Cooking is a skill that comes in handy when trying to avoid the expense of having to eat out all the time. Being at the mercy of whatever the restaurant chef feels like preparing at the time gets old after awhile, and learning to cook simple family meals opens up new horizons in the kitchen. Adults taking half day, full day or evening courses can learn basic cooking skills to prepare meat, poultry, fish and even make bread.

Red Meat for a Hearty Meal

There's no secret to cooking a juicy steak, and a little practice will yield tasty results. After preheating a heavy skillet, lightly salt and pepper a thick steak on both sides. Add one to two tablespoons of cooking oil and a dollop of butter. When it sizzles, add the steak. Approximate cooking times:

• Rare, two or three minutes on each side
• Medium rare, three or four minutes on each side
• Medium, four minutes on each side
• Medium well, four to five minutes on each side
• Well done, five to six minutes on each side

A Lighter Main Dish

A perfectly cooked chicken is delicious, and the beauty of this bird is that there are many ways to prepare it. Baking or roasting it is the easiest way to prepare it for beginning cooking students. One way to bring out the flavour is to add salt, pepper, a bay leaf, a crushed garlic clove and thyme to the cavity of the bird and tie the legs shut.

Salt and pepper the bird, rub it down with butter, place it breast down in the pan and cook it at 200 degrees C, or 400 degrees at gas mark 6. Cook it for 15 minutes per pound, and flip the bird over halfway through the cooking process to brown it evenly. When it’s done, let it cool on a platter for 15 minutes.

Dinner from the Sea

Fish is healthy and nutritious, and each different kind has its own distinct flavour. Whether it’s salmon, tuna, whiting or another variety, fresh fish should have a sweet, oceany aroma and look pink and healthy. Fish is delicate, so the most important thing to remember is not to overcook it. Marinate it or season it with salt, pepper and lemon juice. It can be grilled, baked, broiled, poached or fried.

Rounding Out the Meal

No meal is complete without bread, but many are afraid to try making it from scratch. Following the proper steps, it’s simple to make. The four ingredients are flour, water, salt and yeast. The trick is using the proper technique.

Bread can be made using a bowl, or just by kneading it by hand on the counter. Making bread involves 12 steps from start to finish, and this cooking lesson teaches students the details of each step. The chef giving the lesson can advise how long to knead the dough based on what type of bread is being prepared, the proper kneading procedures, how hot the oven should be and how long to bake the bread.

There’s no need to be intimidated by the thought of whipping something up in the kitchen. Students taking a beginners cooking course may even feel empowered when they learn their way around the kitchen. By the end of the course, graduates will begin to realize how enjoyable cooking can be.