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Egg rolls with sweet and sour sauce is one of the many recipes that can be found in authors Stacey Krastins and Sara Kallio's new cookbook, "The Stocked Kitchen."

Before you slice into a tomato, chop an onion, pull out a skillet Ч before you even turn on the stove Ч turn on your senses.

Your ability to use all your senses Ч to see, hear, smell, feel and taste Ч may be the simplest way to up your culinary cred.

"To ignore that is to deprive yourself of some of the natural, most basic pleasures of the craft," said Lauren Braun Costello, New York-based chef-stylist and cookbook author during a phone chat. Most important, she said, learn to taste.

"You peel a carrot. It feels firm, and you say OK, it's crunchy. You bite into it, and it's not that sweet, it's not that full of flavor or it has an odd texture. You're tasting before you start cooking," said Costello, who has written "Notes on Cooking" and "The Competent Cook." "You're a conductor and you've got all these musical instruments and you're going to create a melody. You have to really taste and see and feel and touch and smell how all that is coming together."

For Marcus Samuelsson, chef at restaurants Aquavit, in New York, and C-House, in Chicago, that might mean incorporating vinegar or lime juice into a savory sauce to brighten its flavor.

For Thomas Keller, chef at Napa Valley restaurants French Laundry and Ad Hoc, that might mean getting comfortable with touching food.

"I've found a lot of people are afraid to touch food," he writes in "Ad Hoc at Home." "Touching food is good. It ... gives you results impossible to achieve when you're using long metal utensils."

Season as you go: "Season meat before you brown it. Season meat as it comes off the heat. Season the meat as you slice it," Costello said.

Season correctly: "When you season food ... whether the food is raw or cooked, always season from high above the food to ensure even distribution," writes Keller.

Sweet, too: In "New American Table," Samuelsson mixes Dijon mustard, maple syrup, lime juice and olive oil for brushing on grilled tuna. For salmon, a similar sauce uses honey instead of syrup. Balsamic vinegar adds its sweetness to a toasted sesame oil, olive oil and lime juice mix he splashes on grilled chicken.

Balance a plate: "The contrast and repetition of shapes, colors, textures and sizes provide a powerful form of culinary communication," Costello writes.

3 large fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored, cut into 2- by 1/2-inch batons (about 3 cups)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with the salt. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the thighs, skin side down, in batches if necessary, until brown, about 6 minutes per batch. Turn the thighs over; cook 1 minute. Transfer to cooling rack set in a baking sheet. (Add more oil to skillet if needed to cook second batch.)

2. Reduce the heat to medium low; add the onion. Cook 1 1/2 minutes. Add the garlic; cook 1 minute. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the fennel; turn the heat up to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the fennel is crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Pour in wine; simmer 2 minutes. Stir in the olives, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, lemon zest, thyme and chicken stock. Heat to a simmer; cook until the fennel is tender, about 1 minute.

4. Taste the stock; season with salt as needed. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up, in a single layer (if your skillet is not large enough, use a roasting pan). When the liquid returns to a simmer, transfer to the oven; cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Turn on the broiler; put the pan under the broiler to crisp and brown the chicken skin, about 2 minutes. Transfer to serving platter; garnish with parsley.

Per serving: 571 calories, 65 percent of calories from fat, 41 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 159 mg cholesterol, 15 g carbohydrates, 36 g protein, 779 mg sodium, 5 g fiber

1. Heat water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan; turn off the heat. Add the couscous; cover and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder and thyme; simmer until the tomatoes are broken down and softened to a sauce, about 25 minutes.

3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove 1 cup of the tomato sauce; let it cool. Let the rest of the tomato sauce continue to simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, combine the 1 cup tomato sauce with couscous, egg and turkey. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste. Shape the mixture into a loaf. Arrange the loaf on a parchment-lined sheet pan; bake 1 hour.

5. Five minutes before the meatloaf is ready, reheat the tomato sauce. Fold the spinach and basil into the sauce. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste. Serve the sauce with the meatloaf.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 280 calories, 28 percent of calories from fat, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 27 g carbohydrates, 25 g protein, 269 mg sodium, 4 g fiber