DINNER A.S.A.P. 101

Imagine a vine-ripened summer tomato sprinkled with salt. A big bowl of linguine tossed with olive oil, basil, and shaved Parmesan. A fresh pink fillet of salmon dotted with dill. That’s cooking A.S.A.P.—as simple as possible.

As anyone who’s spent hours in the kitchen creating food they didn’t enjoy afterward knows, long, drawn-out techniques can make cooking feel like a chore. Far from boring, Dinner A.S.A.P. is a philosophy that brings seasonality, quality ingredients, and smart, simple methods to the plate.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER?

It’s the million-dollar question you have to answer every single night—whether you’re prepared to or not. The good news is finding that answer can be simple when you cook smart. Start by always keeping a few staple foods on hand. A ball of prepared pizza dough, a jar of sauce, and preshredded cheese equal pizza in a pinch. Frozen ground beef and a few buns can quickly become a backyard picnic. Boxed pasta, sliced garlic, olive oil, and a light sprinkle of Parmesan cheese make a fast, filling meal. Bonus points for taking the extra three minutes to put a fried egg on top.

SHOPPING STRATEGIES

So how do you cook smart? Start by shopping smart. You may be alone in the kitchen, but grocery stores are full of sous chefs waiting to make your life easier. Instead of sawing your way through a pork shoulder at home, have the grocery store butcher trim and cube it for you. Fishmongers are happy to slice off skin, devein shrimp, and fillet fish. And precut veggies—especially butternut squash—are often worth the additional price to save on prep time. That’s shopping the Dinner A.S.A.P. way. Utilize already prepared foods from your grocer’s deli, salad bar, hot bar, and frozen section to save even more time and get dinner on the table A.S.A.P.—just make smart choices so you’re not sacrificing your health to cut back prep time.

And don’t be afraid to hit up a variety of specialty markets when you have time—you’ll be surprised at the delicious items you can find that are great for pushing your pantry past its culinary comfort zone. These gourmet shops and ethnic groceries are full of sauces, spices, produce, and proteins that can quickly make an everyday meal go global. Something as simple as an Asian hot sauce or Indian cracker can drive a dish in a different direction.

COOKING SMART

Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” Everything doesn’t always go as planned in the kitchen, but visualizing the meal from start to finish can prevent missteps. Before you start, think about each part of the meal, the ingredients, and how they’ll be prepared. Then consider how to coordinate each element—salad, entrée, sides—so they all arrive on the table together. And practice what chefs call mise en place, which means getting all ingredients and equipment together in one place to set yourself up for success.

Whenever possible, make two meals out of one. Making a batch of soup? Double the recipe, and freeze half for later. But you don’t even have to work that hard: Serve braised pork shoulder with couscous and steamed broccoli one night, and then use the leftover pork in quesadillas, stuffed peppers, or potato hash a few nights later. That’s Dinner A.S.A.P. And don’t think the freezer is just for saving portions you couldn’t eat­—it’s also a great place for extra ingredients to chill out until they’re needed. Spoon extra tomato paste, chiles in adobo sauce, or even wine into ice-cube trays—just pop one out, thaw, and include in any recipe. (Look for Fast Freeze and Eat Now & Later tips throughout the book.)

When time permits, set aside a few hours in your week (Sundays are good) to tackle meal prep for the week ahead. Chop fresh veggies for recipes; make healthy, grab-and-go snacks; and knock out elements that require extra time, such as roasted garlic, caramelized onions, and dried beans or chickpeas.

GET EQUIPPED

Never underestimate the power of cooking equipment. Get to know what’s in your kitchen—and how to use it properly. For instance, a hot skillet gives fish, meat, and vegetables a restaurant-quality sear, while a slow cooker braises meats low and slow­—it’s important to know the difference.

Properly seared meats and veggies should be caramelized to intensify their flavor profiles. To get the best sear, use a stainless steel or cast-iron pan, a touch of oil, and high heat, and resist the urge to move the food or pan (you’re not sautéing). Most foods will stick to the pan at first—especially meats—but will let go when the sear is just right.

The slow cooker, on the other hand, is like a personal chef who’s at home cooking when you’re not. Use it to braise meats for barbecue, cook chickpeas for homemade hummus, or make chili.

THE SPICE IS RIGHT

Finally, properly seasoned foods are delicious tasting foods. A chicken breast on its own? Not so exciting. But a chicken breast atop a nest of fresh pappardelle or rubbed with artisan olive oil and lemon-scented salt to crisp up its skin? Now you’re talking. Go all out and splurge on oils, seasonings, and vinegars in specialty stores—especially on items like truffle oil that have a long shelf life and are used sparingly. The smallest details can make a big difference.

And take this advice with a grain of salt: A little salt and freshly ground black pepper go a long way. Think of the incredible flavor a roasted chicken has with a few pinches of both. Keep a saltcellar full of kosher grains and a pepper mill within reach of your prep area, and taste and season as you cook.

Just remember, every part of the meal doesn’t have to be wow-worthy. Pick one element to be the star, and let the rest act as the supporting cast.