98 lines
4.9 KiB
Markdown
98 lines
4.9 KiB
Markdown
# Cooking Framework
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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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---
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## The Formula
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Every meal = **Protein + Produce + Starch + Fat + Acid + Aromatic + Technique**
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The formula never changes. What fills each role changes depending on location, budget, and what's available.
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---
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## How to Use It
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### Weekly planning (at home or settled somewhere)
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1. Open **[[Weekly Planning Template]]**
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2. Walk the market — categorize what you see into roles (protein, produce, starch, fat, acid, aromatic)
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3. Match your available aromatics and acids to a **[[Flavor Profile Formulas|flavor profile]]**
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4. Fill in the formula for each meal you're planning
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5. Your shopping list is everything in the formula you don't already have
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### New location (just arrived somewhere)
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1. Copy **[[Locations/_Location Template|_Location Template]]**, rename it `City, Country.md`
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2. Fill in your observations — freeform dump or structured fields, either works
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3. Open Claude Code and say: **"Process my [City, Country] location file"**
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4. The agent maps your observations to roles, matches profiles, generates meal options, and adds regional intelligence
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5. On return visits: append to the Visit Log, then say **"Update my [City, Country] location file"**
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### Something's missing (ingredient substitution)
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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.
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### Something tastes wrong (troubleshooting)
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| Problem | Cause | Fix |
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| ----------------------- | ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
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| Tastes flat | Under-salted or no umami | Add salt in layers; add something fermented or brown harder |
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| Tastes heavy or cloying | Needs acid | Add citrus or vinegar off heat at the end |
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| Tastes sharp or thin | Needs fat | Add more fat; finish with butter or oil |
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| Protein has no crust | Surface was wet | Pat dry before searing; see [[References/Bone-Dry Patting]] |
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| No depth | No umami | Sear harder; add soy sauce, fish sauce, or tomato paste |
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---
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## The Files
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### Core system
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| File | What it's for |
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| **[[Weekly Planning Template]]** | Entry point — market assessment → profile match → formula fill → shopping list |
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| **[[Flavor Profile Formulas]]** | 10 flavor profiles as role principles; "identify by" cues for market matching |
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| **[[Role Substitution Logic]]** | Substitution hierarchies for every role; regional fermented condiment guide |
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| **[[Flavor Sense]]** | Why the formula works — fat as solvent, acid resets palate, salt in layers, browning creates umami |
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| **[[Frameworks]]** | Three cooking techniques: One-Pan Sear, Steam-Sauté, Starch-Buffer |
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| **[[Essential Non-Perishables]]** | What to keep stocked so you always have the pantry minimum |
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### References (technical details)
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| File | What it's for |
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| **[[References/Bone-Dry Patting]]** | Why and how to pat protein dry before searing |
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| **[[References/High Smoke Point Fats]]** | Which fats to use at high heat and why |
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### Location files
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| File | What it's for |
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| **[[Locations/_Location Template\|_Location Template]]** | Blank template to copy for a new location |
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| `Locations/City, Country.md` | Your built-up location files — one per place you've cooked |
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---
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## The Flavor Profiles (quick reference)
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| Profile | Identify by |
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| Mediterranean | Olive oil + lemon or wine vinegar + dried herbs |
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| East Asian | Soy or fish sauce + ginger + scallion |
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| Southeast Asian | Lemongrass + fish sauce + fresh herbs + coconut milk |
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| Latin American | Cumin + lime + hot pepper |
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| Middle Eastern / Levantine | Cumin + coriander + lemon + olive oil |
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| French / Continental | Butter + shallot or leek + soft fresh herbs |
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| South Asian | Turmeric + cumin + coriander + ginger |
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| West African | Scotch bonnet or habanero + tomato as sauce base |
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| Eastern European | Dill + sour cream or pickled things + caraway |
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| Standard American | Butter + hot sauce + onion and garlic |
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---
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## Four Things to Remember
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1. **Aromatic in fat first.** Always. Cook your garlic/onion/ginger in fat before anything else — this is how flavor spreads through the dish.
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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.
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3. **Salt in layers.** Salt the protein before cooking, salt the cooking water, taste and adjust at the end. Never just at the end.
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4. **If it tastes hollow, brown something harder.** The sear is your primary umami step.
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