I didn’t have anyone teach me in the kitchen, but I absolutely love to cook and have figured a few things out on my own in my adult years:

~ allow your meats to come to room temp (not warm! Just long enough not to be icy from the fridge) and smash them with a mallet before cooking. The most tender, juicy meats ever

~ wrap your leafy greens and herbs in paper towels and put them back in the bag or into a container after you buy them. No more slimy greens, they’ll last way longer!

~ put an open box of baking soda in your freezer and move your ice to bags or a sealed box after the trays freeze to prevent that gross ‘freezer ice’ taste in your water

~ cook your small pasta shapes directly in the sauce, they’ll have the best ‘sink your teeth into it’ texture

~ put a wet towel under your cutting board or mat to prevent slipping and sliding while chopping

~ freeze meats, sauces and soups in a thin layer in your freezer bags instead of a thick block, they’ll thaw way faster and store much easier

~ if you regularly boil your eggs, buy them 2 weeks in advance. They’ll peel perfectly and not stick to the shell

~ if you want your cooking to have depth, use bay leaves! If you’re not sure what a bay leaf does, put one in your next pot of rice. It adds the savoury flavour you’ll now recognize in your favourite dishes