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Lifestyle

Great platforms to become inspired to cook

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at TCNJ chapter.

There are many things in life I enjoy. Cooking is one of them. Eating is another. Then there’s watching, reading, and listening about others cooking and eating. I enjoy that too.

It can be daunting to get in the kitchen and actually cook or bake something. It’s so much easier to sit on the couch and watch, read or listen about cooking or baking than do it yourself. I’m sharing my favorite forms of food media that might make you slightly more inclined to jump off the couch and get in the kitchen. 

Watch

Frankie Cooks Youtube Channel 

I first watched one of Frankie Celenza’s videos on Tastemade and, admittedly, I wasn’t hooked. I thought he was super cheesy and somewhat of a know it all. Yet, he really grew on me and I eventually became obsessed with his videos. I owe it all to him for teaching me many cooking basics. He taught me the cho-cho train method for finely chopping vegetables, how to make a good tomato sauce, and tons of classic Italian dishes. 

Frankie Celenza’s Struggle Meals youtube segment motto is “Life can be a struggle, but a good meal doesn’t have to be. We can make creative, nutritious and inventive dishes that won’t break the bank.” These videos are perfect if you live off campus, could use some help in the kitchen, and want to save some money. 

Follow

First off, it was so hard to choose just one account. I spent waayy too much time trying to narrow it down. It is a vast food-instagram universe out there, with all different accounts that make it so wonderful. For the purpose of this article, I chose one that’s a good middle ground. You can find anything from the healthiest, to most indulgent dishes. @huffposttaste features their own recipes, along with other accounts’, and has a wide range of recipe skill level. It’s what I believe is one of those staple food accounts to follow. Not to mention, every post looks absolutely delicious.

Read 

Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat 

Salt Fat Acid Heat is not only an awesome Netflix documentary, but my favorite cookbook. Unlike a traditional cookbook, Salt Fat Acid Heat is meant to be read like a novel. I enjoyed reading Samin’s personal food anecdotes on why chicken should be salted ahead of time, or why fruit tasted so good after coming out of the ocean. It is so interesting to read about Samin’s cooking experiences and the importance of salt, fat, acid, and heat when cooking. Samin Nosrat’s goal is for her readers to understand how to apply each element of cooking without relying solely on a recipe. If you love to cook and bake, give this a read. 

Listen

Bon Appétit Foodcast 

This is for the hardcore foodie. This podcast talks about everything from restaurants to creating recipes, to why chocolate chip cookies are so good, and how to cook just about anything. It’s mindless, yet super interesting.  

Here you have it! My favorite sources of cooking inspiration! Now you can get to cooking……or you know….. get to sitting on the couch and watching, reading, and listening to all my favorites.  

Ever since I was little, I loved to eat! Dinner time was my favorite, because it was when my whole family would come together to share a delicious meal. The whole communion of eating is what really sparked my passion. I love how something as simple as a home cooked meal can bring people together. It truly is special. I began to cook, and as I discovered different ingredients, methods, I fell in love with food even more. I’m so excited to share and learn through this community of amazing people that share my same love for food!