I wanted to put together a list of the dishes you should be able to make to consider yourself a cook. If there are other dishes that you think absolutely MUST be on this list, please email it to me. This essentials list is for a modern American diet. I'm not trying to achieve health perfection, or balance of world cuisines. This, in my opinion, is what you should absolutely know how to cook if you are cooking in the United States. In the case of categories, like breakfast, you should know at least one or two of the reciptes...make that your specialty. If there is no link in the list, it means I don't have the recipe in yet, but that I consider it to be on the essentials list.