Baking is a dry-heat cooking method most commonly done in the oven. The dry, indirect heat from baking cooks all sides evenly and gets the exterior of a food item brown while keeping the inside moist. Though there are exceptions, baking tends to be at a medium oven temperature. This method most commonly refers to breads, cakes, cookies and other pastries, though it can also refer to meats and vegetables, such as potatoes and chicken breast. 

If you're on your own for the first time and don't have much experience in the kitchen, learning how to cook for yourself can feel incredibly overwhelming. You read a recipe; it tells you to sear, saute, steam or blanch something, but you're not entirely sure what any of that means. Here, we break down the basic cooking methods and share what foods are best suited for each method.