During the process of developing the recipes for this book, I tasted many wonderful products and had many great surprises. I’ve introduced you to a number of these products in the head notes to the recipes in which they’re used. The items listed here are those that I use repeatedly throughout the book. They range from the basics, like bacon, breadcrumbs, and tomatoes, to more unusual essentials such as jarred onions and beets.
While I’ve mentioned the brands of certain products I can vouch for, I do this just to help you make your shopping decisions. I want this book to be a household staple, and over time there are going to be certain brands that phase out and new ones that come in. Every year the products seem to be getting better and better. Choose those that you like and that are available to you. And remember to look at the ingredients list—and taste it—before using a product.
Anchovy fillets come two ways, salt-packed, which are found in large tins (or sold in bulk, by the pound, in deli cases), and packed in oil in tins or jars. I definitely prefer salt-packed anchovies, but they require a bit of time to prepare—you have to rinse them and then remove the bone from each fish. With oil-packed anchovy fillets, you just pull them from the jar and that’s it. They’re so soft from having marinated in the oil that you don’t even need to chop them—just smash them with the flat side of a knife or break them up when they’re in the pan. If you do use oil-packed anchovies, I recommend you buy those packed in olive oil, not soybean oil.
Arbol chiles are small, elongated spicy red peppers that are used to add heat to soups and stews or to infuse oils. They’re widely available.
Artichoke hearts: Marinated artichoke hearts are readily available jarred. The quality varies so much, I suggest tasting a jar before you stock up. If you can find them in the deli case of your local supermarket or Italian grocer, buy those. My favorites are the Roman-style artichoke hearts, which come with their long (edible) stems attached. Note that one of these is the equivalent of four standard-size artichoke hearts.
Bacon: I like to cook bacon until it’s just done, not crispy, so I buy only thick-sliced bacon. I also look for brands that are applewood smoked (also sometimes called “apple smoked”). And I use only nitrate-free bacon. My very favorite is a brand from Wisconsin, Nueske’s. I also like the bacon produced by Niman Ranch. Both of these are available from their Web sites in addition to specialty food stores.
Bagna cauda is a very simple sauce of anchovies, garlic, lemon, olive oil, and, often, butter. I found it easier to make my own than to find a decent one in a jar, but after tasting many, I found one made by Retrivo that I would use in place of homemade if I were in a hurry.
Balsamic vinegar: True balsamic vinegar comes from Modena or Reggio Emilia in Italy, and it is always aged. When I call for aged balsamic vinegar, I’m specifically referring to balsamic vinegar that’s been aged for at least twelve years. Balsamic vinegar that is aged longer can run upwards of $100. You don’t need to buy this quality for the purpose of this book—although it certainly wouldn’t hurt to add a few drops where aged balsamic is called for! What you don’t want when I call for aged balsamic vinegar is the really cheap stuff you find at grocery stores, which is very acidic and not even close to what real balsamic vinegar tastes like. The only time I use this is when I’m going to reduce the vinegar.
Basil paste is different from pesto in that it doesn’t contain nuts or cheese, just basil, olive oil, garlic, and salt. I use it when I don’t want the cheese, such as when I’m serving it with seafood. I always use the one made by Rustichella d’Abruzzo. The same company makes a product called Green Sauce, which is essentially a parsley paste. It can be used in place of basil pesto if you like.
Basil pesto: I was surprised by how difficult it was to find a pesto that I liked. There are so many brands out there, but most of them tasted rancid or just “off.” I knew I had to stand by pesto since it’s such a popular jarred item, so I kept tasting, and eventually found a few brands, including Rustichella d’Abruzzo, La Bella Angiolina, and Pesto Ligure, that make pesto true to the flavor of homemade. All are available in specialty food stores.
Beans play a big role in this book. I found so many jarred and canned varieties that were delicious and almost completely uncompromised in terms of flavor and texture that I wanted to find different ways to use them. In fact, I found them perfectly cooked and creamy, as opposed to the chalky, undercooked beans served at many restaurants. In addition to standards such as garbanzo beans, cannellini beans, navy beans, kidney beans, black beans, lima beans, and pinto beans, I found some unusual varieties from organic and artisanal producers, such as Radici of Tuscany Tuscan White Beans, Matiz Navarro Tender Broad Beans, and Annalisa Brown Beans. If you’re buying more common, supermarket brands, look for those that are organic and/or low sodium and contain no artificial flavorings or preservatives.
