Olive Oil, Parmesan, Salt

In cooking there is an uninterrupted sequence of choices, and every single choice made, whether it is deliberate or instinctive or forced upon you, affects the taste of the dishes you prepare: The freshness of the vegetables, of the seafood, of the herbs, of the ground pepper; the ripeness of the tomatoes; the match-up of pasta and sauce; the type of rice; the cut of meat; the pans you use; the heat you work with; and, of course, the judgment you exercise as you sauté, braise, boil, fry, gratinée. In setting down the recipes that follow, I have tried to anticipate many such choices and supply the kind of guidance that I would be ready to offer if I were standing by your elbow when you shop and cook. There are, however, three staple components of taste whose use suffers chronically from insufficient consideration, from a willingness to compromise, from improper handling, or, as is the case with salt, from fear. To these I hope to draw your extended attention.