From the store to the kitchen to the table: We outline the steps that get you from something raw to something cooked using simple ingredients, free of measurements and complicated techniques. A method that you can have in your back pocket and whip out whenever you like. We call it recipe-free cooking.

- a pot
- a wooden spoon
- a timer
- a knife
- a ladle
- a small bowl or a heatproof measuring cup
- oven mitts
- a colander
- a one-pound box of spaghetti
- two to three medium garlic cloves
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- red chile flakes (optional)
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
Illustrations by Bill Russell


