Reddit reviews Betty Crocker Cookbook, 12th Edition: Everything You Need to Know to Cook from Scratch (Betty Crocker's Cookbook)

Buy a (very) basic cookbook and have at it. One of those "how to cook pretty much everything in one or two simple ways" collections. I'm a big fan of "The New Best Recipe" which would be pricey new but can be had for cheap secondhand. "The Betty Crocker Cookbook" is another one that gets a lot of love too.

Read it the important bits. There's stuff in there about types of pans, about the difference between cumin and cardamom and cinnamon and cayenne, about how to hold a knife without cutting your fingers off and how to boil water without setting the stove on fire.

When you have read the important stuff and have begun to get a feel for what you need to do, select a simple recipe and make it. Start small. A pasta sauce maybe, a casserole.

Here's a piece of advice, too: Take notes. Write in the margins or get a notebook but keep track of whether you substituted oil for butter or if you needed less cooking time. It can save you some tears in the future, help you replicate happy accidents.

The classic Betty Crocker cookbook is one I reference often.

Get her one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crocker-Cookbook-12th-Everything/dp/0544648927

Best money I ever spent. My wife has gone from zero to hero in no time.