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Practice!

I would tell a novice cook to conquer one mountain at a time. First, have the right equipment, and read what each thing is for. Then, pick something you love to eat, and master the method. I don't think there is a correct sequence, but I would start simple, and build upon my acquired knowledge. In the end, when you've absorbed all the rules, you will realize they are all meant to be broken, and are just guidelines.

to follow up on jcrisco's comment, take the time to learn good knife skills and practice.

I agree with practice, practice, practice (and have some backup dishes or a good takeout joint telephone number close by in case of total screw ups!) Personally, I found watching cooking shows to be incredibly helpful (this would be in the days before internet - yes, I date myself). I watched Biba's Italian kitchen, Caprial's Cafe, The Urban Peasant and such shows long before there was a Food Network and learned so much.

And one more thing - find a good grocery store. I have never lived in a large cosmpolitan center like NYC or Boston, but I was always willing to drive to get to a store that had a few "different" veggies (bok choy! lemongrass!), cuts of meat (lamb shanks! turkey breast!), cheeses (ricotta, blue! - can you tell I grew up in a small town with a highly unadventurous mother as cook!)

Keep a well-stocked pantry, so you can do a quick run to the perimeters of your store and have meals for the week. Stock up on sale items and fill your freezer whenever you can, so you'll always be able to make something in a pinch. Master a few of your favorite recipes. That will give you the confidence to expand your skills and cooking knowledge. If you have none of either, ask a friend to cook with you. Always have a good basic cookbook for reference and recipes. Have a good thermometer to check cooking temps of meat. Check Cook's Illustrated for recipes, product recommendations and tasting tests. Invaluable information.

read several cookbooks and magazines. it helps to formulate ideas in your head so you can create on your own. Also, don't be afraid to overseason, chances are you'll always underseason.

Collect all your favorite family recipes. Especially those from older generations. Next, keep a log of what you do. Your best bet is to follow a recipe exactly for the first time you make it. Good? But could be better? or fewer portions? write it in your log. Chefs keep notes, why shouldn't you. Before you know it, you have your own recipe book with original (mostly) recipes that others in your family will ask you for! Good luck.

All of the responses are excellent--thanks!

I would suggest: prepare recipes & cook foods you love...as a kid this might be choc chip cookies! One needs to nourish themselves well first before cooking for others:)

My biggest issue when I began cooking was timing, as I'd start everything at once and be left with mushy vegetables and half-cooked meat. Gross. Read all recipes in a meal thoroughly, and configure a cooking plan so that everything is finished at the same time (write it down if you have to!).

It also helps me still to lay everything out before starting - equipment, utensils, ingredients, etc. Not necessarily measured into perfect little coordinating bowls (cough, cough, Martha Stewart, cough) but it's extremely useful both in timing and preventing a stressful experience.

savecara is so right. Timing is what separates the experienced from the novice in the kitchen and prep is crucial. Plan and practice. It can be so much fun and rewarding in so many different ways, if you don't put pressure on yourself.

Collecting family recipes is something to start NOW and add your favorites for your children to pass down.

War story: Married one month, planned a New Year's Eve dinner party for about 20 people. Only knew how to make Veal Parmesan with spaghetti, salad & garlic bread. All set, right? I forgot that I could only fit 3 pieces of meat in my electric frying pan at a time, had to keep them warm in the oven on plates because I had no baking pans/sheets. I panicked and got so stressed. We finally ate many, hours late, and I spent the entire party in the kitchen. My guests were starving, so they ate every bite at least. Lesson learned.

My SIL, newly married, invited the whole family for dinner and served roast chicken. It was very pink. Scary. We actually ate it, because we knew she'd be mortified. That was a very long time ago I'm not sure I'd do the same today.

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Save your pennies and invest in good cookware. My nephew who just graduated from the CIA actually questioned several local chefs as to what they would recommend. They all offered the same basic advice. INVEST in top-quality tools. I have a set of 30-year old LeCreuset that I still swear by. (Of course I've purchased pots and pans since then!) It truly is an investement in your culinary future.

Colorado Jim---LOL...okay, I get the hint & admit I've had MAYBE a few too many _____ talk questions in the past few days:)

Lots of good advice here! I think the key is to enjoy cooking and not to see it as a chore. Cooking is a very creative and extremely rewarding process (alright, maybe not ALWAYS extremely rewarding, but still:-)). Once you realise that, you are not afraid of cooking, and this is a big thing. Unlike baking, cooking is fairly forgiving and many "mishaps" can be fixed or transformed. Improvise, be creative, go with your instincts. Now, since I'm a little bit Monkish, I also have to say that timing and organisation are really, really important. The value of mise en place can't be overestimated: chop and prep everything you need BEFORE firing up that stove, and you'll find out that even more complicated recipes are not so complicated any more.

try different fruits and veggies. you may find something you didn't know you like. try them more than once (some are an acquired taste). for me, it was artichokes.

Keep in mind that it's actually very hard to poison yourself. Short of that, everything else is a learning experience to some extent, and a minor or major success to some other extent. Keep track of your experiments. And don't overspend--if you have to choose between ingredients and implements, cook good food in a crummy pot. My favorite knife, bought 35 years ago at Cretin Barrel, is a no-name, ugly piece of steel but it takes a good edge and I know everything I can do with it.

I'll echo whoever said "Prepare" above. Get everything prepped - onions diced, etc. - BEFORE you turn the heat on! I ruined some meals when I was younger by starting the cooking before I was really ready to.

Don't be discouraged if your food doesn't turn out right the first time. Or the second. Or the third.

Get really good cookware and take good care of it. My mom gave me a set of pots when I got my first apartment, and they're still as good as new 25 years later (I don't even know what brand they are - they aren't marked), but I've bought and replaced what seems like dozens of cheap fry pans since then. I finally learned to spend the money and get the GOOD stuff, and my food is better now. A dish can be ruined by cooking in a fry pan that's been warped (my cheap ones always warped) because the oil puddles in one place and doesn't distribute over the bottom properly, and because it won't sit level on the burner, thus heating unevenly, etc.

Watch Alton Brown's shows. A lot of shows explain WHAT to do; Alton explains WHY.

Learn the basics of food safety and USE that knowledge.

Congrats JEP on the award! A WELL deserved accomplishment - everyone LOVES ALL of your questions including me :)

Hillary
Chew on That

I suggest novice cooks print this thread!

Another tidbit for novices - "Cooking is an art, baking is a science." While you can toss in a little of this or that to a stew or soup, you really should measure carefully any ingredients for baking. Ingredients in baking cause chemical reactions that are heavily dependent on chemical balance. Cooking can be winged (wung?) but baking recipes should be closely followed.

smallblondemom---excellent suggestion...call Mom! In AG's book he was on the phone with Lauren giving her support while she made a Basic Tomato Sauce.

Good insight..."absorbing" as a way of learning!

Eat slowly and taste. Try to identify layers and flavors. Don't be shy about discussing what you taste.

Sounds like everything else has been covered, so I will just add...

Don't fry bacon naked.

Congrats JEP.