‘How To Cook That’ started when I needed a way to keep my mind active and my body awake during night feeds with my third son. I loved cooking desserts and people were always asking for my recipes, so the topic was an easy choice. As obvious as this sounds if you intend on starting a blog make sure:
1. It’s a topic that you enjoy.
2. An area that you are trained in or have experience. If it a how-to site you’ll need more knowledge than the average bear.
3. You LOVE it. If your blog is a success you are going to be producing the same topic of content for years to come. It should be fun for you.
You are still reading so I assume you are passionate, excited and have more ideas than you have time to write about. Welcome to the world of blogging. I’ve made a video to guide you through setting up your new website. Don’t worry, it’s easier than you think!
1. Click HERE to follow along with the video and set up your website.
(Disclosure: I get a small affiliate commission if you buy hosting through the above link, commissions are small so please don’t let that influence which company you choose to host with, go with whatever suits your needs the best).
2. CHOOSE A DOMAIN NAME
A domain name is your website address. For example the domain name for this site is “howtocookthat.net”.
3. ADD HOSTING
Buying the domain name is like putting that web address on hold so no one else can use it, BUT you are not yet using it yet either. To actually use your web address you need ‘hosting’, a company to store your website information and send it out to the world.
4. INSTALL WORDPRESS
Wordpress is free and totally customizable and you don’t need to know anything about coding (HTML/java etc) to use it.
5. CUSTOMIZE
Choose a ‘theme’ for the website. The theme is the general layout of the site. Click through the many ones available and choose one that will work for you. You can always come back later and change the theme at any time. Make sure you choose a theme that is ‘responsive’, which means it works on any size screen from mobile though to desktop.
Add various ‘plugins’ as you need them. Plugins are like mini tools or apps to help you do things on your blog. If you want your website to do something specific like have a shop, play your music, add a page of youtube videos, a gallery for your photos, share buttons… there is bound to be a plugin for it. You can add a plugin, test it out and delete it if it is not what you want, just like you would do with an app on your phone. Like apps there are heaps of free and paid versions of plugins.
6. CONTENT
Now it is time for you to add content to your website. Just a word on copyright. You can not copy or use other people photos or text without written permission. Every picture you find on google images has been taken by a real person and you can’t just steal their photos, you need permission.
7. GO LIVE
On the dashboard / admin area it will say “your site is currently being displayed as coming soon click here to launch it”. Click it and it is live.
8. ENJOY
Enjoy creating your very own piece of the internet.
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Made this Lightning McQueen cake for my twin boys 2nd birthday. This is the second cake I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for your tutorial. You made making this cake a lot easier then I thought it would be. The boys loved it! Didn’t know if it was a cake or a toy haha.
Fantastic job, I can’t beleive it was only your second cake. You’re obviously creative / artistic, it looks amazing, well done. ?
Hi Ann,
I had a question about Making candy decorations, I’ve been tasked with making a Halloween themed cake and i want to make black spider webs out of candy but it always ends either gooey or grainy.Any ideas as to why this is happening? thank you.
Hi Ben, gooey = not heated hot enough, to solve this check the accuracy of your candy thermometer, heat to 150-160C. Grainy = sugar is crystallising back out, to help stop this make sure you wash down the side of your pan with a wet pastry brush, any little bits of sugar will make it all crystallise out. Don’t over agitate or stir – it has the same effect. Adding a teaspoon of glucose syrup helps prevent crystallization.
Dear Ann
I need a little help. I wish to make chocolate truffles with ice cream filling for my daughter’s birthday on 20th October. I am not sure if it’s possible.
Definitely possible, I’d suggest using a silicone mold and filling with chocolate and tipping over as shown in the truffle videos. Then once set, slightly melt some ice-cream and pipe into each one – make sure you don’t overfill or you won’t be able to seal. Put in freezer until ice-cream is set hard. Then close the top with chocolate.
Happy birthday Ann have a great day 16th August 2019 happy happy birthday ? Xxx
Thanks so much Lottie?
Where did you get your cupcake liners in your DIY popin’ cookin’ video? And what are the dimensions?
Hi Reesa, They are 2.5 inches at the top and 1.5 inches at the bottom. I really can not remember where I got them from but if you google search ‘pleated baking cup’ there seems to be plenty to choose from. ?
Hi Ann,
I love your videos and I admire the time and effort you put into all of your videos. Unfortunately, I can’t be a patreon, but I still watch all of your videos. I was wondering if there are any brands selling compound chocolate that you would recommend over others.
Thanks, Clara
Hi Clara, I quite like the nestle melts for ease because they are already in pieces – rather than blocks that I need to break up.
Thank you so much! 🙂
Hey what about delish or tasty how to videos?
She made a vid on them to explain y there not to be good channels I think ?
