Do you have any advice for me?

[chowmama]

22. Think of a category of food you like and start small. Keep it simple.

Make one thing - say, a main dish and buy the sides and/or dessert.

If you're an omnivore, there's not much simpler than braised meat. Take a tough cut, brown it very well for a short time over high heat, throw a little seasoning and liquid into it, cover it, and cook it over a very low heat or bake it till it gives up. It takes hours, but really no further attention. Maybe look at it midway to be sure the liquid isn't cooking away. You can add more if you need to, but I've never needed to. Let the store supply the sides. This technique gives you everything from pot roast or short ribs to Boeuf Bourguignon. It's always better the next day, so great leftovers. One of my favorites involves beef, tomato sauce, canned green chilis, onions and beer. The leftovers get shredded for BBQ beef on a hamburger bun.

Is supper the only meal in question? For a special easy breakfast, get steel-cut oats. Start them the night before, boiling them for only a minute, turn off the heat, slap a lid on them and go to bed. Don't refrigerate them, just leave them alone. Re-boil the next morning (you will have to stir them a little) for about 5 minutes and you've got good oatmeal.

If you like pizza, try it a few times - you'll get really good at it. (I still can't slide it onto a pizza stone, but nobody's ever refused a slice from off a cooky sheet yet. If they do, it's their loss.) You can start by buying the dough and work up to that later. Get good spaghetti sauce, use it sparingly and sprinkle on a little extra oregano. Whatever toppings you want. And you've got spaghetti for tomorrow night.

Get everything you need to throw together a huge antipasto salad. The same store will have french bread that you can warm up in a slow oven with no effort at all. A little red wine, you've got dinner. If it's a date night and you've got the time and inclination, make dessert an assortment of cheeses with some cut-up ripe pears or other fruit. This whole meal is more assembly than cooking.

Play around. Go easy on the salt; you can always add more if you need it. And, as an old cookbook once told me, just start frying a chopped onion. Ideas will come to you.