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Look for food that’s natural, meaning not processed—which usually means it doesn’t come in a box or bag or, if it does, it contains only three or four ingredients. Choose food that’s organic, and whenever possible, produced near where you live.

Be aware of what’s in season. This will not only save you money but it will also help you avoid eating a tomato that tastes like cardboard, which is what you’ll taste when you eat tomatoes in the middle of winter in Cleveland. If you’re lucky enough to have farmers’ markets in your area they are a great place to start, as you can often meet the farmers who are producing your food. Talk to them about its variety and how it was raised or grown. It’s odd to me that people will put endless hours into researching the car they are going to buy but could not care less about where the chicken they feed to their family comes from! Know your source. It gives you a much better appreciation of what you are eating.

If you search out heirloom and heritage items, you will quickly realize the flavor differences within a specific product or breed. Choose the ones you enjoy the most.

Avoid the evil empires of food, the companies that mass-produce cheap products. Their food tastes insipid, it is not good for you, and it is worse for the animal, the land, the farmer, and the environment involved. If you can buy food, toilet paper, toys for your kids, and a lawnmower all at the same place, it is time to change your food shopping habits.

Five Things You Should Never Buy

Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves. Eating chicken without skin is like riding a bike without wheels: it’s no fun, and it leaves your dish at a flavor standstill.

Lean turkey bacon. There is no substitute for the magic that is smoky, fatty, delicious bacon, and the word lean should never be used when describing it.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! and other butter substitutes. Believe me, it ain’t butter, not even close. I’m certain the people who invented this have never really tasted butter and have never tried to make a sauce with it. Stay away from margarine, too. The only thing to use to replace butter is more butter.

Beef tenderloin/filet mignon. Can we please get over our love affair with the most expensive and least flavorful part of the entire animal? Buy a beautifully marbled rib eye; it’ll cost you less and make you happier.

Peeled, chopped garlic. The only thing that this has in common with fresh garlic is the breath it may produce. It certainly lacks the actual flavor of garlic. Are we really so lazy that we have to buy our garlic already cut for us?

On Salt

Learning to use salt well is one of the biggest steps you can take in becoming a better cook. I can’t stress enough the importance of salt; it is without a shadow of a doubt the most critical ingredient in your kitchen. It’s what makes food come alive and brings out all the flavors. Without it, great food simply is not possible. One of the best examples of its powerful effect is on a tomato. This summer, slice a fresh local tomato. Taste it. Now sprinkle some kosher salt on a slice and taste this, and you will sense the difference. Salt not only pulls out the flavor of the tomato but also helps open your palate to accept the flavor. Salt has that kind of impact throughout your cooking, from savory to sweet. If you feel that the unsalted tomato tastes better, you should go see a doctor, because something is seriously wrong with your taste buds.

There are different ways to salt your food and different times to do it, each producing a specific result. When building a soup or sauce, make sure you salt as you go, seasoning onion, carrots, celery, and other ingredients while they are sweating; this will bring out their full flavor and sweetness, which will give you the best results. By the time the sauce or soup is done, it should be fully seasoned. You may need to add a pinch or so at the end, but if you need a ton you dropped the ball and lost out on flavor.

Opinion varies widely on when to salt meat