Yes, you can cook.

If you can open a can and heat the contents, or follow the instructions on a box of mac & cheese, you can cook. You might be surprised to hear this, but you can even cook from scratch. The skills are the same -- if you can use a sharp knife or a stove or a timer, and you can follow instructions, you're all set. Turning raw food into something edible and tasty is no more complicated than making brownies from a mix.

I suspect that for many people, the intimidating factor in cooking from scratch is that your average carrot doesn't come with cooking instructions. That's what I'm going to provide here. The recipes in this blog will generally focus on individual foods -- plants, meats, and grains -- that will still be recognizable by the time they get to the table. Most of these things require very little preparation. Occasionally I might throw in a more complicated recipe, and if you want to try those, just remember that more steps does not necessarily mean it's harder to do. It just takes a little longer.

There are lots of different reasons for wanting to learn how to cook from scratch. You might suspect that it would be cheaper than TV dinners, or healthier than processed foods that are over-flavoured and artificially preserved. Maybe you like to be crafty and creative, and you want to extend that talent into nourishing your body. Or maybe you want to nourish your mind and mood -- for myself, fresh whole foods go a long way towards fighting seasonal depression. Add your own reason to the list if it isn't here.

I was going to write a cookbook, but I think the premise is a little more suited to a blog or column than a single volume. There's just so much to cover. I know if I wrote a book I'd want to be constantly rewriting and adding to it, and it would never get finished. Instead of a tome of knowledge, it'll be more like a tour of a farmers' market.

Please keep your hands and feet inside the grocery cart, and enjoy the ride!