How To Improvise Like A Pro!

Behind every great dish is a simple principle. Carla Lalli Music shares the fundamentals behind her new book, Where Cooking Begins

After seven years at Bon Appétit, most of them spent in the test kitchen, I knew my way around a recipe. But it wasn't until I wrote my first cookbook, Where Cooking Begins, that I realised exactly what kind of a cook I'd become. Firstly, I rarely use recipes at home, which is just one admission in a series of personal contradictions. I shop at the farmers' market and I'm loyal to my nose-to-tail butcher, but I also love buying groceries online. I'm a mother of two, but I'm anti big-batch cooking and have never made a weekly meal plan in my life. I'll happily spend an entire day prepping for a party, but I'm too lazy to go to the corner shop if I'm missing a spice. And even though I know the value of a good recipe – it's literally my livelihood – I'd rather improvise. Of course, my book has actual recipes and so does this story, but the best dishes happen when you stop reading and focus on the food. If you shop for ingredients that make you hungry and stock your kitchen with basics, you can cook with confidence and eat the best meals of your life.

1 Shop First, Choose Recipes Second