The most healthful meal is the one you cook at home. But for those of us skilled at the art of takeout, the idea of cooking in our kitchens is daunting. Who has time after a busy day to shop, chop, prepare and cook?
Mark Bittman. (Suzy Allman for The New York Times)The Times’s food writer Mark Bittman always makes cooking look easy as author of the weekly Minimalist column and his new blog Bitten. He’s also the author of several cookbooks, including “How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food.” I recently spoke with Mark about the how-to’s of home cooking, his favorite ingredients and a lot about beans.
Why do you think so many people find it tough to cook regularly at home?
I think there are a couple of lost generations. In the years after the war it became less and less popular to cook and more and more common to do things conveniently. Especially people born after 1960 or after, when reentering the workforce and using canned and frozen microwave stuff — they just didn’t see their mothers cooking.
For those of us who want to cook more, what’s your advice for getting started?
I would say start with a decent cookbook. Pick something you really like, and make the effort to be successful; you want positive reinforcement. Read the recipe carefully, set aside the time and make sure you’ve got the ingredients and the equipment and really walk yourself through it. What takes you two hours the first time may only take 15 minutes the third time.
What supplies should I always have in my kitchen? Are there any special pots or pans I need?
In “How To Cook Everything,” there are lists of what you need for your pantry and a list of the equipment. You can start with three or four pans, a couple different utensils. And you can start with 10 or 15 ingredients. The list includes pasta and rice, canned beans and tomatoes, spices, olive oil, eggs and butter, long-keeping vegetables like onions, potatoes and garlic and canned stock. You have to start with the right ingredients, and you have to invest a little money and a fair amount of time.
But that is usually the problem for most people. They say they don’t have time to cook. I know I often don’t.
Well, whatever it takes to get food on the table, you have to do something. I’m not saying calling the Chinese takeout guy is harder than cooking. But all things considered, it’s not that much different. Yesterday morning I woke up and cooked beans while getting ready to come to work. I got home really late, like at 7:45 p.m. I reheated the beans, washed some lettuce and broiled a piece of fish. I had stuff on the table in 15 minutes. People say, “I have no time.” It’s like exercise: you have to want to do it.
For me the worst part of cooking is shopping for groceries and figuring what ingredients I need for a meal.
These days I cook a lot of things that are already in the house. I eat a lot of eggs, vegetables, beans and pasta. A lot of people think cooking is complicated. But this is the thing. Once you learn what you’re doing you realize it’s not. As I said, I woke up yesterday and made beans. Even if you take a can of beans and throw it in a pot with cherry tomatoes (you don’t even have to cut them up), some garlic and olive oil — there’s nothing wrong with that. Broil a piece of fish, wash some lettuce, and you have a fine meal. If your kids don’t like fish, then use shrimp or a piece of meat. I’ve gotten so used to cooking simply I almost never do anything else. Even when people come over for dinner — they get the same things I cook for myself. If I made what I just described to you and you were coming over for dinner, you’d probably think, “He cooked. How nice.” People worry about this too much.
How many different types of meals should we know how to make? Is variety important?
Whatever makes you happy. If you know how to broil a piece of fish or meat, if you know how to make a stir-fry and a couple pasta dishes and maybe a rice dish, and if you know how to deal with beans and make a salad, at that point you are well on your way.
When you are cooking, do you ask yourself whether it’s healthy, or do you just want it to taste good?
I always thought if you were aware of what you were putting in your mouth you’re not going to eat badly. Nobody can cook what they cook in fast-food joints and restaurants, in general, because you just don’t have the same ingredients. But if you looked at what it means to put a half a cup of butter in a dish, you would just look and say, “I’m going to use less.” When you cook yourself, you just don’t put the same kind of crappy things in there that people put in food that is prepared for you.
Do you have a favorite ingredient?
I go through an awful lot of olive oil, a stunning amount. I’m eating a lot of legumes.
