The kitchen has been my arch nemesis for as long as I can remember. Well, I take that back. Three of my most beloved items have always lived in the kitchen: refrigerator, microwave and toaster oven (definitely in that order). I’ve always loved the art of eating but have been too paralyzed with fear to really cook anything. Aside from the basics like boiling water for pasta, turning on the oven to make a pizza, and whipping up a mean grilled cheese, cooking has always seemed too complicated. Too many things can go wrong, even with the “easy,” “one pot” recipes. I never seem to have the right ingredients (although I cross-reference the recipe and pantry while putting my shopping list together) and I just plain feel very overwhelmed by the idea of making food from scratch.

You may think that I‘m exaggerating. Definitely not. My husband will attest to the fact that one time I set the oven timer for 30 minutes.  When it went off, I couldn’t figure out what alarm was going off in the house. I ran from room to room looking for the source of the noise as he laughed hysterically. When we invited friends over, they would jokingly ask what the sample was that day at Traders Joes, anticipating that that’s what I would serve for dinner.  Well, 9 times out of 10 they were correct.

Sometime shortly after having my son, almost 3 years ago, I began to feel compelled to begin cooking for our family. I wanted my son to grow up the way I did, with truly home-cooked meals that were so yummy you wouldn’t want to eat out. Thankfully todayʼs technology has made learning to cook incredibly easy. In an instant, I can have my smartphone or iPad out and a delicious step-by-step recipe picked out along with a shopping list. My favorite go-to beginner kitchen apps are:

Big Oven App

This is a one stop shop for apps. It has over 250,000 recipes to choose from and will help you meal plan and collect your grocery list. Other than the recipe index, I often use the Fridge Pal feature. I enter in my soon-to-be-expired items and leftovers and it shoots out some great recipe options, which helps me be less wasteful and more budget friendly.

Bonus: If you absolutely love a meal you’ve made, you can easily email the recipe or share on Pinterest or Twitter.

The basic app is free, but I suggest the upgrade to Pro Membership for more personalized features, such as sorting the recipes by dietary constraints (Iʼm mostly vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free so I love this), a handwritten recipe scan feature that they will re-type for you and unlimited storage space for other recipes found online (iOS, Android, Kindle, Windows, web).

Perfect Produce

Since I am still fairly new to the cooking world, I use this app frequently as a reference tool. From looking up when avocados are in season to the nutritional value of watermelon or when to pick up specific fruit or veggies…this app rocks! I use it most frequently at my local Farmer’s Market. ($1.99, iOS, Android).

Fridge Pal

Fridge Pal has many more features than what I use it for. I mostly use it to store a rolling shopping list, update my meal planner and keep track of expiration dates on perishables. One of my favorite features is the barcode scanner. In years past, I would occasionally buy the same item two or three times simply because I could not remember if I already had it. Now I can search through my app and know for certain whether or not I need it. This free app has helped me save money by reminding me which foods are about to expire. LOVE!

Bonus: It helps me not shop with eyes as much at the Farmers Market and stick to my list more. I am seeing much less produce waste. (Free, iOS).

Pair It! Wine

Sometimes there is nothing better than a perfectly paired vino to bring out all the best flavors of your dinner. Gone are the days when you have to rely on a sommelier to help you pair your meal and wine. Now with my fancy “Pair It” app, I can find pairings by meal type, ingredient or wine. The wine library has over 180 worldwide varietals and the food library is over 1000 dishes. Planning a dinner party with the “perfect” wines is so easy now with an instant wine expert available 24/7.

Extra bonus: You don’t need an internet connection for this app to work so you’ll always be perfectly paired. ($4.99, iOS, Android).

These 4 apps have revolutionized my abilities in the kitchen. Not only do I feel more confident in the kitchen, but my repertoire of dishes has increased exponentially. Every week I find myself becoming more adventurous with the dishes I attempt to make. I love being able to control the quality of ingredients and adhering to my dietary restrictions while still making savory food. I never thought I would say this, but I love cooking. Next up…gourmet cooking apps! Bon Appetite!

Written by Veena Goel Crownholm

Veena Goel Crownholm is a UCLA grad and former Miss California. Prior to having her son, she worked in the non-profit field doing special events and program development as well as working as a Program Officer for the Thomas J. Long Foundation. In 2010, after she had her son, she began her career as a Lifestyle Contributor both online and on-air, as well as motivational speaking. She enjoys DIY projects, Thrift Store/Flea Market hunting, Camping and Hiking. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, son and 3 puppies. For more information on Veena, please visit www.VeenaGoelCrownholm.com or follow her at: www.TiarastoBabies.com or on twitter @TiarastoBabies.

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