The podcast episode above is about how to have an online (or in-person) cookbook club. The article below will explain why cooking as a hobby will contribute to better health. At least it has for my family and I believe it will for you, too. The transcripts for the podcast episode are also at the bottom of this post. Just wanted to point out that it is different content that goes together, so explore both.



In addition, I hope you'll join and cook along with us in A Tasty Bite - my small online group, but even if you don't, I still hope you consider cooking as a hobby.



Leaving Home without Cooking Skills



At age nineteen, when I rented my very first place and became responsible for preparing my own meals, I soon realized my cooking skills were lacking. At that time if you wanted to learn to do something you either found someone who knew, went to school, or consulted a book. I did all three!



Learning from Friends and Family



If you have friends or family who are skilled at cooking, ask them to let you be their sous chef. At the very least, offer to do their dishes and they'll likely let you hang around and learn.



Lucky for me, I was living in Germany at the time I needed to gain cooking skills. I was surrounded by a diverse group of people. Some were my colleagues in the Air Force who were from all over the US and had wide a variety of tastes and therefore, cooking methods. 



Others were my German and French friends. We rented our house from a middle-aged couple who lived in the upper portion of a huge house on a cherry farm. The entire downstairs belonged to us. The German husband made his own homemade schnapps which he encouraged us to watch and taste. While the wife turned out huge spreads of food including my favorite, Apfelkuchen. His two daughters showed me around the countryside, into France, and from them, I learned the food etiquette of Germans.



From another coworker, a person of color, I learned which types of cheese will melt and which ones won't and the fact that Velveeta was not really cheese at all. She taught me how to put together simple recipes that her mom taught her and her siblings when she was a kid like a barbecue sauce that was not from a bottle.



During the time I was stationed in Germany, many Germans and French civilians worked for the US Government. One of my coworkers was an older French woman from whom I learned you do not have to be a professional chef to attempt fancy French Cuisine. Another coworker's wife was Mexican American and she introduced me to spices and flavors I'd never tasted before. A Cuban boyfriend introduced me to guacamole and many other tasty foods.



Learning from My First Cookbook



Being on my own so far from my loved ones, I wasn't able to ask for help in the process of cooking foods I was familiar with such as biscuits and gravy. Phone calls were expensive. 



Shopping at the Base Exchange, I picked up my very first cookbook. Of course, it was a simple Betty Crocker, red cover cookbook, but I learned how to cook the basics. Pot pie, meatloaf, and muffins were among those first recipes. Nothing fancy, just what I'd consider regular food. I still remember making my very first quiche. That cookbook got me hooked on cooking my own food.



Still, this was before the age of tv shows about cooking were as popular as they are now. 



When I returned to the states I had access to more people and new recipes from friends and family. I asked my grandma lots of questions because I considered her a great cook who always had good food on the table. My aunts and of course, my mom, were also a source of learning new skills.



Then I subscribed to Taste of Home magazine and began experimenting with new foods. These meals I shared with my huge church family, since being a military town, we all needed one another and grew close over good food and fellowship. Those were the casserole days. Followed by the grilling days of long Savannah, Georgia summers.



Turning Towards Healthier Cookbooks



Later, I discovered the cooking section in Barnes and Noble, and well, the rest is history. That's when I started to learn the health benefits of certain foods and began to gear my cooking more towards the fruit and veg department. I transitioned through every stage of diet from raw vegan to keto. 



My love of cooking and sharing a good meal has only grown stronger since then. I don't exclude food groups anymore but I do make it a goal to use whole ingredients.







Why Cooking as a Hobby is the Best Hobby!



My family members enjoy the fruits of my cooking hobby on a daily basis. In addition, all of my six children knew the basic cooking techniques to prepare pretty much anything by the time they were teenagers. I'd even say that all of them are good cooks. 



