Yet again tonight I made a mistake I must have made 100 times before -- skimming rather than really reading the recipe BEFORE I start cooking. Which got me to thinking about the cooking lessons/tips I really wish I'd taken to heart earlier -- the ones that could have saved me time/expense/frustration ... or, alternatively, the one that could have made my cooking more enjoyable with better results. Lessons like sharpening knives regularly and honing before every use...like how surprisingly satisfying it is to make your own stocks and how great they make your house smell and your dishes taste ... like paying attention to what's in season. So -- kind of following on the recent thread about how people learned to cook, I thought I'd ask what lessons people wish they had learned and/or taken to heart earlier in their cooking education.