Beets are one of those vegetables that most of us grew up eating only from a can. It wasn’t until I was introduced to fresh beets as an adult that I learned to like them, so it’s ironic that for this book I set myself to the task of trying to find a good alternative to fresh ones. I prefer jarred beets to those from a can, which tend to pick up a tinny taste. When dressed as they are in this book, Aunt Nellie’s Whole Ruby Red Beets were almost indistinguishable from fresh.
Black olives vary so much in flavor, and there are so many different kinds, which you choose to use is really a matter of personal preference. Many supermarkets have an olive bar where you can taste the olives before buying them. This is the ideal opportunity to try different varieties to find out which you like. My preferred varieties are Niçoise, Saracen, or taggiasche, all of which are very small and oftentimes come pitted. If you can’t find a good-quality pitted olive, use another good black olive, such as Moroccan oil-cured or kalamata olives. I don’t mind pits, but if you do, you can easily remove the pits of some olives. If the olives you use are large, you may want to cut them in half.
Breadcrumbs: I find the common supermarket varieties of breadcrumbs terrible. They all taste stale. If that is all that is available to you, substitute crushed saltine crackers. I recently discovered a brand of packaged breadcrumbs that I love: Artesian Baked Breadcrumbs by Heaven Scent, sold at Whole Foods. They are full of flavor and don’t taste stale. If you are lucky enough to live by a neighborhood bakery that sells freshly made breadcrumbs that’s the best way to go.
Broth: For both chicken and vegetable broth, I’ve found that the best-tasting ones come in boxes, not cans. I specifically like Trader Joe’s Free-Range Chicken Broth. Generally speaking, look for those that are labeled low-sodium and that contain no colorings or MSG (monosodium glutamate) in the ingredients list.
Capers: I prefer salt-packed capers, which are available at Italian and specialty food stores, to those packed in brine, which are available in regular grocery stores. Salt-packed capers are more flavorful, but can also be a little harder to find, and they need to be rinsed and drained before using them in recipes. Caper paste, which comes in a tube, is what I consider a perfect product in that the ingredients list is totally pure: just capers, vinegar, and salt. Although I didn’t use it in this book, it’s an easy way to add caper flavor to dishes when you don’t need the texture of the whole capers.
Caperberries are the actual fruits of the caper plant, of which capers are the buds. They have a similar taste to capers but they aren’t as pungent, so you can use them in different ways than you would capers. I like the flavor of the two together. You can find them in jars, shelved next to the capers, or in the deli section of specialty food stores, sold in bulk with the olives.
Celery root, also called celeriac, is the root of the celery plant. It has a wonderful, subtle flavor that’s best known for the role it plays in celery root rémoulade, which is how I use it in this book. I was pleasantly surprised to find a jarred brand imported from France, Maitre Provi, that maintained the crunchy texture necessary to stand up to the creamy mayonnaise-based dressing.
Chestnut honey is sometimes referred to as a “savory” or “bitter” honey. It has a rich honey taste, but it’s only faintly sweet and even a bit bitter. It’s used differently than conventional honeys and is most often drizzled over cheese. It’s sold in specialty shops and cheese stores. If you can’t find it, use buckwheat honey in its place.
Chipotle peppers are roasted jalapeño peppers. The roasting changes their nature entirely—they become a deep reddish brown color and take on a rich, smoky flavor. Chipotle peppers are available both dried and canned in adobo sauce made from vinegar, tomato, and paprika. The canned variety is so readily available and so easy to work with—you can just dump the entire contents in a blender and purée—that I never bother with the dried.
Chunky red pepper spread is made from roasted peppers that are sweet, not spicy. It has more texture than red pepper paste or red pepper sauce. I like the one made by Aiello. If you can’t find it, substitute finely chopped roasted Piquillo peppers.
Cornichons are small pickled cucumbers often served with French paté. You can find them in most grocery stores under their American name, gherkins.
