With takeout prices on the rise, Josh wants to sharpen his home-cooking chops so he can whip up delicious dinners for himself and his wife. But this empty nester doesn't want to spend all day in the kitchen. On this episode of How To!, co-host Courtney Martin consults award-winning chef, food writer, and New York Times Cooking pro Sohla El-Waylly for advice on meal prep, next-level seasoning, and preparing the best rice and beans. Sohla's new cookbook is Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook.

If you liked this episode, check out How To 'Chaos Cook' With Samin Nosrat or How To Cook One Perfect Meal.

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How To's executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sara McCrae. Production for this episode by Sara McCrea.

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