I suppose it is human nature to expect perfect results from a recipe that you have found online, but here is the thing. Most of them require some individual flare and experimentation. So you are going to be disappointed with most of your efforts if you don’t have a basic ability in the kitchen. Which is why a professional Chef is a professional Chef and you are not.

Don’t despair, there are lots of cooking and foodie websites out there that cater for the novice or total newbie. Cowbridgekitchen.com is one such site. It is a food recipe and cooking website that is designed for the total novice to the experienced cooks out there. Packed full of handy tips and tricks as well as some of the best recipes, you will find something of interest.

Now I might be accused of blowing my own trumpet here, I am the creator of Cowbridge Kitchen. My name is Jon Noble and I have been a professional Chef for 30 years, so I know a thing or two about cooking. My approach is somewhat different from many of the main stream cooking channels in that I will show you the easiest way to get the best results. After all, not all of us have the time or the skill to cook like a professional Chef, and you know what? You don’t need to either.

You will probably have been brainwashed by many celebrity Chefs telling you that you need to use lots of different ingredients, some of which you have never heard of t get the best results. You will have to spend all of your spare time in a hot kitchen if you want to impress your friends at a dinner party. None of this is true, and the sooner you forget this advice the better.

Cooking is a subjective activity, what works for one might not work for you, and I get that which is why I always say, ‘Follow this recipe, but add your own bit of magic as well.’ Now this advice can get you into trouble sometimes and that is why all of my recipes are 100% guaranteed to work if you follow them to the letter, but they are not written in stone and you can mix and match most of them.

There are a few exceptions to the idea that cooking is a dynamic and versatile activity that should require some individual interpretation. When Baking you do need to stick to the recipe and the rules. Baking is very different from cooking in that it requires careful measurements and attention to the smallest detail. So although I am not a Baker I do appreciate the difference between both.

So in this introduction on how to become a good Cook, you will learn that cooking is not a science but an art that you can create yourself. Of course there are a few rules that must be followed but once you have the basic you can create magic with your own imagination, that is what most great Chefs do.

My first piece of advice would be to learn the basics then take a recipe and make it your own. If you want to change the flavour by using a different herb or spice, then do it. If you want to change the consistency of a sauce by adding more or less flour, then give it a go.