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.

• two medium saucepans
• a knife
• a cutting board
• a wooden spoon
• a timer
• a quart of vegetable broth
• one onion
• four to five cloves of garlic
• two zucchini
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• two to three handfuls of Arborio rice (one handful per person)
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Illustrations by Bill Russell