Last week was my final week of culinary school. For the past 12 weeks I’ve learned so many things, from basic vegetable prep, to stocks, fish, meats, and pastry. I learned an incredible amount in the short time period, and could not be more thankful and enthusiastic about the whole experience.

Here are the top ten things I learned in culinary school. Some of these things are easily teachable (like quartering a chicken), while other things like reading recipe simply require a good teacher or time in the kitchen.

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We love our iced coffee in the summer, but fall and winter belong to the latte. We love to sit inside on a chilly day with a hot, frothy latte or cappuccino. But a latte shouldn’t just be a coffee shop treat. Even without an espresso machine, a milk frother, or other toys of the trade, you can make a pretty decent latte at home — and yes, it will have a beautiful cap of foam.

Here’s how we do it when we want a latte at home, to sip in the morning, or with a visiting friend.

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When we talk about easy, inexpensive ways to improve the storage in your kitchen — any kitchen, even a rental — a pot rack comes up quickly. Hanging your pots and pans for easy access frees up cupboards. But what if you, like me, are just too short for a traditional pot rack? I have tall friends with racks that loom high over their island or stove, but I am not tall enough to manage that!

Here are 12 inspiring photos of other options: pot rails and racks, mounted on the wall, low enough for us shorties.

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How To Make Hummus from Scratch

Ah, college cooking. It brings to mind such sophisticated fare as Rice Krispie treats (eaten straight out of the bowl, of course), thick dining hall chili, boxed brownie mixes and the like.

For me, college was when I really figured out that I liked to cook, so my memories actually include somewhat sophisticated foods like homemade pita bread, baba ghanoush, gnocchi, and risotto. I found a few favorite recipes along the way that I still use today — read on to find out which ones!

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20 Days, 20 Lessons to Become a Better Cook

Have you ever wanted to go to cooking school? Le Cordon Bleu may not be in the cards just yet — but there’s another way!

Starting this coming Monday, October 6, we’re inviting you to come to cooking school with us. The Kitchn’s Cooking School will be 20 days, 20 lessons to help you become a better cook. Every day we’ll tackle an essential cooking topic and explain what you should know. (Yes, there will be homework — but it will be tasty!) Whether you want to refresh your skills or start from scratch with a structured course of basics, come and learn with us.

Sign up for The Kitchn’s Cooking School

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With school back in session, we’re feeling a little nostalgic for the days when pop quizzes terrified us and had us weeping in our Trapper Keepers. Oh Lisa Frank, your unicorns saw us through many a heartbreak. In honor of midterms, we’ve dug through our archives and picked 10 of the trickiest mystery gadgets that our readers have sent us, puzzled by their unknown qualities.

How many of these 10 gadgets can you identify?

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This Los Angeles bungalow kitchen made me gasp just a little bit when I first saw it. Look at the ceilings, and that soothing paint color. But the closer I looked, the more I admired many decisions made by Jeff and Joseph, the owners. Here are five takeaways from their lovely kitchen.

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I got this recipe from a friend of the family. Apparently, these little shortbread cookies were a huge hit in the teachers’ workroom at my friend’s elementary school. I figured that any humble cookie that can wow a bunch of teachers — who’ve likely eaten more cookies in their day than they can count — was worth trying. And you know what? Yup, totally worth it.

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Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria

After you’ve stuffed yourself with Honeycrisps, Sweet Tangos, and Jonagolds at the farmers market, you should start thinking about ways to incorporate your favorite fall fruit into your daily meals. From puffed apple pancake for breakfast, to stuffed streusel apples for dessert, plus savory goodness like a roasted apple and winter squash soup, here are plenty of ways to get your apple fix this fall.

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Ah, autumn, when crisp mornings make me forget about chilled overnight oats and smoothies, and instead push hot breakfasts to the front of my mind. The only challenge is finding warm breakfasts that are still quick enough to make on busy fall mornings. Enter these freezer-friendly breakfast wraps.

Following these tips for freezing burritos, I made vegetarian wraps filled with eggs, tomatoes, spinach, and feta that are ready to microwave in the morning. Skipping breakfast at Starbucks is a lot easier when I can have this on my plate in only two minutes.

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