Six chapters,
twenty-eight recipes.

• IBreakfast and Brunch↗
• IISnacks, Spreads, and Small Plates↗
• IIIMains and Hearty Meals↗
• IVSauces, Marinades, and Flavor Bases↗
• VSides↗
• VISweets and Desserts↗
• ·Method↗
• ·Pantry↗
• ·Menus↗
• ·Future↗

The Ras
Cooking Method.

Ras cooking is about freedom inside a prepared system. Stock the pantry, keep the kitchen reset, and use repeatable flavor moves so the actual cooking can stay playful.

1. 1
   Start with the right attitude: curious, relaxed, and willing to adjust.
2. 2
   Keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer.
3. 3
   Maintain a clean kitchen before you begin.
4. 4
   Use reliable tools and a repeatable supply line.
5. 5
   Balance boldness with structure: acid, fat, salt, heat, sweetness, and texture.

Staple Pantry.

A well-stocked pantry makes cooking more experimental and more fun. These ingredients show up often across the recipes.

The stock is the move. Without it, these are just fried potatoes.

• Avocado oil
• Sliced garlic
• Slivered onions
• Yellow or red pepper

  roughly cubed
• Red potatoes

  cubed
• Chicken or beef stock

  preferably concentrated bouillon
• Basil
• Dillweed
• Cumin
• Cayenne
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Scallions
• Thyme
• Jalapeño or banana pepper brine
• Extra virgin olive oil

  for finishing

1. 1
   Heat a dash of avocado oil in a pan and lightly fry the sliced garlic.
2. 2
   Add the slivered onions and cook until they begin to caramelize.
3. 3
   Add the peppers and cubed potatoes.
4. 4
   Cook over dry heat until the potatoes pick up some browning.
5. 5
   Mix concentrated stock with basil, dillweed, cumin, cayenne, salt, and black pepper.
6. 6
   Add the seasoned stock to the pan and simmer until the potatoes are tender and flavorful through the center.
7. 7
   Finish with scallions, thyme, and a splash of jalapeño or banana pepper brine.
8. 8
   Serve with a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Bloom the garlic and herbs in the oil first. That's the whole recipe.

• 1 tbsp
  avocado oil
• 2 cloves
  smashed garlic

  or ¼ tsp minced garlic
• pinch
  rosemary
• pinch
  thyme
• pinch
  crushed red pepper

  about ⅛ tsp
• 3
  fresh eggs
• —
  salt

  to taste
• —
  black pepper

  to taste
• —
  grated cheese
• —
  lemon juice
• —
  lemon zest
• —
  ketchup

  optional

1. 1
   Heat avocado oil in a pan.
2. 2
   Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, and crushed red pepper.
3. 3
   Let the aromatics simmer gently in the oil for about 2 minutes.
4. 4
   Add the eggs and scramble to your preferred texture.
5. 5
   Season with salt and black pepper.
6. 6
   Top with grated cheese.
7. 7
   Finish with a small squeeze of lemon juice and a little lemon zest.
8. 8
   Serve with ketchup if you want a sweeter acidic note.

Stale bread, not fresh. Day four is the sweet spot.

• —
  stale bread

  ideally 4-day-old homemade bread
• 2
  eggs
• ⅛ cup
  all-purpose flour
• ⅛ cup
  light brown sugar
• ⅛ cup
  white sugar
• ⅛ cup
  half-and-half
• ½ tsp
  salt
• ¼ tsp
  vanilla extract
• ½ tsp
  cinnamon
• ¼ tsp
  nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp
  allspice
• —
  butter or oil

  for cooking

1. 1
   Whisk together the eggs, flour, sugars, half-and-half, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
2. 2
   Dip slices of stale bread into the batter until coated and lightly soaked.
3. 3
   Cook in a buttered or oiled pan until golden brown on both sides.
4. 4
   Serve with whipped cream and ripe or overripe strawberries.

Medium-soft peaks. Don't whip it past that.

• ½ cup
  heavy whipping cream
• ½ tbsp
  white sugar
• ¼ tbsp
  light brown sugar
• 1 tsp
  salt
• ½ tsp
  cinnamon
• ½ tsp
  nutmeg
• ⅓ tsp
  allspice
• ¼ tbsp
  vanilla extract
• —
  coarse salt

  optional
• —
  lemon zest

  optional

1. 1
   Combine cream, sugars, salt, spices, and vanilla.
2. 2
   Whip with a milk frother or whisk until medium-soft peaks form.
3. 3
   Finish with a small pinch of coarse salt and lemon zest, if desired.

Lean into the allspice. Let it carry the room.

• All-purpose flour
• Allspice
• Lemon zest
• Butter
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Eggs
• Vegetable oil
• Vanilla extract
• Brown sugar
• Heavy whipping cream
• Granulated sugar

1. 1
   Make a standard pancake batter with flour, leavening, eggs, oil, and a little sugar.
2. 2
   Flavor with allspice, lemon zest, and vanilla.
3. 3
   Cook on a greased griddle until golden on both sides.
4. 4
   Serve with homemade whipped cream.

The spread goes between the meat and the cheese, not on top.

• 2 large
  salami slices
• 1
  slice sharp cheddar
• —
  hummus
• —
  sriracha
• —
  minced garlic
• —
  lemon juice
• —
  black pepper

1. 1
   Lay two slices of salami slightly overlapping.
2. 2
   Place the cheddar on top.
3. 3
   Mix hummus, sriracha, minced garlic, lemon juice, and black pepper into a quick spread.
4. 4
   Smear the spread on the cheese.
5. 5
   Flip the cheese so the spread sits between the meat and cheese.
6. 6
   Roll tightly and eat.

