I'm 28 and I've never learned to cook well. I only know how to make basic stuff. I'd like to start preparing more interesting meals but I don't know where to start or what recipes are easy for someone with no experience.
The first thing is to start with basic techniques, not complicated recipes: learn how to make a decent sofrito, how to sear meat, how to cook pasta al dente. YouTube has amazing channels where you can see exactly the movements and timing, which you don't get the same way from a book. After that you can gradually increase the difficulty, but honestly for the first few months focus on mastering the simple stuff - a good rice, sautéed vegetables, a roasted chicken - because confidence builds that way.
Is there any kind of food that catches your interest? Because starting with what you actually enjoy cooking makes all the difference in keeping the motivation going.
What kind of cuisines catch your interest - Italian, Asian, Mexican? Best to start there instead of trying to master everything. Look up basic cooking channels on YouTube (there are tons of creators teaching step by step) and pick three or four simple recipes you love: pasta al pomodoro, chicken and rice, homemade tacos, that sort of thing. Cook the same recipe two or three times in a row before moving on to another one, because that's how you start understanding how ingredients behave and you lose the fear. The key is that you actually cook, not just watch tutorials, because that's where it really sticks.
Before you start looking for recipes or techniques, you need to invest in three things: a decent knife, a pan that's actually worth it, and a kitchen thermometer. Sounds weird but I'm telling you this because without basic tools you're gonna get frustrated quick and any recipe is gonna seem impossible. After that, yeah, start with foods you actually eat and enjoy in real life, not what you think you "should" learn first, because that way you'll get the hang of it without getting bored along the way.
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