We no longer live in a world where basic life skills, like learning how to cook, are guaranteed to be taught in our education systems.
Plus, in our fast-paced modern society, not all people are lucky enough to have had parents or teachers to show them how to cook.
If you find yourself to be one of those people, know that you are not alone.
Furthermore, while it can be quite humorous when you think about just how awful of a cook you might be, there are certainly ways to rectify these shortcomings!
10 Signs You’re a Terrible Cook
First, here’s a list of signs you’re a terrible cook:
- You burn the most basic meals
- The food you cooked looks finish, but it is still raw inside
- You use stale ingredients to prepare your meals
- Your meals are prepared in a dirty kitchen
- You prepare meals without washing your hands
- Meat and produce are not cleaned properly
- Food is not properly seasoned
- You are clueless about basic cooking terms
- You only know how to cook the same three basic meals
- You eat too much takeout
1. You Burn The Most Basic Meals
Are you one of those people that burns toast every time you put it in the toaster oven? If so, you might be suffering from terrible cook syndrome!
If you find yourself in this predicament, you might consider reading your toaster manual and adjusting the settings a couple of times in order to ensure you have followed the proper instructions.
Test out your toaster’s power and determine how you like your toast cooked.
Once you have found the recipe for perfect toast, make a note of it for future reference, unless you enjoy the taste of burnt toast!
2. The Food You Cooked Looks Finish, But It Is Still Raw Inside
Chicken – it’s supposed to be one of the easiest meats to cook, right?
Maybe not so much for you … Chicken is one of those things that can look cooked on the outside, but actually still can be very raw and unsafe to eat on the inside.
Always make sure to test your chicken with a thermometer. The center area of the chicken should be at a minimum of 165 degrees.
3. You Use Stale Ingredients To Prepare Your Meals
Have you ever looked at a bag of chips and thought they were fine, and then bit into one and realized they were not? The outcome is less than pleasing.
Thus, make sure that you check to make sure the food you are cooking with is not expired and still maintains some semblance of freshness!
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4. Your Meals Are Prepared In A Dirty Kitchen
Have you ever tried to vacuum on a wet, sticky floor? The outcome would surely not be very effective.
The same is true for cooking. In order to prepare food in the proper way, you need to make sure that you are working in a clean and sanitary space.
Keeping a clean and tidy kitchen will also help you to stay better organized and be more efficient in your cooking process.
5. You Prepare Meals Without Washing Your Hands
Firstly, it is extremely important to wash your hands frequently! Plus, it’s even more crucial when you are preparing your own food.
You wouldn’t want the bacteria from your dog’s mouth who licked your hand earlier to end up in your stomach, would you?
Therefore, wash your hand before and during meal preparation to minimize the spread of bacteria.
6. Meat And Produce Are Not Cleaned Properly
Skipping the significant steps of not cleaning your meat and produce properly could lead to catastrophic mistakes for your health and well-being.
Also, make sure that whenever you are handling raw meat, you do not then use the same knife or cutting board to prepare something else.
Always wash your food products correctly and wash your hands after handling raw meat to avoid food-borne illnesses.
7. Food Is Not Properly Seasoned
Have you ever had plain chicken, with no salt, or spices of any kind? Let me tell you that it is not very good.
While we want to avoid over-salting our foods for health reasons, a little salt and seasoning can go a long way!
Play around with your seasonings in order to determine what your taste buds crave!
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8. You Are Clueless About Basic Cooking Terms
Do you know how to simmer, dice, or fold? While you may know how to read a recipe, you will find yourself lost if you don’t know how to interpret the language effectively.
Make sure to study up on commonly used cooking terms in order to enhance your skills in the kitchen.
Start with the basics and work your way up from there.
9. You Only Know How to Cook the Same Three Meals
If you know how to prepare a few things really well, that’s a great starting point!
But everyone gets tired of eating the same things all the time.
In order to be a good cook, you will need to expand your repertoire and play around in the kitchen.
10. You Eat Too Much Takeout
Chances are if you are eating too much takeout, it’s because you aren’t a good cook. Granted, you could be eating a lot of takeout due to time constraints.
Even still, everyone likes and craves a good home-cooked meal.
If you find that you are addicted to takeout, you might want to consider the underlying reasons.
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Overall
It’s never too late to learn a new skill!
In fact, with some patience and a good sense of humor, you’ll be mastering the trades of the kitchen in no time!
