What does it mean to be a good cook? Sure, there’s the technical stuff: the knife skills, the timing, the intuitive moment when you know a chicken breast is cooked through but not yet dry. Beyond that ...

You won't be surprised by this image: you open the fridge and look up and down at what's inside. There's a half-used container, a bag of spinach, a couple of eggs... You're not sure what to do with it ...

I tested the same mac and cheese recipe on the stovetop, in the oven, and in the microwave. The stove, my go-to appliance, made the creamiest sauce, but the oven version had the best flavor. The ...