I want to learn how to cook because I don't want to be dependent on my mom's cooking forever. How would you try and learn?

Well in my thought's thier are several ways. You can pick up a book and go from there. You can just wing it. Or some place actually offer cooking classes so you can learn how to cook.

I learned from my mom. Since this year's my last year in high school, she started worrying about me being able to cook in college. So she's been having me make dinner on weekends while she watches. It's actually really fun.

Microwave FTW!

I'm learning from my boyfriend, before we started going out I barely ate a thing, now I eat proper meals because I can make them, before then I was living off other peoples left overs, tinned food or ready meals.

Hmmm, the internet, youtube! lol, That site is awesome. I needed to use my mom's sowing machine one night, but I had to thread a new color in, which I had NEVER done before and had no clue how to go about it. I tried to figure it out on my own with no luck, but then I went on youtube and boom! Instand results

Idk, I can't cook. I bake though, which that's where the internet comes in for me. I get alot of recipes online.

I was in your boat at one time. I was never interested in learning how my mother cooked while living at home so when me and my now husband moved in together, I couldn't cook worth a damn. When I was pregant with my first child, I decided that I wanted to know how to cook, so I invested in two cookbooks and went from there. But before you purchase a cook book, look at and make sure you can follow the directions also you like at least a few recipes. A good one is Betty Crocker's New Cook Book because it gives you alot of hints on how to cook and has plenty of pictures to whow you what to do. It also gives ideas on how to personalize your dishes. After you cook a few recipes, then experiment. Just remember when you experiment you will have successes and failures. That's how you learn.

Learning how to cook like this will also save you money. If you can put a little preparation time you can make food that is just as good (or better) than any premade meal you can buy in the store.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Takuya @ Mar 14 2008, 04:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
I'm with Kevin on this one. Your best bet would be to ask the people who cooked for you as a kid! It doesn't cost anything (other than a few accidental cuts and burns on your fingers), and you get hands on guidance without the price of a conventional cooking class. My mom's not that good of a cook (her idea of gourmet is Kraft macaroni and cheese), but I asked her best friend, who used to prepare meals in restaurants for the longest time, and she's taught me how to make the most delicious foods. Now whenever I get the chance I like to do the cooking!

Well, I learned how to cook in a moment of need when my mother got surgery and couldn't get out of bed. After a lot of trials durring the years I am now told to be a very good Cook.

All of the ideas mentioned here are very good. An other good way would be to watch more the Foodnetwork Channel.

In my experience, you don't really need to 'learn' how to cook. Following the instructions on the packet usually works just fine.