Eating well means different things to different people.

For some, this is all about getting the optimum nutrition to satisfy their health and their gains; for others, it is all about having the kind of income that allows them to dine at fancy restaurants all the time. Yet more associate this with the wholesomeness of sitting down to a home-cooked meal with the ones you love, or maybe they just want to experience as many different flavors and cuisines as possible.

Whatever it is that you consider to be an enjoyable diet, it is likely that it is going to be enhanced by knowing your way around the kitchen. Cooking is a skill that is invaluable to have, and it is the kind of thing that usually makes people like you more as well. Understanding on some level how food preparation is supposed to work allows us to pursue our culinary dreams with extra fervor, even if sometimes they don’t extend much further than garnishing our instant ramen with a soft-boiled egg. There is always more to learn about cooking.

Of course, unless you are a professional, there is no requirement that you must become an expert on cuisine. It is perfectly fine to know just enough to throw together a decent weeknight dinner, and maybe one or two more impressive recipes for socializing. You also want to be in the know so that you can appreciate the silliness of cooking memes and their wayward takes on the things we choose to eat.