Here's an embarrassing truth: I was a clueless cook before the age of 25. I didn't know the difference between a skillet and a saucepan, or cumin and coriander. And while I could boil water for pasta, ...

Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that everyone needs the cooking skills of a Michelin-star restaurant chef, but I'm a firm believer that everyone should know how to do basic things like boil water ...