DCL

It always surprises me when people tell me that they don't cook because I think there are so many compelling reasons to do it. To me the most important reason is the ability to control the amount of fat, salt and sugar in my diet. When I make dinner I know there are no preservatives and if my meat and vegetables are certified organic I know I'm not ingesting pesticides, antibiotics or hormones. It's cheaper to produce dinner for my family than it is to buy packaged dinners, ordering in or going to a restaurant and healthier because we eat more fresh vegetables and have smaller portions.

There is also the issue of garbage. I don't have all of the excess packaging. Metal trays, styrofoam "clamshells" and plastic condiment packets don't fill my garbage bin. Order in and the food is delivered by car. I happen to be lucky that I live within walking distance of three grocery stores, several bakeries and a health food store, but I can buy the ingredients for dinner without having to get into my car. I'm not saying that we never order pizza or go to a restaurant, because we do, but it's a treat rather than the norm.Cooking is also a great social occupation. Have your friends over for dinner. When my husband and I were first married we had very little money, but we had a dinner party at least once a week. The menus weren't particularly fancy, but the food was plentiful and the company was great. It's also a wonderful way to spend time with your kids and still get dinner on the table and if they help they are less likely to be picky about what you serve. You don't have to spend all day in the kitchen and all evening cleaning up-you could be sitting down to eat dinner before the pizza delivery man has the chance to ring the doorbell.

I suspect that the real reason many people don't cook is because they have no experience and they don't know how to get started or who to ask. Planet Green will be your guide. I'll be writing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week and will be offering ideas about such things as setting up your kitchen, how to cook the food that you buy, what to look for in a cookbook and how to surprise your mom by bringing a side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.

Difficulty level: Easy