> Stop determining what you want to eat first. Look at what you have in your fridge and learn to work with it. Yes, this. Always have the essentials stocked f

> Stop determining what you want to eat first. Look at what you have in your fridge and learn to work with it. Yes, this. Always have the essentials stocked for your repertoire. I grew up Italian-American, so we always had: onions, garlic, lemon, parsley, green peppers, sausage, tomato paste, anchovies, pasta, a few types of beans, grated cheese, olive oil, balsamic, etc. Add some random meats or fresh vegetables, and you've got like, a hundred different recipes right there. > Seriously. CLEAN AS YOU COOK. It drives me insane that people don't get this. So many, many people don't understand this. My mom DRILLED this into my head as a kid. When I'm cooking with a friend who doesn't clean as they cook, I usually just hand them a glass of wine and kick them out of the kitchen.