FUNDAMENTALS OF COOKING
WHAT INGREDIENTS SHOULD I BUY? LOCAL, FARM-RAISED FOOD HAS BECOME A LUXURY FOR MOST OF US ALMOST EVERYTHING IN THE SUPERMARKET IS GROWN OR RAISED FOR ITS HARDINESS, PROFITABILITY, SHELF LIFE, AND ABILITY TO WITHSTAND THE RIGORS OF TRANSIT, RATHER THAN FOR ITS FLAVOR AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE MOST OF IT COMES TO US FROM THOU- SANDS OF MILES AWAY, LITTLE OF IT IS TRULY FRESH, AND IT IS SOLD TO US NOT BY THE INDIVIDUALS WHO RAISED IT OR EVEN SELECTED IT BUT BY ANONYMOUS CORPORATIONS NEVERTHELESS, SUPERMARKET FOOD IS OF REASONABLY HIGH QUALITY, INEXPENSIVE, AND ALMOST UNIFORMLY SAFE TO EAT (DON’T GET ME WRONG; IT SHOULD BE BETTER, AND I HOPE IT SOON WILL BE ) WITH ONE SHOPPING TRIP, YOU CAN HAVE THE MAKINGS OF MANY MEALS ON HAND AT ALL TIMES, JUST BY MAINTAINING THE RIGHT MIX OF STAPLES TO ME, THE INGREDIENTS THAT FOLLOW ARE THE TRUE CONVE- NIENCE FOODS DIFFERENT PEOPLE LIKE TO EAT DIFFERENT WAYS, OBVIOUSLY, BUT CERTAIN ITEMS BELONG IN EVERY KITCHEN ALL THE TIME AND KEEP NEARLY INDEFINITELY TO STOCK YOUR PANTRY AND REFRIGERATOR, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THESE ON HAND (NOTE THAT ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THESE INGREDIENTS IS DESCRIBED IN DETAIL SOMEWHERE IN THE BOOK; JUST SEE THE INDEX TO FIND WHERE ) EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, AND SOME DECENT NEUTRAL OIL, LIKE GRAPESEED OR CORN VINEGAR SOY SAUCE RICE, LONG-GRAIN AND SHORT-GRAIN PASTA BEANS, DRIED AND CANNED (FROZEN IF YOU CAN FIND THEM) SPICES AND DRIED HERBS FLOURS AND CORNMEAL CANNED TOMATOES CANNED—OR PACKAGED—STOCK AROMATIC VEGETABLES, LIKE ONIONS, GARLIC, SHALLOTS, CELERY, AND CARROTS BAKING SODA, BAKING POWDER, AND CORNSTARCH DRIED MUSHROOMS EGGS PARMESAN CHEESE NUTS AND SEEDS LEMONS AND LIMES BUTTER SUGAR, HONEY, AND MAYBE MAPLE SYRUP LONG-LASTING VEGETABLES AND FRUITS, LIKE POTATOES, APPLES, AND ORANGES STANDARD CONDIMENTS LIKE KETCHUP, MUSTARD, SALSA, AND MAYONNAISE YOU WOULD NOT BE GOING OVERBOARD TO STOCK CAPERS, MISO, DARK SESAME OIL, BREAD CRUMBS, FRESH SCALLIONS, CHILES, AND GINGER, COCONUT MILK, HOT SAUCE, DRIED FRUIT, FROZEN VEGETABLES (DEFINITELY BETTER THAN NOTHING), PARSLEY (ESPECIALLY) AND OTHER FRESH HERBS, AND RED AND WHITE WINE (YES, YOU CAN COOK WITHOUT THEM, BUT IF YOU DRINK WINE YOU SHOULD COOK WITH IT) THUS STOCKED, YOU’LL BE ABLE TO MAKE SCORES OF DIFFER- ENT MEALS, FROM PANCAKES TO PASTA WHEN YOU ADD THE FRESH INGREDIENTS THAT YOU’LL LIKELY HAVE IN THE REFRIGERATOR AS A RESULT OF NORMAL SHOPPING—VEGETABLES, FRUIT, MEAT, FISH, MILK, CHEESE, AND OTHER PERISHABLES—YOU’LL BE ABLE TO PREPARE MOST OF THE RECIPES IN THIS BOOK WITHOUT GOING OUT FOR SPECIAL INGREDIENTS SOME PEOPLE BECOME OBSESSED BY INGREDIENTS, AND THIS IS UNDERSTANDABLE (BUT NO, YOU DO NOT NEED HIMALAYAN SALT IN YOUR PANTRY) IN GENERAL, THE BETTER THE INGREDIENTS YOU HAVE, THE SIMPLER YOUR COOKING CAN BE AN OMELET MADE WITH FARM-FRESH EGGS, A LOCALLY RAISED CHICKEN ROASTED WITH WONDERFUL OLIVE OIL, SLICED TOMATOES STRAIGHT FROM THE GARDEN—THESE EXPERIENCES CANNOT BE DUPLICATED WITH SUPERMARKET INGREDIENTS OF COURSE, IF YOU HAD PERFECT INGREDIENTS ALL THE TIME, YOU WOULD HARDLY NEED A COOKBOOK BUT THE STORY OF COOKING IS OFTEN THE STORY OF COMPROMISE; YOU BUY THE BEST INGREDIENTS YOU CAN LAY YOUR HANDS ON AND COMBINE THEM IN WAYS THAT MAKE SENSE THAT’S THE THINKING BEHIND MY RECIPES WHAT ABOUT ORGANIC? THIS IS A POLITICAL QUESTION, NOT A COOKING QUESTION, AND IT’S COMPLICATED I CAN ONLY TELL YOU THAT I DON’T ROUTINELY BUY ORGANIC FOOD, AND I RARELY GO OUT OF MY WAY TO BUY