Katerina Pavlakis

My first clear memory of actual cooking is a three course meal I made for my family - aged 8 and all by myself.

What are my cooking credentials, then? Ermm... none. I am a home cook just like you. But I have been fascinated by food and by cooking for as long as I can think.

I don't remember being taught how to cook so I must have just soaked it up from my environment. Growing up in Greece in the 70s, home-cooked food was simply normal, and everywhere, so cooking - and eating - at home was a big part of growing up. There was shopping at the farmers' market, drooling over recipes, grinding of spices, and animated conversation at the dinner table. Somewhere in all that I honed my cooking intuition.

There should be no doubt: you can't develop intuition by reading about it. You have to touch it, chop it, taste it, live it, embody it, and let the practice and knowledge sink from the head to the heart - and to the belly.

But you don't have to get started as a toddler.

You can start today. Embrace cooking - and eating - as the joyful adventure it is.

No recipes needed. We all have a cook in us.

It's not rocket science, it's just dinner.