We live in a world where food blogs are born every time a kitchen timer dings and aspiring chefs have millions of recipes at their fingertips. Call us old fashioned, but we think the mark of a good home cook is having a stable of recipes they can make off the cuff -- no instructions, few measurements, just old-school knowledge handed down from previous generations. If you're a novice, take notes. If you fancy yourself a chef, it's time to test yourself.