Crème fraîche is French-style aged cultured cream, which is similar to sour cream but thicker and with a tangier, more buttery flavor. You can find it in specialty food stores either in the dairy or cheese case. I look for brands made by domestic producers such as Bellwether Farms, Vermont Butter & Cheese Company, or Sadie Kendal. If you can’t find crème fraîche, you can make your own by stirring 1 tablespoon of buttermilk into 1 cup of heavy cream. Cover the bowl with plastic and let it sit at room temperature overnight, until it’s thickened.
Demi-glace, most commonly used to make rich sauces and in sautéing, is stock, usually chicken or veal, that has been reduced until it’s rich and concentrated. It used to be something reserved for chefs, who could afford the time and ingredients it took to make it. Today, there are a few really good ready-made demi-glaces out there, including good ones made by Vatel. You’ll usually find them frozen, or in small containers in the meat department of specialty food stores.
Dried oregano is one of the few dried herbs I use. I prefer the kind imported from Greece or Italy, which is more flavorful and aromatic than the bottled stuff. It usually comes in the form of a whole branch of the dried herb in a plastic bag. You pinch the oregano off the branch as you need it.
Eggplant appetizer, such as the one I found from ZerGüt, is a simple purée of eggplant seasoned with ingredients including onion, garlic, and parsley. It has a really delicious, pure eggplant flavor, which is what I want when I call for eggplant appetizer. I don’t recommend that you use the products labeled eggplant “dip” or “pesto,” which contain all sorts of ingredients that I wouldn’t add to eggplant—they tend to taste funky.
Extra-virgin olive oil is a mainstay of this book. I use two different grades: a common, inexpensive one for cooking and a more expensive variety for drizzling on salads and finished dishes. Olive oil really varies in flavor, so taste it before you buy it, and have a few on hand to use in different dishes.
Fennel pollen, which is the flower of the top of wild fennel after it’s gone to seed, is something I discovered very recently. Wild fennel grows all over Italy and in parts of California. It has a more concentrated, earthier flavor than conventional fennel. Fennel pollen is the closest I’ve found to imitating the intense flavor of wild fennel.
Feta: I’m sure there are many good varieties of feta cheese, but the one I use almost exclusively is a French brand, Valbreso. It has a moist, creamy texture and a lot of flavor without being too salty. I also like Bulgarian feta cheese. Whatever you choose, I recommend you avoid buying feta that comes already crumbled, which tends to be low quality and very salty.
Ghee is clarified butter used in Indian cooking. After the butter is melted, it’s strained and the milk solids are removed. Because it doesn’t contain milk solids, it can be heated to the smoking point without burning the way butter does. I use it when I want the flavor of butter but want to cook at a high temperature. You can find it in ethnic stores and specialty food stores in jars. Plugrá makes a clarified butter that you can use in place of ghee.
Greek yogurt is much creamier than any other yogurt. I used to have to go to Greek or Middle Eastern stores to find it, but now a brand called Fage Total is available in many grocery and health food stores and at Trader Joe’s. The Greek yogurt I call for in these recipes is strained, which means it’s thicker and creamier than “regular” yogurt. (Fage Total Greek yogurt is strained.) I only use whole-milk yogurt, but even low-fat Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier than the whole-milk yogurt of other brands.
Green chile salsa is made with tomatillos, small green tomato-like vegetables used in Mexican cooking. The tomatillos give it a unique tangy, almost lemony flavor. This salsa makes an ideal addition to black beans because it contains the very same ingredients—onions, garlic, and jalapeño peppers—that I would cook the beans with if I were making them from scratch. I found a few brands I like, such as Mark Miller’s Coyote Cocina New Mexico Green Chile Salsa, Rick Bayless’s Frontera Tomatillo Salsa, and Whole Foods Roasted Green Chile Salsa.
Green masala paste is an Indian curry paste that gets its color from fresh mint and cilantro leaves. I use Classic Ashoka Madras Green Masala Paste, which is available in standard grocery stores.
Green olives: My two favorite varieties of green olives, both French and both fairly small, are Lucques and picholine. Anchovy-stuffed green olives are another product altogether. Produced in Spain, they come canned and are fairly easy to find in specialty food stores. If you can’t find them, use plain green olives instead.