You’ve talked a lot about beans. How do you cook them? Don’t you have to soak them?
You don’t have to soak them, but it makes it faster if you do. If you soak small dried beans overnight, I wager you could get them most of the way cooked by the time you and your daughter got out of the house in the morning. There’s a lot of stuff you can start and stop in the morning, especially beans and grains.
I have to confess, I’m not much of a bean eater. Maybe I need to start. Why are you such a fan?
It’s the flavor, the satisfaction, the non-meatness, the high-fiberness. When you get into cooking you start to see the subtle differences among things. At first I didn’t know anything about fish, then I learned 50 species, and then it mattered if it was bay scallops or sea scallops or pink scallops. That’s where I’m at these days with vegetables and legumes. I didn’t pay much attention to cooking them for most of my adult life, and now I’m starting to understand the subtle differences.
Okay, so what beans should we all be trying?
Chickpeas are the best. Now I’m into these huge beans called gigantes. You eat three of them and it’s like you had a small potato. But you can take a pound of chickpeas, cook them on a Saturday and stick them in the refrigerator tossed with olive oil, and you can eat them all week long.
Do you have a particular food indulgence?
I have a lot of friends in the food business, so I get my share of treats. At home it’s almost like I’m happy with pretty much everything I cook. It’s not that it’s so great. It’s the knowledge that I put something together, it’s simple and I put something on the table and there we are, sitting and eating it. It’s something I’ve loved doing for a long time, and I’m still into it.
Healthy living doesn't happen at the doctor's office. The road to better health is paved with the small decisions we make every day. It's about the choices we make when we buy groceries, drive our cars and hang out with our kids. Join columnist Tara Parker-Pope as she sifts through medical research and expert opinions for practical advice to help readers take control of their health and live well every day. You can reach Ms. Parker-Pope at 
The easiest and most pleasurable way to eat well is to cook. Recipes for Health offers recipes with an eye towards empowering you to cook healthy meals every day. 
From 1 to 25 of 133 Comments
Way to go Mr. Bittman! I’ve never understood why people think cooking is so hard or so time consuming. With the staples he suggests (pasta, rice, beans, canned tomatoes, stock, onions, garlic, etc.), it’s easy to make a healthful meal in less than 15 minutes. And this includes the salad! Staples at my house include what he’s got on his list, but I’d add whole cream, yoghurt or creme fraiche, pots of herbs, and at least one cheese (bleu, parm, St. Andre). The combinations of flavors and possibilities when you add a meat or other protein to this list are almost endless.
For beginning cooks, I think he’s on track with the suggestion for finding a cookbook *you* like; but a good start if you don’t know what you like might be Julia Child’s “The Way to Cook,” or the monthly FOOD magazine from Martha Stewart. And Epicurious.com is invaluable if you have a food you want to try, but just don’t have any ideas on how to cook it.
Bon Appetit!
— Elizabeth ReginaMy wife and I live an old New Yorker cartoon in reverse. The cartoon shows two women talking about the husband of the speaker who is busy cooking. She says, “He’s a pretty good cook, even if he is recipe bound.” My wife is a great cook but always starts with a recipe. I improvise much to her scorn. Oh well.
Too often we think that we need the crutch of a recipe when, as Bittman has shown, what we need are groups of things that we can improvise off of. Take one from column carbohydrate, one from column protein, one from column fiber and vitamins (veggies) and one from column fat … mix together with some salt and spices and enjoy. It really is that easy.
— Paul KobulnickyBest idea I heard about cooking at home (which we do almost exclusively)is to shop on Thursday. Plan a short meal for that night. On Wednesday, plan your meals for the coming week. That way on Saturday and Sunday, you have more time to make things to freeze, to pre-chop things (mis en place) and make more complicated dishes. You’ve already been shopping and the whole thing becomes a lot less overwhelming.
And the best thing to overcome the chore of chopping is a good cutting board, and a sharp knife. Nothing fancy needed!
