The Fundamentals of Cooking (Part 2)

Last week I discussed some things that are essential and fundamental for cooking. But those were only a few things that you guys need to know. There is so much more to tell you guys about. And here we go!

As a beginner myself, I had no idea on what the cooking fundamentals were, so like any other confused teenager searching for answers, I simply searched "Fundamentals of Cooking." Simple as that.



   

I decided to try out www.marthastewart.com because Martha Stewart was a great cook.

As I expected, she had a lot to say on the matter. The first and most important thing is to know what kitchen utensils to use and how  to use them properly. There are a wide variety of cooking utensils to choose from. There are many different knives to use for different meals and dishes. As well as a great number of other necessary cooking utensils.

She suggested to go down into your kitchen and see how many different kitchen utensils you can name as well as their function. When I tried it out I saw that I still have a LONG way to go. But with dedication and practice I can get better at anything.

Until next time!

-Marky Mark

Cooking: The Fundamentals of Cooking

Before we start cooking and actually begin preparing meals, we gotta talk about about the basics and fundamentals of cooking. I am going to give you all the basic tools and knowledge you will need to actually cook.

I figured that the easiest way to get the fundamentals and basics of cooking, was too simply google "fundamentals and basics of cooking."



   

The very first thing that popped up was culinaryarts.about.com, so i started with that.

First of all, there are two main types of baking. There is dry heat cooking and moist heat cooking. Dry heat cooking deals with roasting, broiling, or sauteing and moist heat cooking deals with braising, steaming, or poaching. Depending on what you want to cook, you have to decide which method of cooking you are going to want to use.

This information is critical to cooking anything. Before you can actually cook a meal, you have to decide what you want to cook at that time and exactly how you want to cook it. This is very helpful for me because now I know that I need to stop, think, and plan before I can actually do anything remotely related to cooking.

Now that I know this, I will be more prepared for my future cooking endeavors. I hope that this information helped you guys as much as it has helped me. That is all for this week so tune in next week for some more info on cooking.

-Marky Mark

The History and Evolution of Cooking

Before I actually get into the specifics of cooking and start trying and experimenting with new foods and ingredients, I wanted to give you guys a little bit of a background on cooking and to give you a pretty good idea of how cooking started and how it became what we know today.

I wasn't exactly sure where to start, so i googled "history of cooking" and saw what options Google had for me.

                                   

At the top of the page, I found a website called allthatcooking.com so I figured that would be a good starting place.

What i found on this site was pretty interesting. I learned that the origins of cooking are not known for a fact. No one knows for sure how cooking started. This site suggests that when there were forest fires, early humans ate burnt animals and figured that they tasted better then just raw meat. But from that accidental discovery, cooking is now so huge that everyone knows about it. Throughout the thousands of years, people began to experiment and see what things worked and what things didn't work. Through this process, humans have learned how to create new foods constantly.

I find this extremely inspiring. It shows that anyone can learn how to cook. It doesn't matter where you come from, who you are, or what you do. You can do anything you set your mind to, and learning to cook can be very beneficial in life. It also teaches to not give up. If you do something wrong, try it again until you get it right.

After reading this article, I have a new resolve. That resolve is to not give up on my dream of learning how to cook. No matter how many times I fail or mess up, I am going to keep moving forward and doing my best. It is my deepest hope, that you guys don't give up on your dreams either. Just keep swimming. :)

-Marky Mark

Genius Hour: The Details

Hey Guys!! Welcome to "Cooking w/ Marky Mark." My name is Mark Yocum  and this is my Genius Hour project and through this next year I will be trying and learning a lot of new things about all things cooking. I will be looking up recipes on how to make certain things, actually cooking them, and giving you guys step by step instructions and tips. I will also be researching on the history of cooking in general. How it started, the most famous chefs, and other things of that nature. The reason I am doing this is because my AP Language teacher Mr. Reyes told me to do it hahaha just kidding. The real reason I am doing this is because I have always been fascinated about food and have always wanted to learn to cook. Your probably wondering why I haven't really started until now. The answer to that question is because I have never really had the time or motivation to actually do it. But because of this project, I finally have the opportunity and motivation to learn how to cook. I am also writing this blog and doing all of this research and experimentation for you guys, my readers. Through my blog I hope you guys can further your knowledge and experience in all things cooking and food. I am looking forward to sharing all of the things I learn with you guys and hope you guys will be inspired to try new things like I have. Until next time!

 -Marky Mark