Harissa is a red chile pepper paste used in North African, particularly Tunisian and Moroccan, cooking. The chiles are pounded together with other seasonings such as coriander, caraway, garlic, and salt. The brands that I found with the purest ingredients came in a jar. Harissa also comes in tubes, but those brands also contain “fillers,” such as carrots, turnips, and beets.
Hot fudge sauce contains ingredients such as corn syrup that make the sauce shiny and liquid. There are so many superb chocolatiers in America and many good brands imported from Europe that it’s almost impossible to pick favorites among them. Fran’s Dark Chocolate Sauce and The King’s Cupboard Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce are two brands that are widely available.
Ice cream: I call for only premium ice cream in this book—and that’s all I ever eat or use. Premium ice cream is higher in fat and less airy than conventional brands, and it also contains high-quality ingredients, such as pure vanilla extract, and no fillers or stabilizers. In addition to the big producers whose ice cream you find in grocery stores, look for those made by small boutique producers, such as McConnell’s of Santa Barbara, Graeter’s, or a local producer in your area.
Lemon-infused olive oil is a wonderful product for drizzling over seafood dishes, soups, and salads. My favorite brand is Agrumato, imported by Manacaretti. Make sure you buy a good-quality one made with extra-virgin olive oil and real lemon—and nothing else. Otherwise, the lemon flavor can taste rancid or synthetic. If you can’t find or don’t want to invest in a separate bottle of high-quality lemon-infused oil, rather than buy a poor-quality one you’re better off grating some fresh lemon zest into a good olive oil and using that.
Lentils are the one legume I never would have thought to use from a can before working on this book. Initially I sought out unusual varieties of canned lentils and found some that had great texture and flavor, such as black beluga lentils from an organic producer, Westbrae Natural. But in an effort to find something more easily accessible, I tried Progresso Lentil Soup and was amazed—after the liquid is drained off, the lentils are remarkably intact and the seasoning is just right.
Mayonnaise: I tried a lot of different brands of mayonnaise for this book. I really wanted to find one that was organic or made by a small producer. But after all of the tasting, I went back to my old favorite: Best Foods (called Hellmann’s on the East Coast). Its taste just says “mayonnaise” to me.
Meat rubs are spice mixtures usually sold for use on a specific meat or fish or chicken. I was surprised to find how much I liked the various rubs I used in this book, such as those made by Tulocay’s Made in Napa Valley. As a quick and easy solution for seasoning, they were much better than any of the store-bought marinades I tried, all of which tasted synthetic.
Mexican crema, which is Mexican sour cream, is tangier and more pungent than American sour cream. It’s also much more liquid, so it’s ideal when you want to drizzle the cream rather than spoon it. It comes jarred and is available in many supermarkets or in Latin American grocery stores. If you can’t find it, use sour cream in its place.
Mixed salad, a mix of jarred shredded crunchy cabbage; onions; green, red, and yellow peppers; carrots; and pickles, was one of the real surprises I found when writing this book. The vegetables stay remarkably crunchy in the brine and are the perfect tangy accompaniment, straight from the jar, to go with fried oysters. There are many producers, but the two brands I can vouch for are Bende and Adro.
Mozzarella is a creamy fresh cheese usually available in 8-ounce balls. Look for it in your local cheese store or the cheese counter of a specialty food store. It’s usually made from cow’s milk in this country. Occasionally you can find imported buffalo milk mozzarella, which is a real delicacy and worth the extra expense if you do find it. Bocconcini are small bite-size balls of the cheese whose name means “little mouthfuls.” Burrata is cream-filled mozzarella. You can find imported burrata at cheese shops, and a few domestic producers are starting to make it. In Los Angeles, we’re fortunate to get fresh burrata and mozzarella from a local company, Gioia. If you can’t find burrata, substitute mozzarella. With any mozzarella, freshness is key, so if you have access to a cheese store, that’s the best place to buy it. Ideally, it will have been made the same day or within a few days of using it. What you definitely don’t want are the rubbery balls wrapped in plastic sold at grocery stores—the low-moisture mozzarella used on the kind of pizza that we all grew up with.
