What are the 5 most helpful cooking tips you learned about?

Opt for the *Really Good* knife set. Keep the cutting board in place with a wet towel. Practice the art of Mise en Place. Try it on grandma's rosemary rolls.

Maria Yagoda is the senior editor of Food & Wine, where she has worked for five years, specializing in restaurant and travel coverage. In culinary school you learn to arrive on time, to shout yes, chef, and to move around in a professional kitchen, but what seems most useful to me in my daily life are these practical skills. These are tips from professionals that I have adapted to work in my home kitchen. Learning these skills has eliminated the frenzy and chaos of cooking and has made it an enjoyable process for me.

I want to share them because I think they can also be useful to make mealtime smoother in your home kitchen. Keep reading for the inside scoop on how to instantly improve your meals with these cooking tips from the pros.