# Cooking Framework

A formula-based cooking system for a traveler. Works with whatever ingredients are locally available — no specific recipes, no fixed shopping lists. Every meal is built from the same formula using whatever fills each role where you are.

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## The Formula

Every meal = **Protein + Produce + Starch + Fat + Acid + Aromatic + Technique**

The formula never changes. What fills each role changes depending on location, budget, and what's available.

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## How to Use It

### Weekly planning (at home or settled somewhere)

1. Open **[[Weekly Planning Template]]**
2. Walk the market — categorize what you see into roles (protein, produce, starch, fat, acid, aromatic)
3. Match your available aromatics and acids to a **[[Flavor Profile Formulas|flavor profile]]**
4. Fill in the formula for each meal you're planning
5. Your shopping list is everything in the formula you don't already have

### New location (just arrived somewhere)

1. Copy **[[Locations/_Location Template|_Location Template]]**, rename it `City, Country.md`
2. Fill in your observations — freeform dump or structured fields, either works
3. Open Claude Code and say: **"Process my [City, Country] location file"**
4. The agent maps your observations to roles, matches profiles, generates meal options, and adds regional intelligence
5. On return visits: append to the Visit Log, then say **"Update my [City, Country] location file"**

### Something's missing (ingredient substitution)

Open **[[Role Substitution Logic]]** and find the role you need to fill. Each role has a substitution hierarchy — work down the list until you find something available locally.

### Something tastes wrong (troubleshooting)

| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tastes flat | Under-salted or no umami | Add salt in layers; add something fermented or brown harder |
| Tastes heavy or cloying | Needs acid | Add citrus or vinegar off heat at the end |
| Tastes sharp or thin | Needs fat | Add more fat; finish with butter or oil |
| Protein has no crust | Surface was wet | Pat dry before searing; see [[References/Bone-Dry Patting]] |
| No depth | No umami | Sear harder; add soy sauce, fish sauce, or tomato paste |

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## The Files

### Core system
| File | What it's for |
|---|---|
| **[[Weekly Planning Template]]** | Entry point — market assessment → profile match → formula fill → shopping list |
| **[[Flavor Profile Formulas]]** | 10 flavor profiles as role principles; "identify by" cues for market matching |
| **[[Role Substitution Logic]]** | Substitution hierarchies for every role; regional fermented condiment guide |
| **[[Flavor Sense]]** | Why the formula works — fat as solvent, acid resets palate, salt in layers, browning creates umami |
| **[[Frameworks]]** | Three cooking techniques: One-Pan Sear, Steam-Sauté, Starch-Buffer |
| **[[Essential Non-Perishables]]** | What to keep stocked so you always have the pantry minimum |

### References (technical details)
| File | What it's for |
|---|---|
| **[[References/Bone-Dry Patting]]** | Why and how to pat protein dry before searing |
| **[[References/High Smoke Point Fats]]** | Which fats to use at high heat and why |

### Location files
| File | What it's for |
|---|---|
| **[[Locations/_Location Template\|_Location Template]]** | Blank template to copy for a new location |
| `Locations/City, Country.md` | Your built-up location files — one per place you've cooked |

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## The Flavor Profiles (quick reference)

| Profile | Identify by |
|---|---|
| Mediterranean | Olive oil + lemon or wine vinegar + dried herbs |
| East Asian | Soy or fish sauce + ginger + scallion |
| Southeast Asian | Lemongrass + fish sauce + fresh herbs + coconut milk |
| Latin American | Cumin + lime + hot pepper |
| Middle Eastern / Levantine | Cumin + coriander + lemon + olive oil |
| French / Continental | Butter + shallot or leek + soft fresh herbs |
| South Asian | Turmeric + cumin + coriander + ginger |
| West African | Scotch bonnet or habanero + tomato as sauce base |
| Eastern European | Dill + sour cream or pickled things + caraway |
| Standard American | Butter + hot sauce + onion and garlic |

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## Four Things to Remember

1. **Aromatic in fat first.** Always. Cook your garlic/onion/ginger in fat before anything else — this is how flavor spreads through the dish.
2. **Add acid off the heat.** A squeeze of citrus or splash of vinegar at the end does more than the same amount added during cooking.
3. **Salt in layers.** Salt the protein before cooking, salt the cooking water, taste and adjust at the end. Never just at the end.
4. **If it tastes hollow, brown something harder.** The sear is your primary umami step.