Food & DrinkTaste how to cookcooking

15 Reasons You Need To Learn How To Cook, Seriously

Think gourmet meals, vacations, and maybe even a better love life.
By 

Taste Senior Editor, HuffPost

We go through great lengths here at HuffPost Taste to discover the best recipes and newest cooking techniques for you guys to try at home. We are endlessly searching for dishes that will pique our readers interest, without ever stopping to ask ourselves a fundamental question: how many of you out there actually cook (and how many of you are just in it for the food porn)?

While it's one thing to be able to whip up a four-course meal at a moments notice -- that's a skill we don't expect from anyone but the best of chefs -- we do hope that everyone one of you can at least make a decent pot of soup, a nice bowl of pasta and a solid batch of chocolate chip cookies from scratch. Knowing how to do these very basic kitchen tasks will make your life so much better, for so many different reasons -- about 15 of them to be exact.

If you've been meaning to test out your stove for the first time, but have been procrastinating for no good reason, read on and you might find just the inspiration you need to finally do so. You'll probably also learn that cooking can be pretty fun too.

Behold, the 15 ways learning how to cook will make your life even better:

1
You'll have the advantage of knowing exactly what's in your food
Flickr: Andrea Goh
No more Swedish horse meatballs for you.
2
You won't have to decide between cheap Chinese or pizza delivery for dinner ever AGAIN
Flickr: femme run
Unless you want to. But it will be a choice, not a punishment.
3
You can bake people cakes for their birthday, and make them infinitely happy
Sweetapolita
Just look at these great cakes you'll be able to make.
4
You'll be eating healthier without even trying
Flickr: tarale
Or you can go the other direction and drown everything in butter. Up to you. (But even then, chances are it'll be better for you than what you can get at a restaurant.)
5
Your friends and family will be SO impressed
James Ransom/Food52
Even when you just roast vegetables. (BTW, this takes about zero skill to make.)
6
Everyone at work will LOVE you because you bring in freshly-baked cookies
Sara Remington
You can win anyone over with a thousand-layer chocolate chip cookie recipe. You could probably even score yourself a promotion.
7
You'll save so much money
Flickr: 401(K) 2013
Cooking at home isn't always cheap, but it will always be cheaper than eating out. Over the course of a year, you could probably save up enough to go on a vacation.
8
You can finally stop buying instant ramen
Flickr: mdid
It was okay in college, but if you're still doing this in your late 20s it's getting to be kind of sad. It's time to grow up, and learn how to make a real pot of soup.
9
You'll develop knife skills so good you'll intimidate even the fiercest ninja
Flickr: Björn Söderqvist
Like whoa.
10
You can satisfy your every craving
Flickr: andrewmalone
Want crepes? Whip up a batch. Have a yearning for eggs benedict? Go ahead and start beating those eggs yolks. Need a piece of blueberry pie right now? Just bake one (or two). Knowing how to cook means you'll never go without great food again.
11
Cooking is kind of hot
Flickr: vanz
And knowing how to do it is an easy way to score a date or two.
12
You can make this
A Beautiful Mess
It's time to put the Kraft down people, and pay some respects to real macaroni and cheese.
13
And this
Yes, all those wonderful layers of crepe cake can be yours if you just make yourself useful in the kitchen.
14
And THIS
James Ransom/Food52
Yes, you could make this. Pork belly is definitely worth learning to cook for. Get this pork belly recipe, and more.
15
AND ABOUT A MILLION OF THESE
How Sweet it Is
Homemade snickers trumps store-bought any day. Make it, you'll see. If nothing we've said before convinced you that cooking can improve your life, one taste of these will definitely make you see the light.

Want to read more from HuffPost Taste? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr.

Related

Taste how to cookcookingFood and Drink

Before You Go

Sweetbreads

Foods You Have To Eat Before You Die

|
Submit a tip

Popular in the Community

Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE