Aromatic Vegetable Mix

Called “an aromatic condiment,” this mixture of at least carrot, onion, and celery, and bay leaf perfumes and flavors meats, vegetables (as in braised artichokes) and poultry when cooked with it.

Most every cuisine has its own version: the soffritto in Italy (onions, tomatoes, herbs and olive oil), the Puerto Rican and Caribbean version (they add chopped salt pork, ham, and bell peppers), and the sofregit or picada (almonds, pine nuts, garlic, and parsley ground to a paste) in Catal