Field Notes

Sherry vinegar

Tomatoes are already acidic — sharp vinegar just adds the same note twice. Sherry vinegar is rounder, with a quiet sweetness. It cooperates. Try it anywhere you'd reach for lemon. A mild red wine vinegar works if that's what you have.

Flaky salt goes on last

It goes on last — never while cooking. Table salt dissolves in; flaky salt stays on the surface, so you taste it in distinct moments. On a ripe tomato or a peach, that difference is the whole experience. Keep a small dish near where you plate.

Add herbs after the heat

The fragrance is gone within seconds of hitting a hot pan. Add basil and mint after the heat is off, or right before the plate reaches the table. The smell will tell you something changed.

Ask what's freshest.

The best question at a fish counter isn't 'Do you have halibut?' It's 'What came in today?' In July around San Diego, that often means yellowtail, white sea bass, or local albacore — fish that rarely make it to a standard grocery shelf. Fish at its best needs almost nothing. Let what's there decide what you're making.