It’s not my intention to keep you reading too long, but there are a couple of things that I wanted to mention about certain ingredients that are fundamental in my food.
Agave has become a staple in my kitchen and cooking. I used to use sugar or maple syrup to finish off some dishes, but it bothered me a little that they weren’t very good for you. Agave nectar is a wonderful substitute and not bad for you. It’s sweeter than honey and sugar, so you need less of it. I buy the “light” one, which has a mellow flavor that blends well with most dishes. Also, I love that you can find it in a squeezy bottle—so easy to use!
I use a lot of garlic. I use it raw, which for some people is a no-no, but when prepared properly, it’s great. And if it’s fresh, it won’t smell.
A few things:
• Never buy chopped processed garlic unless vampires are an issue with you—it will make you smell. And avoid buying peeled garlic. I believe in saving time in the kitchen, and I believe in shortcuts when they work, but peel your own garlic—it will be freshest.
• Here’s a trick to help peel your garlic. Pop some garlic cloves in water (see photo) for at least 30 minutes; the skin will come right off and it won’t affect the taste or quality of the garlic. Make it a habit—when you’re about to start cooking, pop your garlic in a glass of water and it will be ready for you. The only time this didn’t work was when I was cooking at a soup kitchen and had to peel about 6 pounds of garlic with latex gloves on, and the gloves were already slippery. It was ridiculous.
• Consider using a Microplane to prepare your garlic. It’s better than a press or grinding it on a board. If you use garlic raw, as I do sometimes, using a Microplane will help it go undetected. If you see a little green stem running through the middle of a garlic clove, remove and discard it—it’s bitter.
I love lemons! I use them in just about every dish. They help to cut the fattiness in a dish and make it feel fresh. But the more I’ve moved toward healthier cooking, the more reliant I am on that pop of citrus. It just makes everything so lively, vibrant, and clean! My mother drinks it with hot water in the morning as a cleanser, and I try to do the same most mornings.
Lemon zest is really useful as well; it helps you make use of the fruit’s wonderful essential oils. For example, say you want to marinate a fish. You wouldn’t put lemon on a raw fish (unless you’re making ceviche), because it’ll actually cook the fish—but lemon zest does the trick.
I’m truly in love with fresh herbs—they make me happy to be a cook. Everything about them is wonderful—the way they look, smell, taste, and I even love the way they feel. . .am I going too far? I don’t know, but next time you pick up a bunch of cilantro, feel how soft and delicate those leaves are. To me herbs signify fresh happy tasty more than almost anything. I use them in almost all my dishes. . .and when I use them, I use a lot.
Adding certain herbs to a dish can almost take you to a different destination. If you have a cucumber and you dress it with cilantro and mint, it will feel Asian, but if you pair it with mint and dill, it will feel slightly North African. Dill and parsley put you in the Middle East, add basil and parsley instead and you’re eating salad in the Mediterranean. Most dishes don’t feel finished to me unless I’ve added a couple of handfuls of fragrant fresh herbs. They’ll take almost any dish, no matter how simple or how complex, to another level. They’ve made green my favorite color.
There are simple things that will make your food taste better—not fancy techniques and weird ingredients, but getting the most out of the ingredients you do use. Respect them.
I don’t think there’s any point in using nuts unless you toast them first. I almost think it’s unfair to a nut if you judge it untoasted. Do a quick taste test—it’s incredible how they change. To me a pine nut tastes of not much before it’s toasted. Pop one in your mouth and concentrate on how it tastes, how it feels in your mouth. Now eat a toasted one (see below for instructions) and notice how you can actually taste the pine in the pine nut. And now concentrate on the texture—it’s crunchy and crisp and almost creamy, but untoasted it was texturally uninteresting.
Almonds are pretty much the only nuts that get away with going untoasted, but even they are dramatically improved from a light toast.
To toast nuts, heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add the nuts when the pan is hot and then move them around for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they’re evenly browned. (Well, I say brown, but it’s more like they get a beautiful tan—don’t go too far!) The time varies with the type of nut, so just keep an eye on them and never, ever let them burn. If you do, throw them away. It’s hard to do, but you’ll ruin your whole dish if you use them.
For 99 percent of my cooking, when onions are called for I use red onions. I noticed myself reaching for them more and more, and these days I rarely pick up a white onion or shallot. I like red onions because they have a beautiful sweet flavor and they’re milder than yellow or white onions. This may sound silly, but to me they’re not oniony. And whether I’m on a boat or in a New York City apartment, I don’t have much room for storage, so I keep things simple and buy red onions. Plus, they’re gorgeous!
For an interesting finish on a salad, soak some thinly sliced onion in vinegar for 30 minutes. It becomes pickled and adds a great layer of flavor.
I can’t say enough about Maldon salt. Try this: Slice a garden-fresh tomato and eat one slice plain. Great. Now try it with a little Maldon salt on—it’s a super-tomato! Now try it with table salt—it’s a salty tomato.
I’m rarely without Maldon salt. It really makes a difference. If you can’t get Maldon, try to use another type of sea salt. It’s really superior. And if you can’t get sea salt, no worries—but just use a little less than I’ve directed in the recipes (if I’ve given an exact salt amount) because it’s a little less salty than other salts.
