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My Philosophy for Making Good Food Fast
THE FOUR
BASIC PRINCIPLES
What separates
my books from other quick cooking books is that I don't just give
a list of quick recipes. Rather, I created a full-blown concept,
centered around four basic principles: Flavor,
Organization,
Focus, and Creativity.
Flavor means
a pantry well stocked with ingredients
that have great intensity of taste and texture. If your pantry is
well stocked, you don't have to run out as often for last-minute
items like pasta, chicken stock, or olive oil. When each ingredient
carries as much flavor and texture as possible, fewer ingredients
are required for each dish. Fewer ingredients also mean that cooking
and cleanup go faster. 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. (See the Pantry section for suggestions taken
from the book.)
"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.
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 some basic tools. For example, a large, heavy skillet-preferably
one that is 12 inches in diameter-is indispensable for sautéing
veal scallopini, fish fillets, or chicken breasts for four people.
(If the meat is too crowded in the pan, it will steam instead of
sauté .) A sauté pan or deep skillet (also 12 inches in diameter)
is also important for quick stews and soups. A food processor makes
easy work of chopping as well as sauces, dressings, and salsas.
The equipment you use frequently should also 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 voice mail, 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.
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