What does “beginner” mean to you?
I am curious how other people think of this, and what you envision when somebody describes themself as a cooking “beginner”. And where do you put the fuzzy line where someone stops being a “beginner”? For non-beginners, was there a particular moment when you felt yourself “graduate” into that next stage, whatever we call it?
I think to me, “beginner” means one or both of:
emotional: cooking kind of stresses you out. you are constantly second-guessing yourself and feeling confused, nervous, or even paralyzed in the kitchen or grocery store. you read recipes and frequently wonder “what is that supposed to mean?” it feels like most cookbooks and internet recipes are written for somebody way more habituated to cooking than you are.
practical: if you had to go, say, a week or a month without relying at all on restaurants, chain / fast food places, ready-to-eat meals (e.g. frozen dinners), or snacks, and had to rely solely on relatively whole ingredients you prepare yourself… this would be a meaningful practical hardship for you. Even if you could magic up a bunch of extra time and money to spend on it. It would be a struggle to make a variety of meals that you like to eat and makes you feel good.
I feel like once you are more-or-less at ease in the kitchen, and have some repertoire of meals that comprise a well-rounded diet, you have graduated into being a non-beginner home cook. Even if it’s a small / basic repertoire. Sure, there’s probably still tons you don’t know and lots of room to grow and improve. But most foods you’d want to make feel within reach if you decided to dedicate the attention to it, and maybe you have one or more “show-off” meals if you’re feeling fancy or wanting to impress.
Curious if others have a different threshold or definition!