This admission might seem like a cliché, but just watching the show “Top Chef” has inspired me to eschew my old “cooking” habits. I use the word cooking loosely, because the only real effort I made was to warm up a microwave dinner or strain myself by making a sandwich. I had always known how unhealthy this practice was, but not until watching that merit-based reality show did I stop to think of all the delicious dishes I was missing out on.

Recognizing that a chef is only as good as his tools, I immediately went about tracking down a high-quality cutlery set and some serrated steak knives online. I also found a sharpener that would keep the knives perfectly honed. I plan to start simple with a few classic Italian recipes. It will probably be a while before I attempt something as complicated and nuanced as French cooking, but that’s definitely the ultimate goal.