Put down the Best Foods and step away from the Kewpie. As one of the foundational sauces of French cuisine, it’s worth mastering the art of making your own mayo. And it’s easy once you get a feel for it; with experience, you’ll ‘get’ how fast you can add the oil, how to adjust lemon juice so it’s in balance…

What separates OK cooks from Really Great cooks? Not what you might think. No, it’s not the ability to whip up a croquembouche like it’s a reflex action, or craft a molecularly gastronomic dinner party menu on the turn of a dime. It’s actually the little things. The smallest masteries of techniques…