Mushrooms: Good-quality marinated mushrooms are available in jars, and sold in bulk from a deli case. If you do opt for jarred mushrooms, look for the imported ones from Italy that contain a variety. The varying flavors, textures, and shapes make any dish more interesting. And note that when I call for mushrooms, I never mean canned mushrooms.
Mustard is such a convenient seasoning to use in vinaigrettes, marinades, and sauces. I always have a few kinds on hand. I like whole-grain mustard when I want the look and texture of the mustard seeds. Otherwise I use an imported Dijon mustard. I’m not a big flavored mustard person, but if you are, you might want to keep some on hand, such as tarragon mustard. Just be sure that there are no weird ingredients added.
Old Bay Seasoning is a classic spice mix from Maryland. It’s traditionally used to add flavor to simple steamed and boiled seafood dishes. I’d heard of it, but never used it before working on this book. I was intrigued by the ingredients list (celery salt, mustard, red pepper, bay leaves, cloves, allspice, ginger, mace, cardamom, cinnamon, and paprika) and found that it was a wonderful blend to boost the flavor of some seafood dishes. You can find it at the seafood counter of grocery stores or at fish markets.
Olive tapenade and olive paté are similar products. Products labeled tapenade generally contain other ingredients, such as roasted peppers and capers. Paté is usually just black olives, puréed with a little olive oil and salt. My favorites are the ones from my favorite importers—Manacaretti (Rustichella d’Abruzzo) and K. L. Keller. But I also found one by Olive Harvest and another, called Chunky Olive Spread, by Aiello that I liked. In general, a tapenade or paté shouldn’t contain anything you wouldn’t put in it if you made it from scratch, such as food coloring or preservatives, and should be made with olive oil, not vegetable oil.
Onions, which I used exclusively from a jar for this book, were an invaluable resource. The time saved in terms of peeling, chopping, and sautéing or roasting really helped to keep cooking times down in these recipes. I found that all jarred onions contained at least a little bit of sugar, but not enough to detract from their flavor. I do, however, prefer those that don’t taste too pickled, like martini onions. I found many brands that I liked, including Patsy’s Roasted Onions, Aunt Nellie’s Whole Holland-Style Onions, Valbona Cipolline, and Valbona Organic Grilled Onions. Some cipolline onions, such as Roland Sweet Italian Onions in Balsamic Vinegar and those found in the deli section of Italian and specialty food stores, are a different product—they have a sweet balsamic vinegar taste—and shouldn’t be used interchangeably with regular onions.
Pancetta is pork belly that is cured with salt but not smoked, as American bacon is. Pancetta is sold rolled up and sliced. You can find it at Italian delis and in the deli section of specialty food stores. Thick-sliced bacon can be used as a substitute.
Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs often used to coat tempura and other fried foods. Their coarse texture makes for a crunchier crust than you would get with conventional dried breadcrumbs. It used to be that you could find panko only in Japanese and other specialty food stores, but lately, I’ve seen them stocked with the breadcrumbs in regular grocery stores. If you can’t find panko, substitute regular unseasoned breadcrumbs.
Paprika: Paprika can have such a nice flavor if you get a good one. I like smoked Spanish paprika, in particular one made by Pimenton de la Vera, which is from the La Vera region of Spain, a famous paprika-producing region. It imparts a hint of deep smoky flavor to dishes along with the heat of the pepper. It comes in picante (spicy) and dulce (sweet). I like the spicy one.
Paprika paste is made from whole puréed paprika peppers. The one I used was a Turkish brand, Mis, which I found at an import store and which is also available from several online sources. I like the sweet, smoky flavor it imparts. If you can’t find it, substitute red pepper paste mixed with smoked Spanish paprika.
Parmigiano-Reggiano: There are many cheap imitations of Parmesan cheese, none of which have the intense nutty, sweet, and salty flavor and grainy texture of real Parmesan. Called Parmigiano-Reggiano, it’s made only in certain regions in northern Italy: Modena, Parma, Reggio Emilia, and parts of Bologna and Mantua. You can recognize it by the stamp that’s impressed into the large wheel and that can be found on the outside edges of the small chunks you buy in stores. I always keep a wedge of Parmesan in my refrigerator for shaving and grating. I never buy pregrated Parmesan cheese, which tends to be dried out. Grating the cheese is such a simple step; it’s not worth the time saved in terms of the compromise in freshness and flavor. To keep the wedge from drying out, wrap it tightly in a fresh sheet of plastic wrap after every use.
