people lol)
- Patience – Stirring too often prevents browning. Only stir once, about halfway through cooking. You need to let them chill and do their thing. Opening the oven often to stir also drop the temp a lot and will slow down the whole process.
- Use a preheated baking sheet – If you're in a hurry or want to make SURE they're crispy. Place your baking sheet in the oven while it preheats, then add your veggies to the hot pan. (Don't recommend this often as at least with my own internal timer I'll let them go too long and they'll burn haha)
- Broil at the end for extra crispiness – If your veggies are cooked but not as browned as you want, turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes at the end.
These tips should get you some nice picture perfect (and tasty) veggies!
"When Should I Use Butter vs. Oil?"
Butter and oil aren’t the same, but kinda are, however knowing when to use each makes a big difference in both flavour and cooking technique.
- Butter = flavour – Butter tastes better. It just does. But it's not always the correct choice (unfortunately). It's perfect for sautéing vegetables, finishing sauces, and baking. Because it contains milk solids, it browns quickly (hello, brown butter!). However, those same milk solids can also burn at high heat, so it’s not ideal for deep frying or long or high temp cooking. Cooking pancakes and eggs? Butter, 100%. But Wanting to get a good hard sear on a steak? Oil.. then butter..
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Oil = high heat cooking – Unlike butter, most oils have a higher smoke point, making them better suited for roasting, frying, and searing. Neutral oils like canola, vegetable, and avocado oil work best when you want to cook at high temperatures.. Olive oil though has a lower smoke point than some oils (but higher than butter typically), so it's better suited for medium-heat cooking or drizzling over finished dishes (Extra Virgin for drizzle/finishing).
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Best of both worlds? – Many chefs (and home cooks) use both together. A common trick is to sear meat in oil first, then finish it with a bit (lot) of butter toward the end. As noted above, the oil allows you to get that high heat sear and crust on the meat, while the butter adds richness and flavour. This technique works beautifully for steak, chicken, or even pan-seared fish.
Understanding the role of both butter and oil in cooking will help you make the right choice. Deep frying homemade spring rolls? Use oil. Veggies, finishing sauces, basting a steak - butter for sure. And when in doubt—why not both?
"How Do I Stop My Sauce from Breaking?"
A broken sauce (when fat and liquid separate) suuucks. Especially if it's your first time making a new sauce... but especially especially if you're a pro and it's your 400th time hahah. Some sauces are naturally more prone to breaking, like hollandaise, béarnaise, beurre blanc, and some cream-based sauces. Most/lots CAN be saved though, or avoided altogether with the advise below:
🚫 Don’t blast the heat– High heat can be one of the biggest culprits of broken sauces. Delicate emulsified sauces like hollandaise or béarnaise can break if they get too hot, or the egg can scramble/cook, so keep the heat low and controlled. When making hollandaise especially, using a double boiler is a safer method to maintain gentle heat and prevent overheating—only attempt direct heat over a flame if you're experienced - it'll almost guaranteed be too hot otherwise. Similarly, cream-based sauces like Alfredo or béchamel should never be boiled, just gently simmered.
- Whisk constantly – This is especially important when incorporating butter, eggs, or cream. A consistent, steady motion helps emulsify the fats with the liquids and prevents separation.
- Add liquid slowly – If you’re adding cream, broth, or butter, do it gradually, stirring constantly. Dumping in cold liquid all at once can shock the sauce.
Already broken? Here’s how to fix different types of sauces:
- Hollandaise/Béarnaise Sauce – If your hollandaise sauce breaks, you can try to save it by starting fresh with a new egg yolk(s). Follow the same steps you took to make the original hollandaise—whisking the yolk over gentle heat—then slowly pour in your broken sauce instead of clarified butter, whisking constantly. This is the most successful way to save a broken hollandaise (or it's derivatives).
- Butter Sauces (Beurre Blanc, Pan Sauces, etc.) – If a butter-based sauce breaks, try whisking in a little warm water or broth one tablespoon at a time. Adding a small cube of cold butter at the end can also help bring it back together. It doesn't make much sense that water will fix it... but it does. I cannot tell you the science here, only that it can work! Similarly if your mayo/aioli breaks, a little cold water can bring it back together!
If it can't be fixed, sucks, but it happens. Call it a learning experience and try again. Some sauces are just finicky!
"How Do I Prevent Pasta from Sticking Together After Cooking?"
It's happened to everyone, and it's annoying af honestly! But once you know to to mostly prevent it, it should help you out!
How to Keep Pasta from Clumping
-Boil in a large pot with plenty of water. Pasta needs room to move—at least 4-6 litres of water per pound. Too little water = excess starch, which turns noodles gummy.
-Salt the water generously. It should taste like the ocean. This not only seasons the pasta but also slightly reduces stickiness.
-Stir immediately. The first 30 seconds after adding pasta are crucial—stir well so strands don’t fuse together. Often as soon as the exterior of the pasta gets wet it's really prone to gluing to the other pieces.
- Toss with sauce immediately. Letting pasta sit in the colander while you prep the sauce is a recipe for dryness. If your sauce isn’t ready, mix the pasta with a small splash of olive oil to keep it separated.
