How the Sauce is Made.

Recipe: Cucumber Salad with Jimmy Nardello Agrodolce, Minty Yogurt & Dukkah

The Rules:

• No Repeats. I’m not interested in rehashing the same recipe with a variable of mix-ins. I have to move the needle towards curiosity and development. It brings me discomfort if I were to phone it in. I don’t want to cheat myself, let alone you.

• Capture creativity wherever it may come. I might be at the movies, I could be on a long walk, or writing in the morning when inspiration strikes. Forceful pursuits lead to disappointing results. In the summer, I’ll head to the market and let the produce speak for itself. In the colder months, cravings are my compass.

• Intuition above all else. Never underestimate the vulnerability involved with cooking. It’s an emotional act involving your senses. If you’re blocked or not in touch, move on.

• Flavor Apex. I should consider at some point the appearance of what I make. Flavor, to me, is the genesis of the recipe. Acidity, fat, salt and texture are all taken into consideration. “You eat with your eyes first,” sure. But your stomach and mind are worth trusting more than your eyes.

• Trend adverse. Grating a tomato is one of the last things you’ll find me doing, or grating frozen fruits for that matter. “Don’t knock it, ‘til you try it," they say. If I’ve seen a handful of people riffing off of each other, I want to run the other direction. A goal of mine is to make the food I want to eat, not what others want to see.

Unfussy, uncomplicated:

• No crazy special equipment. I don’t have a stand mixer, nor do I have a hand mixer. I whip everything by hand. My OXO Good Grips whisks have been put through to test and they’ve remained intact for years. The basis of my recipes stand on a principle that you don’t need much to make something spectacular.

• Don’t skimp. When I make a notation that superior quality finishing olive oil is a must, it’s because it is. I try to be diligent in letting you know where the bulk of your money should go. I want you to experience success and pride with cooking. Certain ingredients alone can make the hairs on your arm stand up with how exceptional they are. If the recipe is really simple, chances are the quality is superior.

• Whack it on a plate. I would disapprove if anyone felt like they had to heavily decorate or embellish a recipe I publish. I love the English mentality of “whack it on a plate.” What it means to me is the act “done is better than good.” Nourishment supersedes most other areas in my book.

• Relax. It’s just food. There's no need to throw yourself into a recipe if you aren’t ready. As a good friend of mine Daisy Ryan says, “it’s just dinner.” She runs the kitchen at Bell’s in Los Alamos and you know if she’s giving the hot takes it’s time to listen.

General Housekeeping:

• Use metric, don’t be so American. How is it that THE WORLD uses a system that we have yet to adopt. This platform is for global girlies. I insist on buying a scale and never looking back. Count your grams not your cups, you’ll have greater numbers.

• Quality Criteria. During culinary school a chef I admired once told me that if I don’t know what I’m trying to achieve I’ll likely never get there. Writing out the desired result helps you cross the finish line. It’s imperative for me to tell you what you’re after so you can see what I see.

• Fun & Play. If the work isn’t enjoyable, I don’t bother. Excitement and wonder have to be at the forefront of what I do. If those things aren’t present I search elsewhere. Perhaps a dish or a single ingredient spark vim and vigor within. I would never underestimate the power of joy and the momentum it brings arriving to the next project.