How to Become a Better Home Cook: Lessons from a Self-Taught Chef

Most people think you need culinary school to be a great cook. That you need fancy equipment, expensive ingredients, and some kind of natural-born talent that you either have or you don't. Enter Hannan Zary, the chef behind Tamoont Dining + Gathering who taught herself to cook by obsessively watching Food Network as a teenager. Her cooking journey didn't start with love—it started with spite. Banned from her stepmom's kitchen during elaborate diplomatic dinner parties, Hannan decided to teach herself. Without money for cooking classes or fancy ingredients, she worked within her constraints and still became an incredible chef. Her unconventional path proves you don't need formal education, your parents' approval, or fancy equipment to become good at cooking. You just need to start. This guide shares Hannan's practical lessons for becoming a better home cook, from mastering basic techniques to learning through failure.