Q: When shopping for fresh produce or meats, be certain to take the time to ensure that the texture, colors, and quality of the food you buy is the best in the batch. You should also try to stick to cooking with foods that are currently in season, as that is when they taste their best. If you're just starting to cook, don't substitute ingredients. The unfamiliar ingredient might interact with the other food in a way that you're not aware of and ruin the entire meal. The practice of getting all of your tools and ingredients together, prepared, and measured is called "mise en place" by professional chefs, and is considered essential to efficient cooking.  Your "mise en place" should be ready and close at hand before the stove is turned on. Unless otherwise noted in your recipe, cut the food into uniform slices or pieces so that they cook evenly. There are a wide variety of cutting techniques—chopping, dicing, cubing, slicing, julienning, etc. The bigger the pieces, the longer they'll usually take to cook. Some of the most enjoyable dishes include a combination of different yet complementary textures. These textures work together in your mouth to make eating a more enjoyable experience.  Think about topping off a baked pasta or vegetable dish, such as macaroni and cheese, or eggplant parmigiana with some bread crumbs. Similarly, adding some chopped scallions or celery to mashed potatoes can add a pleasant burst of texture and flavor. Butter adds a delicious, creamy, slightly nutty flavor to food and should be featured heavily in many types of cooking and baking. Use butter anytime a recipe calls for it, and even sometimes when it doesn’t! Butter can be used as a cooking medium, like in sautéing, where it both complements and enhances the natural flavors. It can be used as the base for sauces, where it adds a wonderfully smooth, creamy texture. Or it can be used in baking, where it provides a wonderfully flaky, melt-in-your-mouth quality. Herbs can single-handedly give a dish a distinct flavor, characterizing it as belonging to Greek, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, or any other type of world cuisine. Herbs enhance the flavor and color of food, making it more exciting to cook and eat.  Basil is used most often in Mediterranean cooking and pairs perfectly with tomatoes. It can also be blended with pine nuts to make basil pesto. Parsley has a light, fresh flavor and is very popular in Western cooking. It works well in soups and sauces, or simply sprinkled over a dish to add a burst of color. Cilantro is very popular is Asian and Latin cooking. Its raw leaves are used to add a fresh, bright flavor to cooked dishes, while it's roots are used for making Thai curry pastes. Mint has a cooling flavor which makes it a great addition to summer salads and refreshing drinks (like Mojitos). It is also used in savory dishes originating from the Middle East and North Africa. Rosemary is a strong flavored, woody herb which works well with roast chicken and joints of meat, stews and soups. It is best used sparingly. Like with herbs, adding a single spice (or a combination of them) can impart a very distinctive flavor profile to a dish, and tie its flavor profile to a particular global cuisine. Keep your pantry stocked with a supply of commonly-used spices.  Cinnamon is a sweet, aromatic spice which is very popular in baking, especially in items such as apple pie and oatmeal cookies. It is also used in many Indian, Moroccan and Mexican dishes. Paprika lends a burst of bright red color and a spicy burst of flavor to food. It is used in many Hungarian dishes, while also being popular in Spanish and Portuguese cuisines. Cumin is a popular spice used mainly to add flavor and color to curries. It is used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Asian cooking. Coriander is seed of the cilantro plant which has a lemony top note. It is commonly used in chili and curry dishes; it is used widely in many types of Latino, Middle Eastern, and Indian dishes. Ginger is a very versatile spice. When used fresh, it can add a sweet and spicy note to stir-fries, curries and roasted meats. In dried, ground form, ginger is often added to baked goods, such as ginger snaps.
A: Use fresh ingredients whenever possible. Organize your tools and ingredients before cooking. Include contrasting textures in your meals. Use butter in your cooking. Experiment with herbs. Give spices a try in your recipes.

Q: If you want to do several layers of shelves, it is best to start with bottom sliding shelves and move to the middle or top only when you know you will have space for several racks. Check them to ensure they were not damaged.   Insert and lock in a Philips head or other drill bit that will fit into the screw heads.
A: Measure the width and depth of the cabinet in which you would like to place sliding shelves. Compare those measurements to pre-made sliding shelves available online, at home improvement stores or through cabinet companies. Order the sliding shelves that fit your cabinets. Remove the shelves from the packaging. Lay the drawer, base mount screws and brackets on the kitchen floor by the cabinet. Remove the contents of the kitchen cabinet. Compare the mounting screws with your drill bits.

Q: If you think that you might have been a bit too "full on", try pulling back for a while and giving him back the space that you've tried to inhabit. This doesn't mean withdrawing affection or not seeing him at all; it just means learning to pace yourself and take it easy.  Don't text or call him for an entire day. Try to stick with it. If he hasn't reached out to you at all during that day, talk with him about what he expects out of a relationship. If you expect something that he won't give you, you may want to look elsewhere for a boyfriend. Don't text or call him about pointless things. Don't call him just because Mindy broke up with Seth when your boyfriend doesn't know either of those people. You may think it's important, but he probably doesn't. Getting sad and emotional about it just lowers your appeal and may be the goal of some chauvinistic men. Be happy and smile more. Your days will not be hindered by the fact that he is ignoring you. The happier you are, the more he'll want to feed off that happiness.
A: Give things a bit of a break. Don't let it get to your head.

Q: If you’ve decided to be a Renaissance person, you’ve got a long reading list ahead of you. You don’t have to read everything in a day. Start small, and spend 20 minutes reading something different each day.  You can alternate days to get through the various textbooks, novels, newspapers, etc. that you’re reading. If you have time and you want to, read for longer! The more hours you dedicate to becoming a Renaissance person, the farther along you’ll get on your quest. Since you won’t necessarily have time to work out on days when you have a full school or workday, take advantage of down time. Plan to do your more intense workouts on those days. Even on busy days, 10-15 minutes of exercise is better than zero minutes. Travel time can be used for learning, too! Turn your commute into a classroom by picking audio content that interests you. This’ll help you start and end your workday on the right foot. Try NPR’s Politics Podcast for an in-depth review of the American political scene. The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe is a fun way to learn about science, and it promotes critical thinking. The Moth is also an interesting option for those interested in literature and storytelling. Since your artwork may feel like a hobby or something you do for fun, it could be harder to find time for this than for exercise or reading. Use the time you’d usually spend relaxing in front a mindless show or movie to relax productively. Renaissance people are curious and always looking for new ways to learn. Get out there and explore. When a new museum or restaurant opens up in your town, be the first through the doors.
A:
Read for at least 20 minutes a day. Schedule a few hours on your off day for exercise. Listen to podcasts or audiobooks when you’re on the move. Make art instead of vegging out in front of the TV. Use your off-days to explore and see new things.