Six Seasons

by Joshua McFadden

  •  If you haven’t read My Larder, read it and act on as much as you can. Building a larder will help you cook faster and better.

  •  Don’t be a slave to a recipe. Add different herbs, use a new spice, omit something you don’t like—you’re in charge.

  •  Be organized. Read the whole recipe first, gather all the ingredients, do the messy prep first. Clean as you go. Your food will really taste better, I promise.

  •  Eyeball it. Get comfortable cooking without measuring cups and spoons. Your mouth, nose, eyes, and hands will tell you the right amounts.

  •  Cooking times are simply guidelines. Use your senses, including common sense.

  •  Build layers into your dish, like you’re making nachos. Hide things on the bottom. Sprinkle things on top.

  •  Use a pepper mill if you want to make good food.

  •  Leave fresh herb leaves whole most of the time. I want my guests to enjoy an herbal explosion.

  •  Texture is king. Use dried breadcrumbs, nuts, and seeds liberally.

  •  Make mistakes. Oversalt, use too much vinegar, make something too spicy, burn something—and then don’t do it again. That’s how you learn.

  •  Find the fun in cooking. Don’t be scared.

  What I Learned While Writing This Book with Joshua

  The most important concept was the simplest—how to season a dish.

  I always considered myself a “good seasoner.” After all, I learned to cook in France, where no one is afraid of salt or fat or flavor. But as we worked together in the kitchen, I noticed that his versions of the recipe were always better than mine. Grrr. He would taste my dish and follow up with a flurry of grinding, sprinkling, squeezing, grating, and tossing. I would then taste my dish and find it was now sparklier, more vivacious.

  Here’s what I learned: Season (usually with salt, pepper, chile flakes, some kind of acid) before you add the fat, which in 95 percent of the recipes in this book will be olive oil. Dial in the flavors through a few rounds of tinkering, tasting, and tinkering again. The goal, says Joshua, is for the dish to taste “like a potato chip.” Meaning so tasty and savory that you can’t help but take one more bite . . . and then another.

  At that point of perfect tension among the salty, sweet, spicy, zingy elements of the dish, add the oil. This brings a flavor of its own but acts mainly as a moisturizer and a vehicle to carry and marry all the other flavors.

  I have now trained myself to take a serious moment of final seasoning, even when I’m rushed. I focus only on what I’m tasting and feeling in my mouth, then adjust the dial to bringing everything into sharp flavor focus. Such a simple step can truly help you get to delicious . . . always my goal in the kitchen.

  —Martha Holmberg

  My Larder

  Cooking begins with shopping, or “sourcing” as chefs like to call it. Stock your larder with high-quality, versatile foundational ingredients and you can prepare fantastic meals without having to make a trip to the market. Here are my recommendations.

  Salt

  Simple fact: Salt makes food taste good. No question, salt is the most important ingredient in your larder, period. In the right amount, salt brings out the natural flavors of other ingredients, making them taste more like themselves. Though it’s fun to collect salt in all its different colors and varieties, at minimum you should have kosher salt and a finishing salt. Add kosher salt to water for blanching and cooking pasta, and use it for seasoning everything. Use a finishing salt for, well, finishing your dish with a final hit of salt and in some cases added crunch. Most of the salt in my cabinets are shades of white to gray, with a sprinkling of pinks and black. A salt’s color is determined by its other mineral content as well as by the method used to process it. I don’t care as much about color as I do about the overall flavor of the salt and how the texture interacts with my dish.

  For kosher salt, I prefer Diamond Crystal, available at most grocery stores. Morton also makes a kosher salt, but Diamond Crystal has a larger grain that’s very crushable, which gives me more control over the amount I add.

  For finishing salts, Maldon is wonderful, with a delicate flake in a pyramid shape (www.maldonsalt.co.uk). I also love Jacobsen pure flake salt (www.jacobsensalt.com), which I use on everything; Jacobsen’s is made in Oregon, which is where I live. French sel gris, which has a coarse, gritty texture, is great with meat. Find salts for every occasion at www.themeadow.com.

