Recently i picked up an electric smoker and oh boy it's been life changing. If you want to be the "cook" in your family this is the easiest way.

Take your meat of choice and smoke it. Make sure to tell everyone how long it took to smoke so they know to tell you it tastes good

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.