The New York Times: Digital and Home Delivery Subscriptions

Most restaurant walk-in refrigerators are stocked, half with fresh produce and raw meat and the other half with building blocks like sauces, dressings, condiments, pickles, chilli oils, sauce bases, concentrated stocks, and curry pastes. In addition, spice blends and other dry preparations are found on the pantry shelves.

When you place your order, those meals are put together using the building blocks and adding only the final bits - searing the salmon filet or grilling the chicken breast bone at the last minute.

Recipe building blocks vary by cuisine and chef, but they all have an extra-long shelf life and a concentrated flavour. The building blocks allow you to only add last-minute touches. The concept also allows for more efficient planning.

Thinking about meals in terms of building blocks can free you from recipes. The space devoted to condiments and sauces helps you to pick up something at the supermarket or farmer's market and find a way to serve it.