Passato means “passed” in Italian. The name refers to the process by which tomatoes are passed through a simple home kitchen tool, a pasa pomodoro (“tomato passer” or tomato mill), which separates the tomato juice from the seeds and skin. In Italy, tomatoes bottled in this way are stored in the larder and are a mainstay of home cooks year-round. You can buy passato in bottles at Italian and specialty food stores. If you can’t find passato, use canned, peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed between your fingers, instead.
Pasta sauce: There probably isn’t any cook—or at least no mother of small children—who hasn’t relied on jarred pasta sauce at one time or another. I think most people have a favorite brand. My favorite is Rustichella d’Abruzzo, imported by Manacaretti. Use what you like.
Patak’s is one of the few brands I call for by name in this book. I felt justified in doing so because their products, in addition to being good quality and made with no compromising ingredients, are widely available in standard grocery stores. That said, I also really like Maya Kaimal’s simmer sauces, which we sell at La Brea and are also available at Whole Foods (sold in the refrigerator case). If you have access to those and want to use them in place of the curries in this book, they’re wonderful.
Pea sprouts have the sweet taste of peas and the crunchy texture of sprouts. I can sometimes find them at farmers’ markets in Los Angeles, but I can count on finding them year-round in supermarkets, packaged in clear plastic boxes. If you can’t find them, substitute pea shoots in season, or live watercress or pepper cress.
Petite peas, which are younger and smaller than regular frozen peas, are just as easy to find and tend to be much sweeter. If you can find organic brands, even better. I also love canned peas. There are many imported French brands that are good (some are bottled, so you can see the small peas inside). And there’s one domestic brand, LeSueur, whose peas are so good I could almost eat them from the can.
Pickled garlic: I never use jarred chopped garlic. It tastes so bitter and rancid that it ruins any dish you add it to. But I found another product, Delicias garlic cloves, which are whole pickled garlic cloves that I do like. The pickling stops the garlic from oxidizing, so it doesn’t discolor or turn bitter.
Pickled jalapeño peppers are the canned or jarred peppers you probably saw for the first time on a nacho cheese platter. (I did.) I wouldn’t use them in place of fresh, because the pickling taste is really prevalent. But as an item in themselves, when I want to add heat and a little bit of acidity to a dish, I love them.
Pickled red cabbage is a pretty common jarred item, one you’ll find in any conventional grocery store. Because it’s pickled, the quality of the cabbage doesn’t suffer at all from being jarred.
Piquillo peppers are a delicacy from Spain. On a visit to the farm where the peppers are grown, I was told that you should never put a knife to a Piquillo pepper. I’ve always respected that, which is why I call for them to be torn, not chopped, in these recipes. They’re more expensive than conventional roasted peppers, but the difference in flavor is absolutely worth the difference in price.
Polenta: For an Italian home cook or a chef in an upscale restaurant, instant polenta would be the ultimate cop-out. But regular polenta takes at least an hour of nearly constant stirring to cook, so it was just not feasible for this book. While instant polenta may not have quite the same toothsome texture as slow-cooked polenta, when you need to get dinner on the table, it’s worth the slight compromise for the time saved.
Pomegranate molasses is pomegranate juice that has been reduced to a thick, dark, sweet syrup. It’s available at Middle Eastern markets and specialty food stores.
Potatoes from a can or jar are one of the victories of this book. I found a few good brands, such as Roland and Gefen, available in regular grocery stores.
Prepared horseradish often contains sour cream, but I was able to find some that contain only horseradish and vinegar, which is what I prefer for the recipes in this book.
Preserved lemon is a staple in traditional Moroccan cuisine. The whole lemons are brined in a mixture of salt water and sugar (and sometimes spices) until the skins break down and the peel is tender enough to eat on its own. In fact, the peel, not the pulp, is the only part of preserved lemons that is used. It imparts a lemon flavor that is more intense and exotic than just lemon juice or zest. You can find it in specialty food stores or from Bella Cucina.
