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It’s summer and the markets are bursting—filled with corn and berries, greens and stone fruit. It’s hard to steer a straight course and not get distracted. Do you come prepared with a list and check off the items you buy, or do you let fancy sway you and figure you can come up with some recipe to incorporate all your impulsive purchases?
On the Gourmet editors’ blog, Robert Pincus tells the story of meeting his friend at the farmers’ market this spring. “She looked slightly aghast at my enormous haul,” he writes, “and asked what on earth I planned to do with it all. ‘Um, I have no idea. It’s the Greenmarket. I shop first and ask questions later.’”
Robert’s philosophy is that of improvisation, letting the seasons inspire his cooking, and he is slowly winning his friend over. “Ann now sends frequent word of her successes,” he reports. She’s fallen for seasonal frittatas. Robert writes:
Improvisation relies on your ability to trust yourself, to know what you want to eat and how you want it cooked. It requires paying attention to your ingredients and your mistakes and—most importantly—learning to see recipes not as algorithms, but as inspiration.
How do you shop? Do you follow a list or let seasonal inspiration strike?
I definitely cook by what I find in the markets. I enjoy making up the menu as I shop in the morning. Sometimes, I'll even plan ahead and can stuff that I find. Last year, I bought 28 pounfs of tomatoes and canned them so I can have tomato sauce all winter long.
I wish I was an improvisational cook. I go with a list, and my wife gets grumpy if I don't prepare all the meals on it. I create a list even if I'm doing improvisational cooking (which I mainly seem to do with my daughter since she doesn't complain when things taste odd).
I do both. Every week, I go to the farmer's market and Trader Joe's, with a Costco trip every month or two. I make a list of things that I absolutely know we need, like 1/2&1/2 for coffee, eggs, etc., and, think about what's in season while I make my list. I also try to think about how many nights I can anticipate cooking for the week, and how many people might be around. I generally get...+READ
I do both. Every week, I go to the farmer's market and Trader Joe's, with a Costco trip every month or two. I make a list of things that I absolutely know we need, like 1/2&1/2 for coffee, eggs, etc., and, think about what's in season while I make my list. I also try to think about how many nights I can anticipate cooking for the week, and how many people might be around. I generally get everything on the list, but I also let myself get inspired by what's available. Sometimes I'll just put down "red meat," or "fish," or "greens." Then I see what looks best that week. Maybe the greens will be dandelion and arugula, or maybe kale and spinach. I might get some grassfed ground beef, or, if it looks good, a pork loin. I seldom shop with a specific recipe in mind. I'm an improvisational cook. I like to look in the fridge, gather 5-6 things, and put them together somehow. The only time I shop for a specific recipe is when I'm baking, or for holidays.-COLLAPSE