The two basic steps to making food are to combine food and heat them.

Sandwiches and salads are examples of food that are only combined. Toast and poptarts are examples of foods that are only heated.

Typically, you start with something simple: pasta, eggs, etc. These are basically just cooking with little to no prep.

Later, you can start working on foods that need both prep and heating.

Genuine question with no intention to talk down on someone: how are there adults that don't know how to cook at least the basics? My mother told me a story about how she went on a trip at school and a teacher that apparently had never cooked before wanted to make spaghetti by putting them in the cold water and then boiling them. Ended up with a huge fused chunk of pasta. How can you not know how to at least make pasta as an adult? Parents and then partner that always cook for you?

Make a meal, you will get better at it every time and figure out your own method and feel. New things I use recipes for as reference. At first you will just wanna take your time and don't stress yourself out.

Delia Smith's "How to cook" series of books were an absolute godsend when I first moved into a house by myself.

Here's a UK link so you can see how it looks.

https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/delia-smith/delia-s-how-to-cook-book-one/9780563384304

Book one starts with eggs - how to poach, boil, fry them, then how to use them in basic recipes like omelettes and scrambled egg, then ramps up in complexity slowly again.

They're super basic, super easy to follow, and I still run and get them sometimes when I want something to be perfect and need to jog my memory.

Another, more expensive but delicious method, is to order food from hello fresh (you can get a trial membership with heavy discounts at the start).

They send you all the ingredients you need, already weighed and in little bags, all you have to do is follow the instructions they've sent you using the ingredients in the bag.

Really good way to get used to making a variety of meals you like, as you don't need to worry about if you've bought the right ingredients.

I cancelled my membership as A) it worked out too expensive, and B) I didn't have time or energy to prepare a meal every day of the week! But the food was great and opened some culinary doors in my brain.

Definitely worth a trial and then note down the ingredients you used in your favourite meals for the future when you want to make it again.

You start with something simple and easy to make then gradually start trying to make more complex things once you have some confidence. "How do I get experience in something I've never done before?" You do it, make some mistakes, and do it again.

Rather than searching recipes you could cook, just think about what you’d like to eat today and try to do it yourself

I like the book "Jamie Oliver's food revolution" for short, easy recipes. Should take you max 35 minutes at first and then you can get it down to 20.

Cooking is one of the easiest professions to begin. I dunno about mastery though

My mother taught me how to cook basic stuff at an early age and every time she would remind it was important I knew how to make my own food in case something happened to her.

Kindergarten age: make your own chocolate milk

6 y/o to 8: Learn how to boil rice, learn how to cook pasta. Sandwiches.

8+ : fried eggs, potato and pumpkin mash. Veal and chicken schnitzel (crumbed) is very easy too, though time consuming. Cooking steak in the oven is very easy, same for chicken drumsticks. You don't need to add anything to it, just salt or lemon, remember to oil the tray though.

Learn to wash veg thoroughly for salads. Lemon, olive oil and salt make a good dressing 90% of the time. Grate carrots. Learn you can boil legumes too.
At this point, with this knowledge and a can opener you have enough resources to eat healthily and cook your own very easily. I still eat pretty much this most of the time and I'm in my mid 30s now.

Next come omelettes, meatballs, patties. Quiche is super easy too. Once you master this level you can easily follow more complex recipes from any book. If you got any questions for the basic recipes just let me know.

try thinking of some food and then look up the recipe and simply follow instructions. maybe you'll mess up a few times but it just happens. you can also go on YouTube and look for those cooking channels. their recipes might be hard and use exotic ingredients, but generally you can cut corners. if you can, try cooking with a friend. having a hand really helps.

The lucky ones survive poisoning themselves long enough to figure it out.