I. Use what you have. A good cook wastes nothing. Before you run to the store to buy new ingredients, make use of what is already in your kitchen. I try and make a list to keep near my refrigerator, broken down into groups, of just what I have. This includes not only what is in the refrigerator, but also cupboards and pantry. When it is used, I scratch it off. I find this very helpful especially keeping track of things that might be more perishable and need to be consumed sooner. If I buy multiples, I scratch through the "5" and add a "4."
II. Shop locally. Support your local farmers who take pride in their products and are less likely to use pesticides, preservatives, or hormones. Sustain your regional culinary heritage and its indigenous crops. Tie yourself to the land and its seasons. Connect yourself to the cycle of nature. Aside from the cultural and medical benefits of local ingredients, there are culinary advantages, including speed to market and inherent freshness. Learn from your farmer.
III. Hand-select your ingredients. Shopping for groceries by telephone or online is a great convenience, but you lose a level of control over the finished product. Don't let someone else do the choosing for you. Only you know what your dishes and sensibilities require. Bite the bullet. Go to the store.
IV. Shop seasonally. You can procure nearly anything you want whenever you want it. That does not mean you should. Summer strawberries picked ripe from the bush are a far cry from their winterized counterparts. Fresh ingredients serve as a vital seasonal clock and humble us to wait until properly enjoyed. It's nice to anticipate that short window of cherry season, or corn season.
V. A dish is only as good as what goes into it. Garbage in; garbage out. Buy the best ingredients you can afford. As for liquids, if you won't drink it, don't cook with it.
VI. Don't be seduced by a high price. Expensive might not be intrinsically good, just out of season and therefore difficult to procure. Hard-to-get is not, in itself, a virtue. Spare yourself the cost of scarcity and enjoy yet another benefit of procuring locally and seasonally.
VII. Use fresh ingredients. The fresher the ingredient, by definition, the more alive it is; a quality that translates immediately to the plate and palate. A freshly caught fish bears the flavor of the water it came from even after it has been cooked. Arugula picked from from the soil boasts a grassy and peppery tone. Freshly made mozzarella manifests its superior sweet, milky essence by appearance as well as taste.
VIII. Date and label perishables. It is more reliable than remembering what you stored when.
IX. Rotate your produce. Shelve your perishables with the newest in the back and oldest in the front. Habituate yourself in the FIFO System: First in, First Out. I developed the habit of checking my refrigerator weekly to see what needs to go.
X. Do not use metal for storage. Metal can leech metallic flavors into food and acidic food can eat through metals, such as aluminum foil, in as little as a day. Acidic marinades, for example, require a non-reactive container such as glass, ceramic or plastic.
XI. Store non-perishables in a cool, dry place. Never in direct sunlight.
XII. Always store cooked foods above raw foods in the refrigerator. Never put raw meat on a shelf above the cheesecake. When raw juices drip, bacteria spreads.
XIII. Practice individual quick freezing. Prevent the formation of giant, gnarled boulders of frozen food. Set each piece of like items with ample space on a sheet pan and place in the freezer. Once the individual food items are frozen, then place them together in a plastic bag and back in the freezer. Because they were individually frozen first, they will never form into a solid block. And surely you know not to freeze raw chicken and broccoli together. Do not cross contaminate.
XIV. Keep cold foods cold, hot foods hot. Store cold foods below 40 degrees and hold hot foods above 135 degrees. In between is the food temperature danger zone where bacteria can grow rapidly.
XV. Do not defrost on the counter. Defrosting foods on the counter top puts them in the food temperature danger zone. Defrost frozen meats and seafood in the refrigerator in a bowl of cold water or under cold running water.
XVI. Do not store frozen foods indefinitely. Even at typical freezer temperatures some bacterial will still be active. Label all of your frozen foods to ensure safety. Sealed properly, meats can be frozen for up to nine months, fish and vegetables for up to six months, depending on their initial quality. I've listed the golden rule. I don't let it go that long.
XVII. When something smells fishy, it is also likely rotten. If it doesn't smell right, it isn't. When in doubt, throw it out. Fish should not smell. And as odd as it sounds, this is why I often avoid "wild" caught salmon which has a much more pungent aroma and taste. That may be the way it is "supposed" to smell? But it's disagreeable to me, so know your own limits.
XVIII. One week is enough. After one week in the refrigerator, freshly prepared foods and leftovers should be tossed. Just throw them away. Personally, I don't even let it go that long. Three days, tops. There are noteworthy exceptions to the one-week rule including sushi and ceviche (same day) and other raw dishes. Consume all of these things within the day.
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