My Cooking Journey (As a Terrible Cook)


 My Past With Cooking

Hello! My name is Madison White, and this is my blog on my experiences on learning to cook. Growing up I was never really that good of a cook. Sports and school took up a lot of my time to cook as well, so I depended heavily on my parents to cook food. On those "fend-for-yourself" nights, it was ramen noodles or something I could heat up in the microwave. And I was always too scared to cook, knowing that cooking it based on the taste that you like, rather than following a strict recipe such as baking. 


   Picture by Madison White

It wasn't until I moved out of the house for college that the reality of cooking meals hit me. No longer did I have parents to rely on to have a meal ready, and these late nights with classes and practices make it difficult to plan a whole meal out that takes longer to cook. So, I started learning easy recipes to start, which has taught me a lot about how certain spices flavor foods and which ones go the best together. Pasta was always one of my favorite foods, especially Alfredo. I wanted to be able to make my own sauces for pasta and discover ways to change up the spices and seasonings. Eventually, I want learn how to make my own pasta noodles and figure out what thicknesses I want for different flavors of sauces and what ingredients I like more to make the noodles out of. Now that I'm living without my parents, I want to learn to cook things I really enjoy!



Homemade Pasta
Picture by Love and Lemons
The creamy, smooth, flavorful taste and sensation of Alfredo is something I've always loved and wanted to perfect.This recipe that I learned has made Alfredo more than just a fancy meal to order at a restaurant, but a meal I can actually make for myself. Although a super easy and recipe, this gave me more confidence in my cooking abilities, and I want to eventually do more experimenting on this recipe to make it even better! 

Easy Alfredo Sauce recipe
Picture by The Recipe Rebel

My Alfredo Experience

I actually learned this recipe from my boyfriend's aunt. I went her house for the day, and she stood with me in her kitchen, talking me through how to make the Alfredo sauce. She taught me 2 ways to make it; one with a roux (which is using flour and butter to make a thick base for the sauce) and one with just using heavy whipping cream to make a thick sauce. I prefer the heavy whipping cream because not only is it way easier, but I think it gives it a better taste. Using a roux can make a sauce taste gritty, especially if the roux isn't done correctly, and it makes the texture feel like chalk. So the heavy whipping cream way of making the sauce is definitely the beginner way to go. 

It doesn't take many ingredients to make: only heavy whipping cream, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and a little bit a nutmeg. The nutmeg surprised me the most, because you typically, but it actually gives it that signature taste. I've tried the recipe without the nutmeg, and it tastes good either way. The measurements for the spices are eye-based; meaning you determine the amount you want. Same with the heavy whipping cream; it just depends on how much sauce you want, and that amount of heavy whipping cream determines the amount of spices you'll need. The cheese is the same as the heavy whipping cream; personally I don't think there's such thing as too much cheese. 

Picture by Madison White 

The picture above is about how much heavy whipping cream I use to make a pasta for 2 people. I use a flat pan like this because it helps with the cooking process and helps you to see exactly how thick the sauce is becoming. 


Next, I get a bowl and I start mixing together the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. To the left is about how much garlic powder I use. Once all of the spices are mixed together and in the heavy whipping cream, I taste test it often to find out if I need more of any of the spices I use. So, really, the amount you use is based on your personal preference.


Then, I add the onion powder, as shown to the right. It's hard to see because of the lighting, but I tend to use about the same amount of onion powder as garlic powder. Those two spices are the majority of the mixture. 












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Steps to Making Alfredo (part 3)

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Cook the sauce until you get a thick consistency , as shown on the picture to the left. To tell if it's thick enough, I slowly slide my spatula along the bottom of the pan in order to see if a gap will show. The gap on the left shows that the heavy whipping cream has thickened up from its watery consistency. If there is no gap showing or it feels too watery for your personal preference (a lot of these cooking steps are based on your preference), then continue cooking it until you get your desired thickness. Also shown in the picture is a pot on a burner in the top left. I started boiling water right after I put the spices in the heavy whipping cream so that the noodles can cook at a boiling temperature right after your sauce becomes thicker.  Next, I add my parmesan cheese. I use shredded parmesan because I like the consistency of the sauce after the cheese has melted. You can use the more powder-like cheese, but you may have to use more of it. I typically use about as much cheese ...
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Steps to Making Alfredo

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My Alfredo Experience I actually learned this recipe from my boyfriend's aunt. I went her house for the day, and she stood with me in her kitchen, talking me through how to make the Alfredo sauce. She taught me 2 ways to make it; one with a  roux  (which is using flour and butter to make a thick base for the sauce) and one with just using heavy whipping cream to make a thick sauce. I prefer the heavy whipping cream because not only is it way easier, but I think it gives it a better taste. Using a roux can make a sauce taste gritty, especially if the roux isn't done correctly, and it makes the texture feel like chalk. So the heavy whipping cream way of making the sauce is definitely the beginner way to go.  It doesn't take many ingredients to make: only heavy whipping cream,  parmesan cheese , garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and a little bit a  nutmeg . The nutmeg surprised me the most, because you typically, but it actually gives it that signature tas...
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