Hi Ann, I just wanted to say how AMAZING you are, you must spend so much time on all of your social media/videos etc. you are making the world better by combating fake news on nutrition and diet. I’m a teacher in Melbourne – though I teach English & the Humanities subjects I have told all of my Food Tech, Science & Health teachers about your website because I can see that they could be used in the classroom as an engaging resource, also as an Aussie love to hear the accent on youtube!
Thanks Sara, We live in Melbourne now too, moved from Sydney a few years ago. I know of quite a few teachers that use the videos in their classroom.
If I buy the template for Spider-Man how long does it take before I get it because I need to make it by next weekend the 14th
Hi Brenda, the templates are delivered via email so it should be immediate 🙂
Hi Brenda you should get a download link on screen immediately and also emailed to you, nothing is posted.
Hi Ann!! I am a huge fan of yours.I live in India and I’m of 12 and have been watching your videos from the age of 7. It’s one of my biggest dreams to meet you,I really hope that it completes.I got a project to do on our role model and since that’s you,I made this project just for you. I really love you.??????♥️❤️
Hi Erin, That is so lovely, I feel very encouraged. ??
Hi Ann huge fan, just wanted to thank you for the pepperoni recipe from the subway video used it to make pepperoni for pizza cake. You are huge inspiration xx
Awesome Dawn, Sounds like a great cake ?
I’ve been looking for oil base food coloring and freeze dried coco butter. I tried the strawberry chocolate roses with white chocolate and when I colored them it seized up on me and it didn’t work. Thank you.
I think amazon sells both of these things https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052URK1K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0052URK1K&linkCode=as2&tag=howtocookthat-20&linkId=4999bbbc421b4828fa2d63a9f37c2ec7
if you use water based colouring in chocolate it will seize as you discovered. To rescue the chocolate you can add more liquid like cream and make a ganache but you can’t use it for set chocolate
Hey Ann, how did you create your blog? I am just curious on how people make websites when wordpress or any online website editors didn’t exist. Can you make a video about it? <3
I have a quick question can the treasure chest from the fortnite cake be frozen?
Ann, I cant thank you enough for all that you have taught me from your Christmas truffles/chocolates to most recently flavoured meringues. Attached is a photo that i made for a party, it included strawberry, chocolate orange ( I grated a Terry’s chocolate Christmas orange) and chocolate. It was a hit.
Dear Ann,
I have learnt so much from you, Thank You.
I’ve been trying to find the freeze dried cocoa butter you refer to in your ‘chocolate tempering’ video. In both Honf Kong (where I live) and in rural UK (I visit each summer) I’ve drawn a blank, so asked a friend to bring some from the US this Christmas. She sent me a link to Amazon and said “Choose one”, but none of them fit my idea of what I think you mean. Can you give me some pointers as to what to look for?
Thanks in anticipation,
andrea
Hi Andrea, it should say on the packaging something like: Cocoa Butter In Powder Form . It is usually pale in color . Ann gives lik to a similar product in this tutorial: https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/temper-chocolate/
Hi Ann,
I am Marijana I come from Croatia and I just discovered your website, you are amaizing,you share and you have such good ideas.
I make cakes but ordinary decoration, I would just ask you where can I buy good piping nozzles? and russian piping nozzels and good food colers for frosting, I will like to oder by mail, because in Croatia we dont have very much chois ( sorry for bad speeling).
Thank you in advance for your answer,
Marijana
Hi Marijana, It can be tricky to get supplies. Most of what Ann uses she buys locally in Australia, so it is unlikely that you will have access to those suppliers in Croatioa, except for Amazon. I would search on Amazon for a supplier who will post to you.
I have a school food tech project coming up where we will have to make and decorate our own cake. I’m a beginner and we haven’t really learnt the basics of buttercream cakes, so I was wondering if you have any tips? Also, where would you know any places where you can find cheap cake boxes and icing smoothers in Sydney?
Hi Holly, I got my smoother from woolworths. Cake boxes can sometimes be picked up online via ebay or similar. Here is a link to buttercream recipes and frosting tips ( https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/buttercream-cupcake-frosting-recipes/ https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/4-ways-to-cover-cake-in-buttercream/ ) and another for a great basic sponge cake recipe: https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/sponge-cake-recipe/
Heyyy, we would really like to see you make a giant milky way crispy roll and eat one ? do you make orders?
Sorry, but Ann is not able to take orders.
Good day ma’am.. I would like to ask about chocolates… Im making chocolates using cocoa paste, it has cocoa butter in it… And im adding vegetable fat to harden it more… Is My chocolate a compound chocolate?.. What is it called?.. Do i need to temper it?.. How many percent or grams of veg. Fat should i add for a 300 gram cocoa paste… Please….. Thank you and good day..
Thanks Bradley, the minute you add the vegetable fat it is a compound chocolate and the quantities you need are impacted by the type, quality and quantity of vegetable fat you use.