Most cooks are now emphasizing that it is not complexity that make for great cuisine, but quality of ingredients--sourcing the best produce at the right time of year, getting the best cut of meat and the freshest seafood, the finest oils, vinegars, and spices. This title guides the reader through this area, offering an A-Z of every staple ingredient you will find in the modern cook's pantry, where to buy, what to select, and how to look after it and incorporate it into your cooking. It also includes a guide to the many varieties of rice, chillies, flour, herbs, exotic and everyday vegetables, diary products, oils and vinegars, meat, fish, deli goods, and Far Eastern condiments, making it a valuable reference book for cooks.