When it comes to cooking, the best way to get better is really just to practice and make lots of different dishes. So redditor u/DerWeltenficker asked "What recipe taught you the most about cooking?" Here are some of the responses. (2024)

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Cooking steak basically taught me heat management. It also taught me about different pans and their proper uses. For example, when you cook steak in a nonstick skillet, it ends up light brown and flavorless because the pan can't retain the heat." —u/Pristine_Beyond_4330

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"This one recipe teaches you lots of different techniques and really demonstrates how simple ingredients and ways of preparing them can dramatically alter a dish."—u/HeWhoTipsCow

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"Making ragu and other sauces taught me how to use different ingredients in conjunction to reach your desired texture. I've picked up many new techniques while making sauces from scratch and am still learning." —u/DerWeltenficker

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"Scrambled eggs teach me humility every time I make them. No matter how many compliments I get on my cooking, my scrambled eggs will always stick to the pan to remind me I still have a lot to learn." —u/Worst_Support

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"They are incredibly temperamental. It’s more like a chemistry lab experiment than a baking recipe." —u/Crepes4Brunch

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"I learned a lot about how to work with yeast dough, and how oil plays an important role in baking. I also learned not to be so fearful: yeast dough seemed so complicated before I started making pizza regularly." —u/sprill_release

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"I learned a ton about browning meat, not overcrowding a pan, how to make meat tender, and how to reduce and use the leftover pan sauce for serving." —u/jrobertson50

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"My parents always made frozen vegetables in the microwave. But once I started roasting them with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper, it was a revelation to see how good vegetables could taste. It really changed my eating and cooking habits." —u/halfadash6

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"When I learned that egg whites and yolks are made of different proteins that set at different temperatures, something clicked. Techniques started to make sense. I started to see cooking as more of a process and less of a series of recipe steps."—u/mynameisangusprune

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"I used to cook everything to death until I started making stir-fry and realized you don't have to cook everything for and hour for it to be done." —u/merlamer

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"I finally learned how much you need to knead dough to form gluten, how to develop gluten, the differences between standard dough and enriched dough, how to ferment, gauging proofing time, and how much you can make with just one base recipe (donuts, cinnamon rolls, buns, etc...)." —u/Nhak84

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"Once you have the basics down for a simple chicken soup, the possibilities are endless. I've made so many creations working from chicken soup as a base (stews, sauces, etc..). Plus it's a great way to use up leftover ingredients." —u/Break_Salt

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"This recipe taught me how technique can really alter simple ingredients. It was amazing to see what depth of flavor you can achieve when you make French onion soup from scratch, all with humble ingredients and without adding sugar as a shortcut." —u/jamieleehurtus

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"These recipes teach the most about how flavors are layered to create a final taste." —u/CervezaSmurf

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"I think chili is a wonderful dish to start with as a beginner. It teaches you a lot of cooking fundamentals, like dicing vegetables, browning meat, and letting liquid reduce. You can also learn how to toast and grind spices or use a cut of meat like short ribs instead of ground beef." —u/DarthDonut

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"It's a simple dish made with just three ingredients. It taught me how to cook with pasta water, pay attention to heat levels, the importance of proper ingredients (like freshly ground pepper), and the idea that sometimes the result can be much more than the sum of its parts. What a joy it was to finally make a delicious Cacio e Pepe on my eighth attempt." —u/DemmouTV

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"While essentially a one-pot meal, it requires that you keep a keen eye on timing. Managing the thickness of the cassoulet before putting it in the oven is a tricky thing to get right." —u/UnoriginalUse

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"It taught me the importance of making a good roux, how different types of cheese affect the final taste, and how adding properly cooked ingredients (shiitake, chorizo, etc.) can seriously enhance the overall flavor." —u/TheNeighKid

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"Because of how simple it is, you have a very small margin of error. The first time I made it, it was an oily and undersalted mess. It's taken lots of practice to get it right, but the effort is totally worth it." —u/bmabi

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"Fried eggs in a cast iron requires temperature control and trusting your pan. Otherwise you’ll break the yolk or it’ll stick like glue. It taught me to not be afraid to use a little extra oil." —u/blacka13

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"I don't use it that often, but cooking sous vide really pushed me into understanding how meat and temperature interact. Reverse searing made a lot of sense after learning how sous vide worked." —u/DrunkenWizard

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"On my first try I accidentally made dough from butter and flour and proceeded to drown it in milk. It was a disaster." —u/DerWeltenficker

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"Each step of cooking adds a new layer of complexity and flavor." —u/PeanutButter-Enema

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"I learned how to brine and roast a bird, how to properly cut vegetables for stuffing and side dishes, how to bake pies and rolls, prepare gravy, make perfect mashed potatoes, and how to shop for the best ingredients. Every year my cooking has improved and I've learned new dishes and techniques." —u/Mary_Misanthrope