I like my home-cooked meals to be simple: baked chicken breast with herbes de Provence scattered on top, an uncomplicated pasta pomodoro, a roasted cod drenched in salt, lemon, olive oil and some pepper. The fewer the ingredients, the more appealing the recipe.

Dont get me wrong: My palate appreciates a decadently prepared dish bursting with flavors and aromas. But when Im the chef, Im perennially drawn to recipes that leave no room for mistakes and require minimal time in terms of both preparation and post-meal cleanup. At home, ingredients should be used at their most elemental, without having to resort to an endless rack of additives.