Read a recipe like a pro before you start

The five minutes before you cook decide how stressful the next thirty will be. Read the whole recipe first — start to finish — before you touch a single ingredient. You're checking for hidden time ("chill for 1 hour"), tools you may not have, and steps that happen at the same time.

Then set up your mise en place: measure and prep everything into small bowls before the heat goes on. It feels fussy the first few times and then it becomes the thing that makes cooking calm instead of frantic.

Last, clean as you go. A clear counter is a clear head — and far fewer dishes waiting for you at the end of dinner.