Reading a “narrative cookbook” I snagged from the library, I spotted a common theme that I haven’t seen so simply and elegantly stated, simultaneously, “…My comfort level in kitchens has come only from spending a lot of time in them.  The more I cook, the more comfortable I get, the more fun I have, the more flavorful my food.”

Everyone begins a beginner.  Taking the time to learn about food and spending time in the kitchen are the only two things that will get you from Point A to Point B.  The best part is – anyone can do it.

While learning is usually a process, everyone can make one simple change to immediately improve the flavor of the dishes and the meals they cook – buy better ingredients!  You often hear sports analysts talking about teams only being as “strong as their weakest link.”  Well, you’re final product will only taste as good as the ingredients you put in.

A good comparison was made in Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating: First, pour some cheap oil on a bowl of poorly made, inexpensive pasta, then sprinkle it with powdered garlic and pregrated, cardboard-canned Parmesan.  Most likely inexpensive and unappealing.  Then take the exact same recipe, cook up some excellent artisan pasta, toss it with an exceptional, full flavored olive oil, a touch of chopped fresh garlic, and top it with some real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  You’ll probably eat one of your best meals all year.

Learning how to find the “quality” ingredients is a task unto itself – but a good place to start are farmers markets and smaller grocers.  Often times, the big chain stores push all the factory made products that are low cost and high margins.  Plus, the consumers are sucked into the brand name and the age of advertising prevails.

In Baltimore, MD I often take the short walk to the Cross Street Market which opened in 1846 and boasts a number of local vendors selling fresh produce, flowers, seafood, meats and more.  Nothing as large as Redding Terminal in Philadelphia, but you’ve got to work with what you’ve got!  And, by now you should know that “bigger isn’t always better.”

Companies are industrializing food by making it consistent, inexpensive and increasing shelf life.  But you can consistently cook inexpensive meals that are no hassle and incredibly flavorful.  It’s all about what you put into your recipe.

So take a look and think about the ingredients you’re using.  The best part is, more flavorful ingredients don’t always mean more expensive ingredients.  Sure, they may be more expensive on an ounce to ounce comparison, but you often have to use less of the same ingredient because of it’s flavor.