Another Book to Recommend - How to Break an Egg

This hefty volume, subtitled "1,453 Kitchen Tips, Food Fixes, Emergency Substitutions, and Handy Techniques" is worth the read, especially if you feel like a total twit in the kitchen.  ;-)

I highly recommend a thorough review of two sections in the back: "Handy Kitchen Techniques" (complete with glossy photos) and "When Things Go Wrong, Substitutions, and Equivalents."

In the first, I learned how to quickly core and slice an apple. (I previously wasted a lot of time slicing the apple directly through its center, then gouging out the core.) And I learned how to cut segments from an orange without mangling it into a big, wet mess.

In the second, I found the "Bad Bread Blues," "Pie Pitfalls and Tart Tribulations," and "Cookie Chaos" sections particularly helpful. 

It's amazing how much easier the kitchen is to tackle with the right tools and know-how.  ;-)