The ingredients that separate home cooking from restaurant cooking. What to buy, what to avoid, and how to use them like a chef.
After nineteen years in professional kitchens, I can tell you the biggest gap between home cooks and restaurant cooks isn't skill. It's the pantry.
Most people buy the cheapest version of an ingredient, use it one way, and never think about it again. But the building blocks of great Asian cooking have enormous range. Buy the right one, understand what it's for, and your food changes overnight.
Inside: fish sauce, soy, rice, fresh aromatics and chilli — the common mistake, what to actually buy, and one pro tip I use in my own cooking. Master these five and you'll taste the difference immediately.
