More Is Not Always Better When It Comes To Cooking

There on the page of your favorite recipe book is an absolutely tantalizing dish. But, alas, making it requires 15 ingredients, seven of which would mean a trip to an Indian spice shop. On top of that, the ingredient list refers to three subrecipes. You know, the ones that say something like, “2 cups reduced veal stock (see page 241).”

It’s annoying enough to have to go back and forth through a cookbook to track down ingredients. But who has the time - not to mention the pots, pans and space - to cook this way?

More is not always better, especially in the summer, when the goal is usually to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. Fewer ingredients in a dish not only save time and money - there is less to buy, to save and to clean up after - but also help cooks and diners appreciate the ingredients that are there.

Here are some ways to simplify cooking by using fewer ingredients:

Focus on quality. Well-aged beef tastes better than meat sold on Styrofoam trays. Ripe, local tomatoes stand out against their pale and pasty cousins. If money is a concern, consider that wine drinkers eschew drinking larger amounts of bland jug wines in favor of smaller quantities of higher-quality varietals.

Use flavor enhancers. Extravirgin olive oils and concentrated balsamic vinegars provide much more flavor than the run-of-the-mill stuff. They also cost a little more. But again, less is needed because of the intensity of flavor.

Other flavor boosters include garlic, fresh lemons and limes (juice and rind), lemon grass, Dijon and flavored mustards, fresh herbs, ground whole spices (toasted in a skillet, if possible), flavored vinegars and oils, fish sauce, fresh ginger, wines, spirits and anchovies (tuck a few minced fillets in a dish and watch the flavor perk up).

Start with raw ingredients that don’t need a lot of seasoning. Basmati rice has a wonderful perfume that requires little embellishment except salt. The myriad hearty rice hybrids and mixes now on the market also need little seasoning. Creamy Yukon Gold potatoes hardly require any butter. And a splash of oil and vinegar are all that is needed for assertive greens like watercress, endive and arugula.

Rely on packaged mixes and condiments. Convenience foods, used sparingly, can save time without sacrificing flavor. Many markets carry an impressive array of pastes, sauces and mixes that turn simple cuts of meat as well as produce and grains into multisensory marvels. There are pastes of olives and sun-dried tomatoes, tandoori and curry pastes, the ubiquitous pesto, caponata (the Italian version of ratatouille), hoisin sauce, chutneys, salsas and stewed tomatoes.