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The most frequent question I get from readers of my newest cookbook,
"Cooking To Beat The Clock: Delicious, Inspired Meals In 15 Minutes," is
"How do you get your ideas for quick meals?" Well, here's how.
Almost from the time I was born, I was interested in food, cooking,
and eating. I'd accompany my mother on trips to the supermarket, where I learned how to be
a smart shopper. And, of course, I'd watch her cook. Even after 23 years as a food
professional, my wife, Mary, says she can see my eyes light up when I discover a new food
or dish.
Loving to cook and eat great food came into conflict with my daily
routine when I was a food editor at the San Jose Mercury News. After leaving work, I'd
fight traffic for an hour or more before arriving home at 7 or 7:30 in the evening
(sometimes later), tired and hungry. Not satisfied with a can of soup or a bowl of corn
flakes, I was determined to create good-tasting meals in as little time as possible. I
began with quick pasta dishes. I called them "throw-togethers" because I'd use
whatever was available in the fridge or the pantry and throw them together with cooked
pasta. The repertoire expanded and resulted in a story in the Mercury News called
"10-Minute Meals." Several years later, the concept broadened again and became
the basis for the New York Times article "Beat the Clock: Inspired Meals in 10
Minutes," which was nominated for a James Beard Journalism Award. When my editor at
Chronicle Books, saw the story, he asked if I'd do a book on the subject, but with recipes
designed for four people instead of two, which was the case in the Times article. This
necessitated increasing the cooking time to 15 minutes. Thus, "Cooking to Beat the
Clock: Delicious, Inspired Meals in 15 Minutes" was born.
As ideas for delicious meals in minutes evolved into a full-blown
concept, I determined that one needed to follow four basic principles to make the concept
work: Flavor, Organization, Focus, and Creativity. "Flavor" means a pantry well
stocked with ingredients that have great intensity of taste and texture. By having the
pantry well stocked, you don't have to run out as often for last-minute items like pasta,
chicken stock, or olive oil. By having each ingredient carry as much flavor and texture as
possible, fewer ingredients are required for each dish. And fewer ingredients mean cooking
(as well as cleanup) goes faster.
"Cooking to Beat the Clock" doesn't mean just opening
cans, however. Almost every recipe in the book uses some fresh ingredient (often several),
such as broccoli, onions, garlic, green beans, salad greens, or mangoes. Canned
ingredients are used judiciously. For example, canned beans are often very good, though
quality varies from brand to brand. And don't forget that the freezer and refrigerator are
part of today's pantry. I always keep peas in the freezer and Parmesan cheese, bacon, and
eggs (among many other items) in the refrigerator.
"Organization" means having the right equipment to
simplify and speed up meal preparation, and having it in the right place. You don't need
anything fancy to make 15-minute meals, but you do need things like a large, heavy skillet
for sauteing chicken breasts, a deep skillet or saute pan for stews and soups, and a food
processor to make quick work of chopping as well as creating sauces, dressings, and
salsas. And that equipment has to be within easy reach. If the food processor is stuck in
the recesses of your cupboard, it may take five minutes just to get it out.
"Focus" means being single-minded about getting the meal
out in a hurry and using laborsaving techniques to make it happen. Don't turn on the
television, look at your mail, or even pour yourself a glass of wine. Just get in there
and get it done without distraction. Ask and answer the question "How was your day,
dear?" while eating dinner, not while cooking. (Incidentally, the meals in the book
are designed for one person to cook. If there are two of you, the other one can take care
of the kids, check the answering machine, and set the table.)
"Creativity" involves strategies for preparing meals in
minutes, thinking beyond recipes so you don't always have to follow a specific formula. My
book has 60 very good recipes, but by using them as a springboard or blueprint, you can
create many more by making any number of substitutions or additions. For example, you can
use the same format for making bouillabaisse to create zarzuela, the Spanish shellfish
stew; cioppino, the Californian fish stew; or cacciucco, the Italian seafood stew.
