5 Things You Should Learn To Cook In 2012

By Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor, EatingWell Magazine

I’m pretty good in the kitchen, but there are a few areas that I feel I could improve upon. It’s the simple things that trip me up the most–maybe because I don’t feel like I really need to follow the recipe (it’s so easy!) or pay that much attention to the specifics.

Like roasting a chicken, for example. I season it a little and throw it in the oven. It always comes out good–but not great. Why? Because I often overlook the little things I could do to make it even better. And I’ll bet there are more people than just me in this boat. Here are 5 things I think we all should learn to cook or master in 2012 and a few tips to set you (and me) on the road to success.

What cooking skill do you want to perfect this year?

More from EatingWell:

• How to Break 4 of Your Worst Cooking Habits
• 10 Secrets to Healthy Cooking
• 6 Pots and Pans Every Home Cook Needs
• 7 Tricks for Better Slow-Cooking in Your Crock Pot

By Hilary Meyer, EatingWell Associate Food Editor

EatingWell Associate Food Editor Hilary Meyer spends much of her time in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, testing and developing healthy recipes. She is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute.