mustard, preferably smooth Dijon as well as wholegrain Meaux mustard; good bought mayonnaise such as Hellman’s; and jars of capers, black olive pâté (the type made only with black olives and olive oil is best), sun-dried tomatoes, pesto sauce and black olives (my favourites are the Greek Kalamata or the little Niçois olives – all of these are best kept in the fridge.
For sweet flavourings, I use both clear and thick honey and stem ginger preserved in syrup; I also find ginger preserve, a kind of ginger jam, useful. Rose and orange flower waters are versatile flavourings, and perhaps even better are liqueurs such as Cointreau or Amaretto, and eau de vie. My favourite is eau de vie de poire William – horribly expensive but divine in a delicate pear dessert.
The spices I find most useful are cinnamon (in sticks and ground) cloves, cardamom, cayenne, chilli powder, whole and ground coriander, whole and ground cumin, ground turmeric, paprika, dried red chillies, and whole nutmegs for grating when needed. Mustard seeds and curry powder are good for occasional use. As far as herbs are concerned, thyme, sage, rosemary and oregano seem to survive the drying process well, and bay is actually better and more concentrated in flavour when dried. Being able to buy fresh herbs easily has made a huge difference to the fast cook’s repertoire, and I find they keep well in their little pots or in jars of water – fresh mint, basil, parsley, dill, coriander, chives, chervil, tarragon and parsley (particularly flat-leaf) will liven up your cooking immensely. Lemon grass, green chillies and fresh ginger root are also widely available now, and are best kept in the fridge.
FRESH PRODUCE
Basic dairy produce such as eggs – always free range – milk, cream and yogurt should, of course, be kept in the fridge, along with soft and hard cheeses, including a block of fresh Parmesan for grating as required. Fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, salad leaves, carrots and cabbage keep well in the fridge, too. Other basic standbys are onions, garlic, potatoes, oranges and lemons, which I keep in a cool, dark cupboard, and bread, which goes into a bread crock, with a back-up supply in the freezer.
EQUIPMENT
The right equipment makes all the difference to the ease with which you can cook fast food. A little time spent removing clutter, re-thinking your needs, and streamlining and reorganizing kitchen surfaces and cupboards can save hours of your time over the weeks and months.
It’s essential to invest in efficient kitchen tools. You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment: the most important thing is a really good, sharp knife, and for that you do get what you pay for. Personally I like a classic Sabatier knife with a medium-length (11cm/41/2 inch) blade. A good, solid chopping board is essential, too, the bigger the better. The other small tools I find indispensable are a swivel potato peeler with a long handle that is really comfortable to hold, and a citrus zester, which is a curiously useful gadget. A garlic press is more bother than it is worth, in my opinion – you can do the job much more quickly and effectively with a knife and a board.
A food processor isn’t essential, and many of the recipes in this book can be made without one, but it does open up many more possibilities – lovely creamy soups, quick pâtés and dips, for instance. As with so many things, if you’re buying one it pays to get a larger version than you think you’ll need; go for something simple in design which doesn’t try to do too many jobs. Try to make a space for it on your work surface so that it’s always there at the ready. An electric hand whisk is also a surprisingly useful and labour-saving piece of equipment, and fairly inexpensive to buy. For years I put off buying one, and when eventually I did I couldn’t believe how useful it was and wondered why I hadn’t bought one earlier.
A microwave oven isn’t essential by any means, and apart from a microwave version of risotto none of the recipes in this book depend on one. I find a pressure cooker more useful than a microwave because I love making soups and it cooks them very quickly. Some people are wary of pressure cookers because of all their hissing, but once you know what you are doing it can be invaluable.
Finally, a large saucepan with a steamer on top is helpful if you’re cooking with limited hob space, because you can have one item cooking in the pan and a vegetable or something else steaming in the top. I have a stainless-steel steamer that I use a lot in this way.
There’s a huge range of delicious breads around now, and it’s fun to try different types. In this section I’ve included some of my favourites – not just breads and rolls but also more unusual products such as poppadums and tortillas, as well as croissants, bagels, panettone and brioche. Plenty of other interesting baked goods are worth experimenting with, and they all make an ideal basis for fast food. For a long time bread was unfairly dismissed as 'stodge', but now it is recognized as a healthy food which contributes valuable minerals and vitamins, as well as protein and energy, to our diet.
These Italian toasts are really very similar: crostini are delicate rounds of light, crisp bread whereas bruschetta is made from coarse country bread and rubbed with garlic to flavour it. They can be served plain to accompany soup, salads or dips, or topped with all kinds of delicious things to make canapés, quick snacks or light meals. If you are making a meal of them they are good served with some salad. You can use either a small or large baguette for crostini, depending on how big you want the rounds to be, and since one baguette yields about 50 slices, you only need a small piece to make a snack or meal for two people.
BASIC RECIPE
4 slices from a large baguette or 8 slices from a small one, cut 6mm / 1/4 inch thick, for crostini
2 slices from a country-style loaf for bruschetta
olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half, for bruschetta
SERVES 2
TOPPINGS
All these toppings make enough for 8 small
