Lear how to cook. Just grab a simple online recipe, a bottle of your beverage of choice and try cooking something.
It's a really simple and useful skill acquire.
What really helped me learning to cook was experimentation. I was always ok at following recipes but at some point I decided to cook Bolognese every week and every time I cooked it I had to use an ingredient I hadn't used before. Cooking the same thing with variation helped me learn the effect of adding different ingredients.
Having cooked professionally for the last 15 years, I take this for granted sometimes.
It amazes me how many people can't cook anything more complicated than kraft dinner. I don't mean to rag on anybody, but it's a skill you really need to learn if you don't know how. You'll save a ton of money and there's a lot of simple dishes that can impress people.
Agree. The number of people I know who "don't" cook blows my mind. 75% of my repertoire takes less than 30 minutes of involvement to cook. It's cheaper, healthier, and a great zen thing that's totally different from my day job.
For those trying to get started, do a meal kit that involves cooking, and start there. Not having to buy ingredients or plan things out makes it less intimidating.
What really helped me learning to cook was experimentation. I was always ok at following recipes but at some point I decided to cook Bolognese every week and every time I cooked it I had to use an ingredient I hadn't used before. Cooking the same thing with variation helped me learn the effect of adding different ingredients.