Even my oldest son taught his best friend's mom how to shop for healthier foods and prepare meals at home instead of eating out all the time. He didn't even ask me one question, just made a list and showed her how to plan and prepare some basic meals. She and he



The Culinary Arts Can Open the Door to Countries and Cultures



Another thing I love about exploring the culinary arts is that eventually, you're going to start learning about other countries and what flavors are prevalent there. That leads to learning more about cultural norms in different countries. For example, if you explore Asian cuisines, you'll likely learn to use chopsticks. Most Asian cookbooks written in English have introductions and other explanatory paragraphs. 



In these, you'll learn things like don't stick your chopsticks in rice, or leave them crossed on your bowl or the table. How about this one, did you know in China it's considered bad luck to flip a fish? In Germany, sodas are served without ice. You might learn these things while traveling, but you will also stumble across this information in cookbooks.





Here are some other reasons cooking is the best hobby




Cooking can be relaxing! Just go with the flow and don't get too fussy about techniques.



You'll save money cooking your own food because eating out is almost always more expensive, meal for meal. Eating at home is healthier than eating out at restaurants.



It's easier to control ingredients, so if you're on a low-carb, gluten-free, or sugar-free diet, you won't have to worry.



You can have a fancy bottle of olive oil on your kitchen counter. Most restaurants don't use quality oils in cooking, instead they use industrial oils (not healthy!)



Collecting kitchen gadgets is fun! Check out my favorites at the bottom of this post.



You'll always have friends, they'll want to eat with you on a regular basis!



If you have kids, they won't be too picky about foods because they'll have been expose to a wide variety of tastes, textures, and techniques.




Tips and Notes for Starting



Part of why I created an online cookbook club was to get people interested in preparing their own meals because that is healthier than eating out at restaurants. Another reason is that it is easier to maintain a healthy weight when you prepare your own food at home. Many of my friends tell me they don't enjoy cooking. When I hear this I wonder if they just have yet to have a good experience with cooking. We're all different, but we all need to eat, so I feel that even if you don't pick up cooking as a hobby, you will want to have at least a few simple cookbooks that you can use to prepare some healthy meals at home. 



Explore my cookbook review section to see if something sparks your interest. Find the latest cookbook club selection here.




If you want your cooking hobby to lead to health, focus on whole food cookbooks and avoid the ones that call for lots of "cream of mushroom soup" mixed with mayonnaise and sour cream, etc. Not knocking those foods, but they're not as healthy as spring vegetable soup made from greens from the local farmer's market!



Get familiar with the grocery store and don't be in too much of a rush when you're shopping. Read the labels. Get to know the produce section.



Don't be afraid to try new recipes.



Learn to use a meat thermometer.



When using a recipe, always read it from start to finish before you begin.



Grilling takes practice, even though it looks easy!




Want to take your Hobby Culinary Skills Pro?



Find your culinary voice at The Institute of Culinary Education.



The Institute of Culinary Education’s Plant-Based Culinary Arts career-training program (formerly Health-Supportive Culinary Arts) provides foundational, professional training in the techniques and art of cooking with a focus on plant-based cooking, whole foods and sustainability.



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Cook With Me Video Playlist




https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjvlC9hrVqF0xgCYqGkiL3JTWy8NZxApQ




A few of my favorite kitchen gadgets



These tools are ones that you don't have to have for basic cooking but they make exploring cookbooks more fun. You likely won't find these in the kitchen of someone who rarely cooks, but if you spot them in someone's kitchen, chances are they spend a good deal of time in there. Amazon Kitchen Storefront.





cookbooks



[00:00:00 ] Welcome to a healthy bite. You're one nibble closer to a more satisfying way of life. A healthier you and bite size bits of healthy motivation. Now let's dig in on the dish with Rebecca Huff. 



[00:00:16 ] Hey there I am so glad that you have joined me for today. Episode of a healthy bite. I am talking about something today that I am very passionate about and anyone who really knows me knows that I am an avid cookbook collector.



[00:00:33 ] I confess I can't pass a beautiful cookbook without flipping through the pages. And usually I end up taking it home with me. The first section I had to, when I go to a bookstore is almost always the cookbook section.