  Storage Salt lasts forever. I keep salt in jars and saltcellars so I can pick it up with my fingers. Be sure to keep salt next to your pepper mill and use it often. Those little shakers on the table are of no help when you cook; you need to feel the salt with your fingers as you add it, so you’ll begin to understand how much does what.

  Black Pepper

  One of the most important ingredients in the kitchen is black peppercorns. A few twists of good black pepper is the easiest way to step up just about any dish. A perfect example of the beauty of black pepper is the pasta dish cacio e pepe. It’s loaded with flavor even though the “sauce” is just black pepper, pecorino cheese, and pasta water. (Check out my Cacio e Pepe Butter, which also gets its delicious kick from black pepper.)

  As with all spices, freshness is key, so buy from a good source and replenish frequently. I prefer Tellicherry whole black peppercorns. Left on the vine to ripen completely, they have a full flavor in addition to their peppery kick. I order peppercorns for home and for my restaurants from Reluctant Trading (www.reluctanttrading.com).

  The pepper mill you use is of great importance. It should have a range of settings from fine to very coarse. Never buy preground or precracked pepper, ever! You want the fresh, intense flavor and aroma of freshly ground or cracked black pepper. (I lean toward very coarsely ground pepper for seasoning a dish; the slightly larger grains produce flavor explosions in my mouth.) I am a big fan of the mills from Fletchers’ Mill (www.fletchersmill.com); they are adjustable from fine to coarse, and they last forever.

  Storage Keep peppercorns in an airtight glass container, like a mason jar, so you can pour them quickly from the jar into the mill.

  Spices and Dried Herbs

  I actually don’t use many spices—and I’m partial to fresh herbs—but they do have their merits. I’ll add toasted whole coriander seeds to pickles and fennel seeds to some salads. I do use dried herbs occasionally, especially dried bay leaf and dried oregano along with abundant amounts of fresh. Oregano is the perfect mate for tomatoes, both cooked and raw. I use earthy, mellow dried bay leaf in beans, soups, and broths. Be sure to remove the leaves from a dish before it’s served.

  I always toast whole spices first and then, when not using them whole, grind them in a coffee grinder that I keep just for that purpose. For a coarser grind, I use a mortar and pestle. I add dried spices at the start of cooking and then adjust with more at the end. I don’t “dust” finished dishes with spices much, as some chefs like to do, with fennel pollen being the exception. Though fennel pollen does add a slight anise note, its flavor is delicate and has a remarkable ability to wake up other flavors in a dish.

  My favorite sources for high-quality spices and dried herbs are Penzeys (www.penzeys.com) and Reluctant Trading (www.reluctanttrading.com).

  Storage I buy only small amounts at a time and store them in little glass jars that I refill often. Don’t store in plastic containers, because the plastic can absorb the spice oils and eventually impart stale flavors.

  Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

  Olive oil is a huge reason I enjoy cooking. I really would have no idea how to make food taste good without it. I even take a nip straight from the bottle now and then.

  Like wine, the flavor of the oil depends on the variety of olive, the climate and soil where it’s grown, the processing method, and the “vintage” of the oil. One look at my recipes and you’ll see the many ways I use olive oil, includin
g the fact that I sauté and deep-fry in it. Though olive oil can be more expensive than other oils, I want all my ingredients to contribute to the quality of the dish, so why use an inferior oil? I cook with modestly priced olive oils and save the more expensive ones for dressing and finishing. Some cooks worry that extra-virgin olive oil will degrade at high temperatures, but the smoke point of extra-virgin olive oil is about 400°F, and most frying takes place at around 375°F, so it’s all cool.

  It is so important to support local farmers, and olive oil producers are farmers. Albert Katz is such a farmer in California, and a great friend of mine; I’ve used Katz oils and vinegars for years (www.katzfarm.com). Other notable small California producers are Grumpy Goats Farms (www.grumpygoatsfarm.com), Bondolio Olive Oil (www.bondolio.com), Pacific Sun (www.pacificsunoliveoil.com), and Enzo Olive Oil (www.enzooliveoil.com), as well as California Olive Ranch and Corti Brothers; from Spain, I like Unio. These last three are widely available in grocery stores.

