Cook From Scratch

If you grew up on takeout, lived on office catering, or just never learned — cooking from scratch feels impossible. It's not. 10 techniques cover 90% of home cooking. A stocked pantry means 15-minute meals anytime. This skill teaches the system, not just recipes. Budget target: $4-7/day for one person eating well.

- User doesn't know how to cook and wants to learn - Spending too much on takeout and delivery - Needs to cut food budget drastically - Wants to eat better but doesn't know where to start - Recently on their own for the first time

### Step 1: Stock the pantry once ($30-40) This is the foundation. Buy these once — they last weeks to months and turn basic groceries into real meals. ``` THE STARTER PANTRY: OILS & ACIDS: - Olive oil (cooking + dressing) - Neutral oil (vegetable/canola — for high heat) - Vinegar (any kind — white, apple cider, or rice) SEASONINGS (this is where flavor lives): - Salt (the single most important ingredient in cooking) - Black pepper - Garlic powder - Onion powder - Cumin - Paprika - Chili flakes - Dried oregano STAPLES: - Rice (large bag — cheapest calorie source) - Pasta (2-3 boxes) - Canned beans (black, kidney, chickpeas — 6+ cans) - Canned tomatoes (diced, crushed — 4+ cans) - Flour (for thickening, basic baking) - Soy sauce - Hot sauce COST: $30-40 once. Lasts 4-8 weeks. After this, weekly groceries are just fresh stuff: $15-25/week. ``` ### Step 2: Learn 5 techniques, not 50 recipes ``` THE ONLY TECHNIQUES YOU NEED: 1. SAUTE — hot pan, oil, food, stir occasionally Cook: onions/garlic first (2 min), then vegetables (5 min), then protein (until no longer pink). Season. Done. 2. BOIL — water, salt, food Pasta: boil 8-10 min. Rice: 2:1 water to rice, bring to boil, cover, low heat 18 min. Eggs: 10 min = hard boiled. 3. ROAST — oven at 400F/200C, toss with oil + salt, spread on sheet Works for: any vegetable, chicken thighs, potatoes Time: 25-40 min depending on size. Flip halfway. 4. SIMMER — low heat, lid on, walk away This is how you make soups, stews, chili, sauces, beans. Combine ingredients, bring to boil, reduce to low, 20-45 min. 5. DRESS — oil + acid + salt + something extra This turns raw vegetables into salad and plain grains into meals. Basic ratio: 3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar, pinch of salt. ``` ### Step 3: The 10 meals that cover everything Each costs $2-4 per serving and uses pantry staples + cheap fresh ingredients. ``` WEEKLY ROTATION: 1. RICE AND BEANS — cook rice, heat canned beans with cumin + garlic powder + salt. Top with hot sauce. ($0.80/serving) 2. PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE — saute garlic in oil, add canned tomatoes, simmer 15 min, season, toss with pasta. ($1.20/serving) 3. STIR FRY — saute any vegetables + protein with soy sauce + garlic over rice. ($2.50/serving) 4. SHEET PAN DINNER — chicken thighs + chopped vegetables, oil + salt, roast at 400F for 35 min. ($3/serving) 5. SOUP — saute onion + garlic, add broth/water + whatever vegetables you have + canned beans, simmer 25 min. ($1.50/serving) 6. EGGS ANY WAY — scrambled with vegetables, fried on toast, or boiled for meal prep. ($1/serving) 7. QUESADILLA — tortilla + cheese + whatever's in the fridge. Pan until crispy. ($1.50/serving) 8. FRIED RICE — day-old rice + eggs + frozen vegetables + soy sauce. Everything in one pan, 10 min. ($1.50/serving) 9. CHILI — brown ground meat (or skip), add canned beans + canned tomatoes + cumin + chili powder. Simmer 30 min. Makes 6 servings. ($1.80/serving) 10. ROASTED VEGETABLES + GRAIN BOWL — roast whatever's on sale, serve over rice or pasta with dressing. ($2/serving) ``` ### Step 4: The weekly system ``` WEEKLY GROCERY RUN (~$20-25 for one person): - 1 protein (chicken thighs, eggs, ground meat): $5-8 - 3-4 vegetables (whatever's cheapest/on sale): $5-7 - 1 starch if running low (bread, tortillas, potatoes): $2-3 - Fruit (bananas, apples — cheapest options): $2-3 - Dairy if you use it (butter, cheese, milk): $3-5 MEAL PREP SUNDAY (1 hour, saves the whole week): 1. Cook a big pot of rice or grain 2. Roast a sheet pan of vegetables 3. Cook a batch of protein (roast chicken thighs, brown meat) 4. Make one big-batch meal (chili, soup, or stew) This gives you: 3-4 days of ready meals + ingredients to assemble the rest quickly during the week. ``` ### Step 5: Common mistakes that waste money ``` AVOID: - Buying spices you'll use once (stick to the starter list) - Fresh herbs (dried are fine and last months) - "Organic everything" when you're on a budget (spend on what matters) - Recipes that need 15+ ingredients (you'll buy stuff you never use again) - Pre-cut/pre-washed anything (you're paying 3x for convenience) THE ACTUAL MONEY SAVERS: - Buy whole chickens ($1.50/lb vs $4/lb for breasts) - Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious and don't go bad - Dried beans are 1/3 the cost of canned (soak overnight, cook 1-2 hrs) - Store brand everything — it's the same food - Ethnic grocery stores are almost always cheaper ```

- Start with 3 meals from the list, not all 10 - Never assume cooking knowledge — explain what "saute" means, what "medium heat" looks like - Focus on cheap, filling, nutritious — not gourmet - If the user is truly broke, lead with rice + beans + eggs — you can eat well on $3/day

- The biggest barrier to cooking isn't skill, it's energy. Meal prep on Sunday when you have it. Eat the results all week when you don't. - A $15 cast iron skillet will outlive you and does 80% of cooking tasks. - "Season to taste" means: add salt, taste, add more if it's bland. That's the entire secret to restaurant-quality food. - Frozen vegetables are flash-frozen at peak nutrition. They're often more nutritious than "fresh" vegetables that sat in a truck for a week. - The single biggest upgrade to any home cooking: learn to properly salt your food. Most home cooks undersalt everything.