— MicheleTara, I think it’s terrific that you’re providing solutions to some valid concerns that were expressed in previous blogs. Thanks for bringing Mark in to offer advice.
— CynthiaI totally agree with the idea of “columns” of food in post #2, that you pick and choose from, and describe my cooking philosophy/diet to people this way. (I’m a vegetarian, and many people have a really hard time imagining what I eat and when I describe it this way they understand). Most of my meals each week are this simple, and then I usually do a couple of more complicated dishes for variety and depth.
I understand the time crunch people feel, but happily for me cooking is a way for me to unwind and relax!
— traceyWhen I started to learn how to cook many years ago (and I am only 26) I studied and mastered the most basic of recipes. Gourmet? No. But learning how to par-boil bacon and baking a simple bread lays the foundation for advanced cooking. What I think happens is people who “can’t cook” get overwhelmed by recipes which call for exotic ingredients, methods and tools give up and declare defeat. With the “lost generation” who did not recieve hands on training during childhood a cookbook or a class needs to be made that teaches the how-to’s and whys of cooking which hopefully this book does.
— kristieleeI love Mr. Bitman! HE IS SOOO COOOOL. SOOOOOO HOTT. I WANT TO EAT VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING WITH HIM ALL DAY
— ROSASHARNget a giant skillet, doesn’t have to be non-stick (it’s probably better if it isn’t). you can make anything in it, even soup if you have to…
i am a vegetarian too & it’s a lot easier & less expensive if you cook veg food at home
— PaulaWatched Mr. Bitman’s video on the beans and shrimp stir fry. That’s a 2-3 hour production taking into account the time needed to buy the ingredients, chop the veggies, and cook.
For the time pressed, or your basic bachelor, I recommend the George Foreman grill. Broils meat and children [EDITOR'S NOTE: make that chicken] in a flash. Safeway in California sells “improved” boneless chicken breasts and thighs marrinated in a 15% salt solution. Very tasty indeed and only 40 calories per ounce.
— MARK KLEIN, M.D.I liked very much.
— Moa#9: Dude, can I offer a little more time saving advice? Don’t make a special shopping trip. Keep a shopping list handy (I suppose it could on your Blackberry) and when you’re going to the supermarket for a couple of other things, pick up the ingredients for your cooking project. Also, you can chop vegetables (especially onions and peppers) once a week, too, just put the extra in a little bowl and store them, maybe covered in a little olive oil, in your fridge. Use them for pastas, salads, whatever.
And you’re absolutely right about the George Foreman grill!
— Cynthia#11: I pre-chop the better part of my vegetables as well, usually on Sunday evenings. Also, on a small white board near my pantry, I keep an updated inventory of what I have on hand and what I need to get (a concession to my borderline obsessive-compulsive girlfriend). Whenever I want to make something, I just check the board to see if I have what I need. In addition, a number of frozen or preserved ingredients (pre-cut and frozen bell pepper strips come to mind) can be time savers if you’re in a rush. Finally, a number of roasted and braised dishes, while requiring a long lead time, take very little prep work.
— eyeBlissDr Klein:
“Broils meat and children in a flash”?
Interesting dietary choices you make, there. Hope you’re not a pediatrician…
Also, the Foreman grill doesn’t broil; it’s more of a flash-frying process. I like mine a lot, but broiling’s a different process.
Cooking’s a lot easier than people make it out to be. I agree with kristielee that people get overwhelmed by fancy recipes with exotic ingredients. The ‘column’ method of picking out what to blend works really well, as does a basic cookbook.
