Most of all, don't be afraid to fail a few times. Cooking is like anything else - it takes practice. just remember: delicious meals come out of creative (and adventurous) minds.
Choose recipes that aren't too complicated when you first start cooking. You don't want to be overwhelmed by a recipe that has unusual ingredients or difficult steps, or that is time consuming.
Read the recipe through from beginning to end before you start. Do you have all the right ingredients? Utensils? Appliances?
Make sure you understand all the directions.
Check the clock and make sure you have enough time to make the recipe. You don't want to spend tons of time in the kitchen - and with the right recipe, you won't need to. If you have to get dinner on the table for a certain time, figure out when you'll need to start in order to have the meal ready. Most recipes include the amount of time it takes to prepare them in the instructions. It might be a good idea to add 10 or 15 minutes to that time when you first try to conquer the kitchen - just to be on the safe side.
Assemble all your ingredients in one place before you start. Some chefs like to measure out each ingredient ahead of time before cooking. Pull out the utensils, measuring cups, and spoons you'll be using and keep them handy, so you won't need to run all over the kitchen.
An apron is a good idea if you want to keep your clothes from getting dirty. (You can skip the chef's hat, but it's smart to tie back long hair.)
Always wash your hands before any kind of food preparation. You may need to wash your hands several times as you cook, especially after touching raw meat, poultry (chicken and turkey), fish, and egg products.
Never put cooked or ready-to-serve foods on plates, cutting boards, counters, or other places you have placed raw meat, poultry, fish, or egg products without washing these surfaces first.
Don't cook without a parent's permission.
Try experimenting with different ingredients - substitute beans for meat, or crunchy green beans for carrots, for example.
Learn to use herbs and spices.
Bring out your artistic side in the kitchen by experimenting with different colors and textures in meals.
Focus on one type of dish and learn lots of variations.
Try recipes from cultures or ethnicities other than our own.
Invent your own recipes and try them out on family members and friends.