Prosciutto is salt-cured Italian ham. It has a delicate flavor and is usually eaten very thinly sliced. Genuine prosciutto is made in the province of Parma, in Emilia-Romagna. Thus, when you ask for prosciutto di Parma, you are getting the best. Prosciutto di San Daniele is also a good product and is less expensive. Most important, when you’re buying prosciutto, you want to buy it from a deli where it’s sliced right in front of you. Avoid the presliced stuff that’s sold vacuum-packed in plastic in grocery stores.
Puff pastry: The thing to remember when buying puff pastry is summed up in one word: butter! Look at the ingredients list and make sure to buy one made with butter, such as the Dufour or Indo-European brands, not oil.
Pumpkin seed oil is an almost black, intensely flavored oil extracted from pumpkin seeds. It is used to finish a dish, never to cook with. It goes rancid very quickly, so it should be stored in the refrigerator and tasted before each use.
Red pepper paste: I used red pepper paste and red pepper sauce in many of the recipes in this book because they add not just heat, but the rich, sweet flavor of the peppers. I found many brands I like, such as ZerGüt Hot or Mild Ajvar (available in grocery and import stores or online), Trader Joe’s Red Pepper Spread, Rustichella d’Abruzzo’s Red Pepper Pesto, and Crema di Peperoni from A.G. Ferrari. Alternatively, you could use a jarred romesco sauce, such as La Masia, in its place. Many come in spicy or mild varieties. I prefer spicy. Use what you like.
Ricotta: Fresh ricotta is a delicacy in Italy, where it’s prized for its subtle flavor, and always eaten the day it’s made. In Los Angeles, we’re lucky enough to have access to fresh ricotta from a local producer, Gioia. In New York, Di Palos cow’s milk ricotta is the most common, but if you find sheep’s milk, you’re in for a treat. That said, the supermarket stuff will do in a pinch if that’s what you have access to.
Roasted chicken: I always have a roasted chicken in my refrigerator. It lasts at least five days, and it’s so handy for making last-minute meals. Roasted chicken is available these days at just about every supermarket across the country. But not all roasted chicken is created equal. Seek out organic, free-range birds, and look at the ingredients list to see that they’re seasoned with only natural ingredients. My favorite roasted chickens are those cooked over an oak fire, like the ones I get from a Peruvian place, Pollo alla Brasa, near my house in Los Angeles. They have a nice crispy skin and moist, flavorful meat. If you can find flame-roasted chicken, it’s worth the effort to get it.
Roasted eggplant, such as Patsy’s Roasted Eggplant, or fried eggplant, such as ZerGüt Fried Eggplant, is different from any product labeled “eggplant appetizer” in that the eggplant is in chunks or slices, not pureed. If you can’t find roasted eggplant jarred, you’ll probably find it in an Italian deli case.
Saba is grape must that has been reduced to a syrup. It is available only at the most high-end specialty stores or at Italian import Web sites, such as A.G. Ferrari. It has a similar taste to and is used in the same way as good aged balsamic vinegar, which can be used in its place if you can’t find saba.
Salsify is a root vegetable that looks similar to a long, white carrot but is less sweet and much earthier tasting than a carrot. It’s often braised and it’s always fully cooked. The canned salsify I found, imported from France, has a very similar texture to braised fresh salsify.
Saltine crackers: Using saltines to make breadcrumbs saves you the step of toasting bread. Each saltine yields about 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs. My aim in using them was to avoid using the packaged toasted breadcrumbs that taste synthetic and stale. If you can find a good alternate brand (see “Breadcrumbs,” this page), use it.
San Marzano tomatoes, a variety grown in the San Marzano region of Italy, are said to be the best canned tomatoes there are. Any time you’re using a canned or bottled tomato product, including passato, if you see some labeled “San Marzano,” choose those. San Marzano tomatoes are not hard to find in specialty food stores, but you’re guaranteed to find them at Italian markets.
Sauerkraut, finely chopped, fermented white cabbage, is available in conventional supermarkets. Seek out one with the fewest ingredients—ideally just cabbage, water, and salt—and from small or organic producers, such as Bubbies, which is sold at Whole Foods.
