The Store Cupboard

While it may be obvious that the excellence of fresh ingredients can transform a dish, it is worth restating that quality is also an important factor when choosing dried, canned, frozen or otherwise preserved items. The difference between ordinary supermarket canned sardines in unspecified vegetable oil and a fine French, Portuguese or Italian brand in olive oil can be immense. Even when using packet goods as a relatively minor component of a dish, significant advantage is often to be gained from not merely making do with inferior “economy” labels.