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 large pot
• a knife
• a grater
• a large frying pan
• tongs or a colander
• salt and pepper
• Italian parsley
• two garlic cloves
• a lemon
• a one-pound package of dry linguine
• olive oil
• one pound of large shrimp or prawns (shelled and deveined)
• white wine
• Parmesan cheese

Illustrations by Bill Russell