Sherry vinegar has a slightly sweet, complex taste that gives a nice finish to dishes, especially fish and beans. The best quality sherry vinegar comes from Jerez, the sherry-producing region of Spain. I use only the aged varieties, which, like aged balsamic vinegar, are less acidic and have a deeper, more interesting flavor than the stuff that is not aged.
Smoked salmon fillet: The smoked salmon that I call for in this book are chunky smoked salmon fillets that come vacuum-packed in plastic, not the thinly sliced salmon you’d put on a bagel. My favorite brand is Blue Hill Bay Salmon with Cracked Pepper. They also sell smoked trout. Your fishmonger might sell chunks of smoked salmon and you might also want to seek out products from small smokehouses across the country.
Soup that comes in boxes generally tastes better to me than canned soups. Those I chose for this book—corn, roasted red pepper and tomato, and butternut squash—were all made of the very same ingredients I would use to make the soup. My two favorite brands are Trader Joe’s and Imagine.
Stock, like demi-glace, was once reserved for professional chefs who had the time to simmer meat bones for hours on end. Today, we’re fortunate as home cooks to have available to us products such as Vatel’s fish and veal stocks. You’ll usually find these quality stocks at the fish counter or meat counter, though there are some good frozen stocks available also.
Sun-dried tomatoes: I don’t use a lot of sun-dried tomatoes, and I am very particular about those I do use. I look for those that are plump and deep red in color, not shriveled and brown. Semi-dried tomatoes are something I’m seeing more and more in ethnic markets. I like them because they’re not overly dried. Again, look for those that are red, not brown.
Tahini is a sesame-seed butter. You can find it both canned and jarred, though I’ve only ever used jarred. Buy it from a source that turns over their product quickly, and taste it before you use it to make sure it’s not rancid.
Tandoori paste is a classic Indian paste used to flavor meats before they are grilled—and to give tandoori meats their signature bright-red color. I used Classic Ashoka Madras Tandoori Paste, which has the two ideal qualities of being widely available and tasting great.
Tabasco: A vinegar-based spicy pepper sauce. A few drops goes a long way.
Tomatoes: I use a lot of small tomatoes in this book for a reason: when tomatoes are out of season, it’s a lot easier to find good small tomatoes than good big tomatoes, which I would never use out of season. Del Cabo, an organic producer at the southern tip of Baja California, grows really good small, sweet tomatoes, including Sweet 100s, an heirloom variety, and grape tomatoes, year-round. I don’t know how they do it, but I’ve been to the farm and there are no greenhouses; all the tomatoes are grown outdoors.
Tuna: I may use water-packed tuna when I’m making tuna salad for sandwiches, but for anything else, I use only olive oil–packed tuna from a tin or a jar. I prefer those imported from Italy and Spain because I think the olive oil they’re packed in tends to be of better quality. The best tuna you can buy is ventresca, which is tuna belly marinated in olive oil. It is a delicacy in Spain and Italy, prized for its rich flavor and tenderness. It is very expensive. A good olive oil–packed tuna can be used in its place.
Walnut oil has a very distinct flavor that works really nicely to finish certain vegetables, such as beets, or to add another component of walnut flavor to dishes in which walnuts are used. It goes rancid very quickly, so I recommend that you store it in the refrigerator and always taste it before using it. My favorite is a French producer, Huilerie J. Leblanc, which you can buy at La Brea Bakery, among other places.
Verjus is the unfermented juice of unripe wine grapes. You use it as you would vinegar or lemon juice—to add acidity to a dish, though verjus is sweeter. I look for verjus made by winemakers. I also like one made by Maggie Beer, a well-known Australian cook. If you don’t have verjus, you can use champagne or white vinegar or white wine in its place.
Vinegar: In these recipes, you can use apple cider, wine, and champagne vinegar interchangeably if you don’t have the vinegar I specify. The most important thing about the vinegar you use is to look for those made by small producers. They’re often labeled by the variety of grape from which they’re made, such as “chardonnay vinegar” or “cabernet vinegar.” You can find nice vinegars at specialty food stores and cheese shops. At La Brea Bakery, we sell a red and white wine vinegar made by Le Vinaigre Artisanal that I think is superb.