I have been cooking for my friends and family for 50 years. I have been studying the art and science of cooking for 40 of those years...

As a young girl I was fascinated by Julia Child and the French culinary techniques she used. From the Galloping Gourmet and the Frugal Gourmet I learned to experiment with food.

From my mother I learned Yankee classics and from the old Southern lady who came in and cooked for us I learned traditional Southern cooking and Soul food...

From the stable hands I learned how to skin and dress the small game they caught for their table.. squirrel, possum, raccoon, armadillo, and turtles and catfish from the lake...

From the wives of hunters I learned how to cook venison and wild boar, and from friends with gardens and chickens I learned how to can and freeze produce and pickles, and the art of eggs and chicken keeping.

From the pastry chef at a local private club restaurant I learned about pastry and how to decorate cakes....

From a Chinese family I learned to stir fry and an Italian friend and a Lebanese friend taught me the basics of Mediterranean food...

My family spent time on the Gulf coast and I learned about shrimp, and crab, and salt water fish.... Time in Hawaii addicted me to the fusion of Polynesian and Oriental foods...

When I moved out on my own after college and made young adult friends, I was astounded that none of them could cook.... I just could not imagine people who could not cook...

My home became a meeting place for hungry friends.... At all times of the day and night, people showed up hoping for a well cooked meal. Sometimes they brought groceries, expecting me to turn them into something delicious... It was like the Secret Ingredient on Iron Chef... I never really knew what ingredient would show up at my door.

One morning I woke up to find 600 pounds of fresh asparagus parked on my front porch. The situation was out of control.

In desperation I decided that the solution was to teach these people to cook for themselves. I informed them that I would no longer cook for them, but that I would teach each of them to cook whatever dish they wanted.... They told we what they wanted to cook and I gave them a shopping list.

And that is why I started teaching people to cook. It was a matter of self preservation.

Since then I have taught a lot of folks how to cook for themselves. Cooking is not hard. You just need to learn a few basic things and every thing else is just changed a little from the basics.... something added or subtracted... and of course the invention of the microwave oven has simplified so many things....

I started writing about cooking on the internet about 10 years ago. I have gotten many comments and questions from people, usually young people, who just don't know how to cook at all.

I mean nothing... they have never turned on a stove and have not touched a pan since they were toddlers and wore one on their head or banged one like a drum. They don't know how to use the oven and have no idea what the difference is between baking and broiling. They can not tell you the difference between simmer and saute. They can neither scramble, fry nor boil an egg.

In short... they can not cook to feed themselves.

People... you know who you are... "Learn To Cook" is written for you.

In the first lesson you will cook an entire meal... in about 20 minutes.... In a dozen lessons you will learn enough basics to feed yourself. You will no longer have to depend on take out, delivery, MRE's and TV dinners.

So here is the starting point....

http://www.xomba.com/learn_to_cook_cooking_lessons

http://www.xomba.com/how_to_use_an_oven_a_free_learn_to_cook_lesson

If you have any questions or comments you can pm me... just click on my name or leave a comment. You need to register for Xomba to do that... just click here to register

http://www.xomba.com/referral/77779e87

I will be glad to help you any way I can...

Angel