Sometimes, no matter how many recipes, tools and ideas you have, cooking is not the easiest task. Life catches up with us — we move to new cities, we grow our families, we start new jobs — and suddenly our everyday eating routine is totally upended.

And that is where our Kitchen Squad comes in. Katherine Alford, senior vice president of Culinary at Food Network, and Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, co-founders of Food52, are here to help two women (and, by proxy, you!) with their biggest kitchen troubles.

First up, meet Wummy. She’s a mom who loves to cook, but of course, best intentions don’t always jibe with busy schedules. She needs a better organized kitchen to make meal prep easier, and also a few go-to recipes she can whip up in a flash.

Amanda helps Wummy make sense of her kitchen clutter (she’s even got a solution that instantly creates more counter space), and Katherine shows off an easy pesto recipe that Wummy can freeze and stir into cooked grains at a moment’s notice.

Next we’ve got Madeline, a recent graduate who’s just moved into her first apartment. Starting from scratch is exciting but daunting: What kitchen supplies are necessary, and what will just turn to clutter? Katherine is here to help, outfitting Madeline’s kitchen with all the essentials — nothing more, nothing less. Plus, Madeline learns how to entertain with style and ease thanks to cheese-board tips from Amanda and Merrill.