Do you want to take your cooking game beyond the microwave and the can opener? You're going to need certain skills. And to help you figure out which ones, there are lists. Lots and lots of lists. This is one of them. It is not, however, as many such lists are, a list of skills that every so-called "foodie" ought to have, many of which, truth be told, hardly anyone actually needs. Surely not everyone on earth needs to be able to make homemade mayonnaise, or poach an egg, or even carve a turkey. Indeed some tasks, like making your own demi-glace, or puff pastry dough, are so time-consuming and unnecessary that you're better off not knowing how, lest you somehow be tempted to try.