It’s also kind of funny to me that some of the recipes considered most difficult are actually incredibly easy. Roast chicken, which looks terribly complex, is actually as easy as ‘put a bay leaf, two cloves of garlic, and a quarter of an onion in a chicken (after you pull out the organ packet), then brush it with olive oil and dust it with garlic powder and black pepper, bake it at 300 till the meat thermometer says it’s done (1-2 hours) - or throw it in the crock-pot to slow cook on low all day.’ I’ve impressed quite a few mothers of friends or boyfriends with an elegant roast chicken dinner that took me less than 15 bucks and less than half an hour of actual time (including stopping by the grocery store on the way home, prepping the chicken, chopping potatoes and onions, and throwing together a salad).
It really does make a difference to invite a friend over for a home-cooked meal instead of dining out together. The pace is more relaxed, there’s fewer interruptions, and the simplest fare (like stew or bean soup) is all the more satisfying for being shared.
— RowanI can do advanced dishes when I feel like it, but for everyday I’m into the bare basics.
I do have a few unusual tools for the kitchen that I find indispensable: a straight-back hand saw and a ballpeen hammer. The saw is perfect for cutting winter squash. Mellons also, if that’s what you like. I don’t. The hammer for if you need to smash nuts. Put whatever you need to crush in a baggy or wrap in paper towel. Put it on a cutting board so as to protect your counter from so much pounding impact. Less hassle than having to clean a food procesor, and takes up less space. I used the ballpeen end the other day to break a very hard candy coated chocolate easter egg. And then life was good!
— catherineOy vey. Talk about Freudian slips!
“(The George Foreman grill)broils meat and children in a flash.”
— MARK KLEIN, M.D.Don’t forget to stock the freezer too. I keep ravioli, shrimp, sliced bread, etc., on hand (see Bittman’s Shrimp Marinara recipe for how to use the shrimp–VG). I also freeze herbs, cooked beans, pizza dough, and some vegetables, like the sweet potato spears from Trader Joe’s and chopped broccoli.
— MaryRowan (#13)–Not a pediatrician but a survivor of raising of 4 children to successful young adulthoods. Watching my children now raising theirs it boggles my mind just how tough it was. Suppression of thoughts like broiling children in flash is how kindhearted moms and dads get through it all. I don’t envy the young!
— MARK KLEIN, M.D.#9- There really is no need for shrimp and black beans to take 2-3 hours. If local grocery shopping is too time consuming, Fresh Direct delivers.
I do enjoy cooking, but that’s mostly because I never spend more than 20 mins time preparing any meal…. Of course, I also make lots of salad, which is the quickest thing in the world!
— turnerOne thing I always tell people who ask me what to do when they want to learn how to cook is to expect to screw up. Know that more likely than not, you aren’t going to get the dish the way you want it the first time.
This is true for most things, but if you mold people in such a way so that they see their failures as learning experiences, they will not be disuaded by them as easily.
— Nicholas Paldino“I got home really late, like at 7:45 p.m.”
7:45 pm is “really late”?? I want Mr. Bittman’s job.
Even still, great advice from Bittman. I shed a number of pounds after limiting my restaurant visits to times when it was absolutely necessary or special occasions. I’d add to what he said: the same rules can be applied for lunch: it’s not complicated to make a big chili or pasta salad on sunday night and bring it to work the rest of the week. No fridge at the office? Ice packs are cheap, and they work. Last suggestion: to add to poster #1– food magazines really do work. Many women’s mag’s (ok, like “real simple”) almost go overboard in plastering their issues with “easy” meals that are far superior to the rachel ray stuff.
Best of all, once you get into the groove of cooking all of your meals, you become more discerning when you DO dine out…
— WorkerbeeI’ll add my tips: Soups, stews and curries are my lifesavers. I had a spinach and chickpea curry on the stove last night in 10 minutes - frozen spinach, canned beans, canned tomatoes with onions, garic and spices. So easy, so nutritious, lively, flavorful and cheap. I’m the same way with stews. I might have three or four different recipes in the fridge. They also travel really well for lunch the next day. Additionally, i get these spicy chicken sausages - sliced, sauteed with peppers, onion, tomatoe paste, a little smoked paprika - I have dinner done in 15 minutes. Instead of making a side green salad, sometimes I whish up some slaw instead.
