If you want to cook like a pro, avoid these groceries.
Liudmila Chernetska/Getty Images
Cooking like a chef requires restraint, editing, and precision.
And no surprise, those skills are also required to shop like a chef, too.
Photo:Liudmila Chernetska/Getty Images
Pesto
Whats that?
You dont like store-bought pesto.
Youre not crazy: Store-bought pesto is ahard no for many.
Plus, you’re free to make it nut- or dairy-free, if needed.
I make abasiland arugula pesto with sunflower seeds, chili flakes, olive oil, and lemon zest.
Try this combo, or any pesto on fish,grilled chicken, roasted spring vegetables, or pasta.
The sauces in the store are full of sugar and preservatives, and honestly do not taste very good.
This creates a beautiful sauce in 20 minutes.
Also, no judgment.
I understand the need for a quick meal!
I love this combination more than any bottled salad dressing.
To make my broth, I use my vegetable scraps and mineral-rich and vitamin-rich ingredients likemushroomsand herbs.
I would never consider sipping store-bought stock, so I wouldnt use it in my cooking either.
These are the building blocks for your dishes.
Always buy olive oils with the harvest date on the bottle.
Its also better cost-wise, so I definitely prefer to invest.
Yes, a $14 bottle of olive oil can stretch a lot further than a pre-made salad dressing.
Pre-Grated Parmesan
Sorry for making pasta night slightly harder, but its only getting better, too.
[Its] life-changing.
I refuse to buypeeled garlic.
I dont buy it for my home or my restaurant.
These things can be purchased fresh and are readily available, at both the supermarket and a farmers market.
Bread
Unless your grocery store has an in-house bakery, skip the baked goods.
Seafood
Seek out a local fishmonger or seafood market to source your aquatic proteins.
I also have a very hard time buying meat at the supermarket.
Even if it says natural or hormone and antibiotic-free it still makes my skin crawl a little bit.
Sausages
Sausagesare an artisanal product, and pre-packaged sausage just wont cut it with tubed meat connoisseurs.
I wouldnt buy most sausages, from Mexican chorizo to Andouille.
There are folks out there, like Nueske’s, that just blow away the commercial bacon market.
