At the market
Cooking begins before the stove is ever turned on.
It begins at the market. With what looks good. What’s in season. What feels right in your hands.
French cooking is often described as technique-driven. It is, but only after the ingredients are chosen well. The quality of what you start with determines how little you need to do.
This is a working guide to the ingredients that shape the kitchen. Not exhaustive. Not academic. Just the ones that matter, and how to think about them.
How to use this page
Each ingredient page focuses on three things:
- What matters when selecting it
- How it behaves in the kitchen
- Where it shows up across recipes and techniques
Use this as a reference point. Or start here when planning a meal and build outward.
Foundations
Summer ingredients
Aromatics & supporting ingredients
From the French kitchen
Markets in France are not just places to shop. They are where decisions are made.What looks best determines what is cooked. Not the other way around.This creates a different rhythm in the kitchen. Fewer ingredients. Less manipulation. More attention.