Pro Tips for Perfect Pasta:
- Save your pasta water! That starchy liquid gold is perfect for adjusting sauce consistency and making everything stick to the pasta!
- Cook one minute less than the package says and finish it in the sauce. The pasta will continue cooking when tossed with sauce, so finishing it in the sauce ensures perfect doneness.
"What’s the Best Way to Defrost Meat Quickly?"
The fastest safe way to thaw meat without ruining the texture is the cold water method.
How to Quickly & Safely Thaw Meat
-Cold Water Bath (Best Method):
- Submerge sealed meat in a bowl of cold water.
- Change the water every 30 minutes to keep it cold.
- Thin cuts (chicken breasts, steaks) take 30-60 minutes, while thicker cuts (roasts) take a few hours.
What NOT to Do:
🚫 Don’t use hot water (or even warm water). This partially cooks the outside while the inside is still frozen and bacteria grow fast in the “danger zone” (40°F–140°F).
For thinner items, that you are going to use right away once thawed, you CAN thaw at room temp. It's not ideal, but if you minimize the time between thawing and cooking it's typically okay. I do do this semi frequently myself.
Pro Tips for Easier Prep & Quicker Thawing:
-Freeze meat flat. If freezing chicken breasts or ground beef, lay them flat in a zip-top bag so they thaw evenly and faster.
-Portion before freezing. Instead of freezing a whole pack of chicken, separate pieces first so you can thaw only what you need.
"How Do I Tell When Chicken, Pork, or Steak Is Fully Cooked?"
A meat thermometer is your best friend. Just get one, it saves you SO much guesswork! And doesn't take away from your natural learning by sight/feel of when meat is cooked.
Meat Internal Temperature Guide:
- Chicken → 165°F (74°C) – No exceptions. Do not eat undercooked chicken please.
- Pork → 145°F (63°C) – Pink in the center? Totally safe. The verrry outdated "pork has to be well-done" is just that, outdated and wrong. I typically cook my pork to medium depending on cut/application, for reference.
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Steak & Beef:
- Rare → 125°F (52°C)
- Medium-rare → 135°F (57°C)
- Medium → 145°F (63°C)
⏳ Rest your meat! Let meat sit for 5-10 minutes after cooking so the juices redistribute. If you cut too early, all the good stuff leaks out, leaving dry meat behind.
Pro Tips for Juicy Meat Every Time:
- Carryover cooking is real. Meat keeps cooking even after you remove it from heat. Pull it a few degrees early, and it’ll finish cooking while resting.
"How Do I Cook Meat So It’s Not Dry or Tough?"
Dry chicken, rubbery steak, tough pork chops—nothing is more disappointing, sometimes confusing, and ego-killing. Match the cooking method to the cut.
How to Cook Meat the Right Way
-For tender cuts (steak, pork chops, chicken breast): High heat, short cook time. A quick sear or grill keeps them juicy - in general.
-For tough cuts (brisket, short ribs, pork shoulder): Low and slow. These cuts have lots of connective tissue that breaks down over time, turning tough meat into melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
-Slice against the grain. Especially for beef—cutting against the muscle fibers makes the meat more tender to eat!
Pro Tips for Juicier Meat:
-Brine chicken & pork. Soaking in saltwater (or buttermilk for fried chicken) for a few hours adds moisture and seasons the inside. It also will infuse flavors! Classic brine is salt, sugar, peppercorn, bayleaf, thyme, corriander and or mustard seed.
-Resting meat is non-negotiable. Just do it - I promise it genuinely makes eating it tastier!
"How Do I Make Fluffy Scrambled Eggs Like in a Restaurant?"
Restaurants make eggs that are soft, creamy, and melt in your mouth—and it’s easier than you think. If your scrambled eggs are dry or rubbery, you're probably cooking them too fast.
The Secret to Perfect Scrambled Eggs
-Whisk well before cooking. This incorporates air for fluffy eggs. There is some contention between whether you should salt eggs before or during cooking, with good arguments on either side - I do both. Both seem to work fine haha so pick whatever you prefer!
-Cook low & slow. Use medium-low heat and butter. High heat and you're far more likely to overcook them and end up with them being tough.
-Stir constantly (well, quite often lol). Let the eggs set slightly, then slowly push them around with a spatula.
-Remove from heat early. Eggs keep cooking after you plate them, so take them off while they’re still a little soft or runny looking - the carryover heat from the pan will set them up a bit more!
-Want extra creaminess? Add a splash of milk, cream, or even a bit of cold butter at the end. I sometimes whisk sour cream into the eggs before cooking as well!
Pro Tips for Next-Level Scrambled Eggs:
-Use a nonstick pan. Stainless steel works, but eggs love to stick.
-Finish with a pinch of flaky salt and fresh chives. Tiny details make a difference!
Final Thoughts
Cooking gets way easier when you start understanding why things work. Follow these tips, experiment, and don’t worry about messing up. Every time you cook, you’re learning.
Got more cooking questions? Drop them in the comments, reach out on social, or check out our shop for kitchen tools that make cooking even easier. Plus, everyone who comments or reaches out will be entered to win an exclusive discount or free item—so don’t be shy, we’d love to hear from you! Happy cooking!