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.

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.

How to Use It

Weekly planning (at home or settled somewhere)

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

New location (just arrived somewhere)

Copy Locations/_Location Template, rename it City, Country.md
Fill in your observations — freeform dump or structured fields, either works
Open Claude Code and say: "Process my [City, Country] location file"
The agent maps your observations to roles, matches profiles, generates meal options, and adds regional intelligence
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

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	Blank template to copy for a new location
`Locations/City, Country.md`	Your built-up location files — one per place you've cooked

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

Four Things to Remember

Aromatic in fat first. Always. Cook your garlic/onion/ginger in fat before anything else — this is how flavor spreads through the dish.
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.
Salt in layers. Salt the protein before cooking, salt the cooking water, taste and adjust at the end. Never just at the end.
If it tastes hollow, brown something harder. The sear is your primary umami step.