  Storage Keep olive oil away from light, from heat, and from too much air, meaning don’t buy a large can and let it sit for months while you slowly use it. If you buy in bulk, transfer the oil to smaller sealable containers. It’s tempting to keep your bottle of oil right at the stovetop, but the heat there will hasten its deterioration. (Though if you use as much oil as I do, that bottle will be empty in a few days, so you’ll be fine!) Try to buy the youngest oil you can: Harvests are in late fall and early winter, and the dates are often marked on the label.

  Vinegar

  I use a ton of it—vinegar is critical to my cooking—and yet you’d never say my food is sharp. Any type of acid, judiciously used, simply brings brightness and delicious tension to a dish. I use it in dressings and vinaigrettes, and in salads, of course, and I plump dried fruit in vinegar. Balancing the vinegar or citrus is one of the final adjustments I make to any dish. Unlike many chefs, I prefer a vinegar that’s slightly sweet because I like its agrodolce complexity and the gentler flavor, especially when it comes to vegetables.

  As with their olive oil, Katz (www.katzfarm.com) makes exquisite vinegars; it is my gold standard. Katz uses traditional methods and only late-harvest grapes with a high sugar level (measured in units called Brix) and natural bacteria that promote fermentation.

  Unio vinegars from Spain are also excellent, widely available, and reasonably priced. (Not all Unio vinegars are sweet-sour, so look for their “agridulce” line, including Merlot, Riesling, and Moscatel.) If you can’t find Unio in your local market, order from Corti Brothers (www.cortibrothers.com). Italian Volpaia vinegars, which are not sweet, are also well made; find them at Manicaretti (www.manicaretti.com). Making vinegar requires great grapes and a lot of skill. Just like olive oil, there are plenty of mass-produced, not-great vinegars on the shelves, but if you buy one of the real ones, your cooking will forever be changed.

  Balsamic

  This type of vinegar is legendary, of course. The high-end stuff should never be used in cooking, which would be a waste of a precious substance. I rarely use the traditional aged balsamic, even at the restaurant, but when I do add a drizzle to finish a dish, my favorite brand is from Villa Manodori. For everyday use in cooking, Lucini is a very good, value-priced option; it’s more of a balsamic-style vinegar than a traditionally crafted one, but perfectly fine.

  Saba

  Saba is an Italian syrup made from cooked grape must (the juice and skins before fermentation). It looks and smells like balsamic but is sweeter, grapier, and much less acidic. And it’s less expensive because it’s not aged. Saba is wonderful with cheese, nuts, bitter greens, and roasted vegetables.

  Storage Store vinegars in their original bottles in a dark, cool place. They will last and last and improve with age. Beware of fruit flies in the warm months—they love vinegar, so never leave the caps off.

  Dried Beans

  There is nothing better than a bowl of perfectly cooked beans napped with bean cooking liquid and a healthy glug of extra-virgin olive oil. I always have multiple varieties in my larder, including these four go-tos:

  Chickpeas (aka garbanzos) are for me the most versatile of the beans. I’ll puree chickpeas to make dips, such as hummus, or toss them into pastas. They also play nicely in vegetable salads, adding a hit of protein. And, of course, fried until crisp and salted, chickpeas are fantastic as a snack.

  Borlotti (aka cranberry beans) are my favorite bean. They are soft-skinned, dense and meaty but creamy, and good all by themselves with a splash of olive oil. I use borlotti in pastas, soups, and stews, and I love to pair them with fish—grilled, sautéed, or poached on a bed of warm beans and lemon.

  Dried fava beans are not common in the United States, but I am a fan. Big in the Middle East, you may have eaten falafel made from ground fava beans. They’re also big in Roman cooking, added to soups and pastas, mashed and spread on garlic-rubbed toast, or—my favorite way—pureed and served with wilted bitter greens on top.

  Black turtle beans, with their dense, earthy flavor, are my go-to black bean. I like them for baked and braised bean dishes, as well as bean salads and refried beans, and I love them in summer salsas.

