4.6 KiB
4.6 KiB
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.
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.