— AllisonI think he is right about many people not having seen their parents cook - and if they cooked, not with the variety of ingredients available to us now, and not with the help of so many cookbooks and cooking shows. People also didn’t questions the sources of the food on offer in the supermarkets. We all assumed it was clean and healthy.
I cook - and manage a family, and run a small business. But I find time to make stock from scratch with the best fresh and organic ingredients I can find. I make chicken stock, or deep rich pork stock, beef less often. I freeze a month’s supply for soups, rice and bean cooking, sauces, grits, etc. Stock leads to other simple homemade food. I make hearty soup every week in the crockpot (often bean), to keep in the fridge the rest of the week. It take only a few minutes to load the slow cooker. I also make batches of oatmeal to reheat through the week. In the summer, we grow our own herbs and some vegetables, to inspire more fresh eating.
You can’t try to change everything at once. Pick one thing to start cooking from scratch, and see where it leads. Choose something you already cook or buy - and replace it with the best handmade version you can develop. I chose stock - other people may choose pasta or bread or salad dressings. Develop your own little specialty that makes you feel competent and well-fed.
— MatriarchyIf you have a significant other, you can make creating dinner together a part of building your relationship. My husband and I routinely do this; we also shop together, planning our upcoming dinners. We save money and time, eat what we love, know what we’re eating, and control our caloric intake at the same time we enjoy being with each other. We’ve amassed our own notebook of simple but good recipes that aren’t hard to make and usually take less than 30 minutes to get on the table.
Here’s a simple fruit salad recipe that we make often: chop red grapes in half, add chopped strawberries, whole raspberries, whole blueberries. Use about equal amounts of each fruit. Stir and serve chilled. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge overnight and used mixed with an equal amount of plain yogurt for a great breakfast.
— molecular_momChickpeas, yes! My favorite. I even get cravings for them. Be sure to cook them until they are soft (squishable between your thumb and forefinger), not crunchy. Cooked chickpeas also freeze very, very well.
— kimI go through olive oil almost as fast as Mark, and 2-6 cloves of garlic a day.
If you want a lightning fast grain dish, keep a large bag of couscous on hand (Indian food shops are best deal for bulk couscous). Couscous cooks in less than 5 minutes. Add other ingredients during or after. Also a great midnight snack.
Essentials: Olive oil, garlic
Basics: rice, pasta, flour, eggs, butter, chickpeas, couscous…
Other staples at my house: limes, cumin seeds, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, orange juice (add a 1/2 c. or so to soups too), several jars Indian pickles, olives, capers, good canned tomatoes, plain yoghurt (super versatile condiment, cheese or sour cream substitute), at least one kind of nut (almonds, walnuts, cashews…), parmesan cheese, onions, potatoes
Mark, thank you for your How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, both are wonderful.
I am a full time working mother of two, and I used to bring fast food home multiple times a week. By the time I got home from work and cooked dinner it was 7pm before we would eat, and by then the kids had snacked and were no longer hungry. It was just easier to buy something on the way home.
What I do now is similar to the suggestion in #3 - I plan my meals and make the grocery list on Thursday, shop Friday, and do as much chopping and cooking ahead as I can on Sunday. I am now trying to plan healthier meals with more chicken breasts and veggies.
I think once you are well organized it gets easier. I do get pretty tired, but I figure the health habits my kids are developing are well worth the trouble. Then after dinner we exercise outside (walking, bike riding, rollerblading). Week nights aren’t always very fun for me, but the kids do enjoy exercising with a parent. I have found for my kids that it is easier to change their eating habits by not making a big deal about it, and just buying healthier foods. Fortunately, my kids are both on the thin side, but my son does tend to have high cholesterol. The next area I plan to work on are the snacks he makes for himself. I have been pretty lax about buying frozen pizza rolls, etc. for him.
— Elizabeth