We're grateful for our moms for so many reasons, but especially for teaching us the dos and don'ts of all things kitchen. From cooking basics to the best cleaning practices, these are our editors' favorite gems of kitchen wisdom from our moms!
I grew up with a mom who cooked for our family of six every night. Here are six lessons she taught me:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a lifesaver for dinner. And they don't always have to be boring [1].
- Always read the ingredients on packaged foods.
- No dessert until you finish your vegetables! I heard this all through childhood, and now I actually follow it (most of the time).
- A double boiler [2] is the best way to melt chocolate.
- Homemade tomato sauce [3] is so much better than canned, and it's surprisingly easy to make. I loved walking into my house to the smell of homemade sauce for spaghetti, and now I love making my own batch to use through the week or freeze for later.
- Investing in high-quality, pricey kitchen appliances [4] is completely worth it if you cook a lot. If you buy the cheap stuff, you'll end up replacing it more than once!
And here are six lessons from the moms of our editorial team:
- "Clean as you go [5]. This makes the final cleanup dramatically easier — and it's easier to enjoy a home-cooked meal when you don't have to worry about a monster of a mess waiting for you in the kitchen!" — Maggie Winterfeldt, assistant Home editor
- "Don't be afraid to improvise. Not everything needs a recipe." — Sabrina Eldredge, director of product management
- "You don't have to be 'good' at cooking; you just have to know how to follow instructions. If you can follow a recipe [6], you can cook!" — Tara Block, Love & Sex/Smart Living editor
- "Never walk away from a broiler. NEVER." — Maggie Pehanick , associate Entertainment editor
- "Always buy local and in season [7]." — Kimberly Timlick, director of POPSUGAR International
- "Invest in organic produce and whole ingredients. Also, splurge on French butter — it instantly makes everything taste better!" — Anna Monette Roberts, associate Food editor