Three Favorite Food Network Shows for Beginning Cooks

I barely know how to boil water, but I've always wanted to learn how to cook. A few years ago, my mother gave me part of her cookbook collection in hopes her donation would inspire me to do more than rip open a bag of Ramen noodles. Recently, I've become a fan of The Food Network, and I wondered if perhaps the popular channel could turn this kitchen newbie into a competent cook.

As my fascination with The Food Network grows, I notice that some cooking shows definitely seem more user-friendly for the beginning home cook than others. I love watching many of the chefs, but I often doubt my ability to recreate some of the culinary masterpieces they whip up onscreen. Fortunately, several of the Food Network chefs keep it simple with lots of basic recipes and easy to follow steps. Here are my picks for the best Food Network shows for beginning cooks.

Rachael Ray: 30 Minute Meals

Everyone has their Food Network favorites, and in my opinion, Rachael Ray is one of the best television chefs for easy to learn cooking techniques. Ray's friendly, approachable manner inspires even the most reluctant beginning cook to venture into the kitchen for the first time. Her recipes frequently include one dish dinners, and on a recent episode of her hit Food Network show "30 Minute Meals," she prepares a one pan "deviled skillet chicken" recipe, which she declares perfect for cooks of all "skillet levels."

Rachael Ray's "30 Minute Meals" has plenty of tips, tools and tricks for the beginning home cook. Her recipes are simple and easy to understand, and Ray breaks down each step in order to demystify the process of cooking. She uses inexpensive, readily available grocery items instead of hard to find gourmet ingredients, and I like how she isn't rigid about measuring: she eyeballs spices, uses a coffee mug as a measuring tool and goes once around the pan with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). If you catch only one Food Network show, watch "30 Minute Meals," as Rachael Ray makes learning to cook accessible and fun, even for the kitchen challenged.

Claire Robinson: 5 Ingredient Fix

If you think you have to be Julia Child to step into the kitchen, you haven't seen the Food Network's "5 Ingredient Fix." Host Claire Robinson keeps things refreshingly simple with her uncomplicated premise: every recipe presented on her show uses five (or fewer) ingredients. In my opinion, Robinson offers some of the most user friendly and foolproof recipes on the Food Network.

One recent episode of "5 Ingredient Fix" features a "steakhouse" meal that is ideal for beginning cooks. Robinson poaches beef tenderloin and serves it with a port wine reduction and elegant smashed potatoes. The meal sounds fancy; however, her down to earth, non-intimidating style and quick and easy recipes will have you cooking like a pro in no time flat. You'll also save some time and money, as Robinson frequently reuses common pantry items (like garlic infused olive oil) in her recipes. If you'd like to learn more about food, cooking, and basic kitchen tools and techniques, don't miss Claire Robinson and "5 Ingredient Fix."

Sunny Anderson: Cooking for Real

Sunny Anderson always brightens my day and makes me smile. The opening of her show "Cooking for Real" displays the phrase "real food, real fast, real easy" and those words sum up her philosophy. Her show demonstrates practical cooking techniques for busy people who want to create delicious, wholesome meals without spending all day in the kitchen.

Anderson shares anecdotes about food, family and her world travels as she cooks, and her style is warm and engaging. Each episode features a mix of fresh ingredients like produce, eggs and seafood, combined with pantry staples and the occasional convenience store item (in one episode, she explains how to use shredded supermarket rotisserie chicken in one of her recipes). "Cooking for Real" is all about no fuss, crowd pleasing comfort foods made easy, and one afternoon I watched Anderson put a sophisticated spin on her favorite childhood foods: catfish sticks, pasta wheels with cheese, and applesauce. If you're trying to learn to cook for your family, I think you'll appreciate her many kid friendly recipes.

Whenever I watch these Food Network chefs, I feel like I'm hanging out in the kitchen, cooking with friends. These hosts offer something for every taste, as Rachael Ray prepares a lot of poultry and pasta, Claire Robinson is more of a meat and potatoes kind of girl, and Sunny Anderson favors fish. Free recipes from these chefs and many more are available at: www.foodnetwork.com. Let these Food Network shows be your guide, and get cooking!

Sources:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/30-minute-meals/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/5-ingredient-fix/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/cooking-for-real/index.html