Introdution If this is your first foray into cooking, fear not, young grasshopper. You made it past the SATs; this is nothing. In cooking, like anything, practice makes perfect--you find what you like and figure out how to do it the way that works for you. Now I know that, being young and brash and clever, you wish to make your own mistakes, but I've made enough of them myself to offer you some good advice. So take it. You can thank me later. * Cook with your hands. (Wash them first.

) In Italian, hands that have cooked and cooked well are called mani sapienti--knowledgeable hands. They're your best tool. You'll learn how things should feel and how to stop when you've reached the right texture. You'll learn to measure without tools, and your food will taste like love. * Cook with good salt and freshly ground pepper. The best ingredients are worthless if you're seasoning them with subpar salt and pepper. Buy whole black peppercorns and put them in a pepper mill (it can be small and the cheapest you can find; it doesn't have to be fancy) to grind them fresh each time you need to. * Don't skimp on salt.

Our bodies are 0.04 percent salt and require it to function. Plus, salt brings out the flavor in food, both sweet and savory. Just remember to drink water. * Don't skimp on fat. Fat is brain food and fat tastes GOOD. * Don't be afraid of making mistakes. You gotta just roll with it when that happens, and it will happen.

Some of the best discoveries started out as mistakes. Besides, that's what garnishes and pretty plates are for. * Be brave. Go forth and COOK, young grasshopper!.