  The age of the beans you buy is important, because very old beans will not cook evenly. They may not even soften at all. If you’re buying them in a bag, older beans will look slightly dusty and you may see cracks or splitting skins. Definitely look for beans less than a year old, though very old beans are great as pie weights!

  Knowing the actual age of beans is tricky, though, unless you buy them freshly harvested. If possible, buy beans directly from a farm when they are in season, when the beans are still quite tender. Fortunately, I have a wonderful relationship with a farmer who grows exceptional beans. Using a quality-minded retail source is also a guarantee for fresh, flavorful beans. Two excellent sources are Rancho Gordo (www.ranchogordo.com) and Zürsun Idaho Heirloom Beans (www.zursunbeans.com).

  Be sure to plan ahead because beans need to soak in water overnight before cooking (unless they’re freshly harvested and cook very quickly without soaking). For my cooking method, see Perfect Shell Beans. Contrary to cooking myth, salt does not inhibit beans from softening during cooking. I lightly salt the cooking water at the beginning so the salt can penetrate each bean, and then adjust the salt during the final preparation. What will keep beans tough, though, is acid, so never cook beans in wine, and limit tomatoes as well. I love beans and tomatoes, but I only unite them after the beans are fully tender.

  The “liquor” left over from cooking beans is fantastic, full of flavor and body. Use it as a base for soups or for moistening pasta, and when you’re reheating a simple bowl of beans, always include some of their cooking liquid. I let the cooked beans cool in their liquid and I store them with their liquid in the refrigerator.

  Storage Store dried beans in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Mark the date you bought them so you’ll know their “vintage.” Freshly harvested dried beans freeze well, or store them in a loosely closed paper bag in a place with good ventilation so they dry out evenly.

  Grains

  I’m gratified to see more grains such as farro, freekeh, kasha, quinoa, and barley on restaurant menus and home tables alike. I’m also happy to see old varieties and drought-resistant grains being grown, which will be so important to the future of good food. Whole grains provide good nutrition and are affordable and delicious.

  Farro is my go-to grain; it’s always in my larder. I usually make a large batch at home on the weekend to use throughout the week—as the base of a salad, to add to a soup or stew, or simply to eat with a drizzle of olive oil.

  I cook farro the same way no matter its final destination, using a method that produces the best flavor and a nice, toothy texture. (See the basic recipe.)

  Small mills that sell whole grains, as well as grind them into flour, are being established around the country. Look for them in your area. I order farro, rye
, and wheat berries from Bluebird Grain Farms in Washington (www.bluebirdgrainfarms.com). You can also order grains and more from Anson Mills in South Carolina, which has some of the best dried corn, rice, wheat, and oats (www.ansonmills.com).

  Storage Whole grains keep longer than ground flours. Store them in an airtight container in a cool place and replace them as needed. They’ll last up to 6 months, even longer in a freezer. I tend to think in terms of harvest to harvest, and replenish every year.

  Flours

  All-purpose flour, as the name suggests, is the workhorse of flours. Its protein content is moderate, so the flour can do it all—make chewy bread, crisp cookies, moist cakes. I always go with unbleached all-purpose, which is slightly less refined than bleached and has a slightly higher nutritional content and protein level. However, I prefer the depth of flavor of whole wheat flour. This flour is made from the whole kernel of wheat, whereas white flour is made only from the endosperm of the grain, hence whole wheat has more nutrients and fiber compared to white flour. I use whole wheat in my flatbreads and crackers because of the flavor.

  For any recipe that calls for flour, but especially in baking, it’s important to know how to measure flour properly. I use a scale and measure by weight. If you’re using measuring cups, be sure to spoon the flour out of the bag into the measuring cup and level off the top. (If you scoop the flour straight from the bag with the cup, you’ll compress the flour and pack in too much.) Weights in ounces are included in the baking recipes in this book.

  Finding a reliable source for freshly ground flour could change your life. If you become really committed, you can buy a small mill to use at home. Grocery stores are the more convenient option, of course, and many stores carry flours from regional mills. For any flour bought in the store, check the sell-by date and choose the freshest.