I'm just starting to cook. Any suggestions you can offer me?

Trust me, I'm no professional cook. But with the help of my crockpot, I often feel like I am! There are so many things you can do with a crockpot that seem fancy when you serve it on a plate, but was little more than grabbing a few ingredients around the house and tossing them in to simmer for a few hours.

Like others have said, the very best thing you can do is experiment. Go with a hunch that some combination of foods will work well together, toss in some pace picante to spice it up and you're ready to feed yourself, your friends and even entertain. Good luck!

One of the easiest things to do when you are first starting to cook is find recipes that you love and once you feel comfortable making them, then you can start "tweeking" it and making it your own. Sometimes you will fail miserabely and your change will be horrible, but other times they will be fantastic and you will have a secret up your sleeve to make that recipe special. One of my favorite recipes to make is "Creamy Chicken Enchiladas" (you can find it in the recipe section on this site). It is really good and easy to make. There are a lot of steps though so you have to take your time. I add black beans, corn and peppers to add more to the dish. Also, if you are short on time you can use canned chicken in it. I do that a lot. Good Luck as you explore in your kitchen and the best thing you can do is try, try, try!!!

Welcome Insider!
You've come to the right place for advice on single living, women and cooking. As a fellow New Yorker, I can relate to your woes on the high cost of eating out. Although I am no longer living alone (roped me in a fine lady friend a few years back), I've had my share of bachelor living and have a few tidbits of advice to share.

When preparing a meal for myself, I usually keep it simple - the less dishes to wash the better. I used to live off of quesadillas. They are quick and easy, and you don't even need to wash the frying pan after you're done. You can stuff them with chicken shrimp, left over Chinese food, what have you. Just be sure you keep a jar of Pace on hand to pour some on top and plenty of cheese.

Now, when it comes to entertaining a lady friend, you may want to check out the recipe section on this site for some ideas. General Tso's Chicken Quesadilla probably won't cut it on this occasion, so I would suggest investing a little in some good ingredients. One of my favorites is the Caribbean Shrimp: http://www.pacefoods.com/recipes/PaceSiteRecipeDetail.aspx?recipeSource=MealIdeas&recipeID=23789&rc=950&page=2&index=3&Lastindex=false

Good luck.