Some suggestions:
1. Buy (or borrow from the library) a cookbook designed for beginning cooks. You can find them online, but I think you would be better off going to a bookstore so you can flip through the book and find one that has recipes you will actually eat. Cookbooks I would suggest would be:
Betty Crocker’s Cooking Basics
America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
The Joy of Cooking
These cookbooks all have much more than recipes. For example, let’s say you decide to cook a whole turkey. A good cookbook will have a section you can read about choosing a turkey, preparing it for roasting, what equipment you will need, and anything else you could want to know. This is helpful because when you get to the recipe, you will know why you are doing what the recipe is telling you to do.
2. The cookbook should have features like: explanations of cooking terms, instructions for cooking techniques, explanations for things like cuts of meat, types of vegetables, etc., with clear photos where needed.
3. Recipe websites can be a big help. I like www.allrecipes.com best. In order to make the most of the site, you should read the reviews people post about the recipes. They often give good advice or offer substitutions. There are also videos and tutorials for things you might not know how to do.
4. Start simple. Look for recipes that don’t take a lot of preparation or fancy ingredients. On Food Network’s website, the recipes are designated “easy” to “expert” or something like that. Get the hang of the easy things before you try something difficult.
5. Practice, practice, practice!! The more you cook, the more confident you will be.
6. Go easy on yourself. Don’t start out planning a four course meal from scratch. It’s OK to just make the main dish, then serve frozen veggies and a salad or fresh fruit.
7. If there’s a community college, adult ed center, or kitchen supply store near you, see if they offer cooking classes.
8. Invest in decent pots and pans, spatulas, a meat thermometer, skillets, a mixer, whisk, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, cutting boards, and knives. You don’t need top of the line stuff or hundreds of gadgets, but you do need the basics. Also, common spices and seasonings, things like flour and breadcrumbs, sugar, brown sugar, olive oil, etc. Most cookbooks will have a list of things to stock a kitchen.
Most of all, have fun! Get some friends over and make cooking together a social thing. Have a dinner party where you make the main course but friends bring over appetizers, sides, and dessert. Then, you all exchange the recipes. Good luck!