1. 1
   Start with a cracker or carby base.
2. 2
   Add something wet to connect the base and meat: hummus, sour cream, or cream cheese.
3. 3
   Add something creamy or cheesy to cut the salt: provolone, sour cream, or cream cheese.
4. 4
   Finish with spice, herbs, or citrus: garlic, sriracha, black pepper, lemon juice, cayenne, oregano, or rosemary.

Banana pepper brine is the secret. Don't skip it.

• 1
  avocado
• ¾ tbsp
  minced garlic
• 1 tsp
  salt
• ½ tsp
  coarse ground black pepper
• 1½ tbsp
  banana pepper brine
• 1 tsp
  red pepper flakes
• —
  plain salted crackers
• —
  diced tomato
• —
  sardines
• —
  lime juice
• —
  lime zest
• —
  rosemary leaf

  optional

1. 1
   Mash the avocado with garlic, salt, black pepper, banana pepper brine, and red pepper flakes.
2. 2
   Spread onto salted crackers.
3. 3
   Top with diced tomato and sardine.
4. 4
   Finish with lime juice, lime zest, and a small rosemary leaf if desired.

Taste between every addition. Acid first, then heat.

• Avocados
• Diced onions
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• Cayenne pepper
• Cumin

1. 1
   Crush the avocados.
2. 2
   Mix in diced onions.
3. 3
   Season with salt, black pepper, olive oil, cayenne, and cumin.
4. 4
   Taste and adjust acid, salt, and heat before serving.

Let the raspberries sit a minute. They thaw into the milk.

• Honey Bunches of Oats

  or a similar cereal
• Cold milk
• Frozen raspberries

1. 1
   Combine cereal, cold milk, and frozen raspberries.
2. 2
   Let it sit briefly so the raspberries soften slightly.
3. 3
   Eat while still cold and lightly fruity.

This is a burrito that does what most bean burritos don't — it leans hard into acid. Banana pepper brine, white vinegar, lime juice, and a stack of pickled banana peppers do the work. Sour cream, cheese, and the flour tortilla soften the punch enough to make it eatable.

The breadcrumbs are the structural trick. They turn what would be a wet, sliding bean filling into something cohesive enough to spread, wrap, and eat without falling apart. Without them you're chasing the filling around the plate.

Two notes from making it a lot: don't cook it in cast iron or carbon steel — the acid is rough on seasoned pans. And if you want less dairy on the other end, pull back on the vinegar, brine, and lime up front. The balance is the whole point.

“The breadcrumbs are the structural trick. Without them you're chasing the filling around the plate.”

Intentionally acid-forward. The breadcrumbs hold it together.

• 2 medium
  onions, diced
• ½
  green pepper, diced
• ½ stalk
  celery

  optional
• 1 can
  pinto beans
• —
  avocado oil
• —
  minced garlic
• —
  red pepper or crushed red pepper
• 1½ tbsp
  brown sugar
• —
  soy sauce
• ½ medium
  tomato, diced
• ¼ cup
  banana peppers
• 2 tbsp
  banana pepper brine
• 1 tbsp
  white vinegar
• 2 tbsp
  lime juice
• 3 tbsp
  breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup
  shredded cheddar cheese
• —
  salt and black pepper

  to taste
• —
  flour tortillas
• —
  sour cream
• —
  lime zest
• —
  crushed Wheat Thins

  optional

1. 1
   In a nonstick pan with a fitted lid, cook onions, green pepper, optional celery, pinto beans, avocado oil, garlic, red pepper, brown sugar, and soy sauce.
2. 2
   Let the mixture steam and soften together.
3. 3
   Add diced tomato, banana peppers, banana pepper brine, white vinegar, lime juice, and breadcrumbs.
4. 4
   Mix thoroughly until the breadcrumbs absorb the liquid and help the filling become cohesive.
5. 5
   Stir in cheddar cheese.
6. 6
   Season with salt and black pepper.
7. 7
   Spoon onto a flour tortilla with generous sour cream.
8. 8
   Spread evenly and top with lime zest, black pepper, and crushed Wheat Thins if desired.
9. 9
   Wrap into a burrito and serve.

Bake the patties first, then sear. Crust without overcooking.

• Ground beef
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Cayenne
• Garlic
• Dijon mustard
• Olive oil
• Provolone cheese

  optional
• Thick-sliced onions
• Rosemary
• Dill
• English muffins
• Salted butter
• Mayo
• Banana peppers
• Thin-sliced avocado

1. 1
   Mix ground beef with salt, black pepper, cayenne, and garlic.
2. 2
   Form into thin patties.
3. 3
   Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes.
4. 4
   Let the patties rest.
5. 5
   Sear the patties in a mixture of Dijon mustard, olive oil, and garlic.
6. 6
   Add provolone if using and let it melt onto the patties.
7. 7
   Grill thick-sliced onions with rosemary and dill.
8. 8
   Toast English muffins in salted butter.
9. 9
   Assemble sliders with mayo, banana peppers, beef patty, melted cheese, grilled onion, avocado, and Dijon.

Marinate four hours, not more. Past that the soy starts to dull the fish.

• Salmon
• Brown sugar
• Soy sauce
• Rice wine vinegar

1. 1
   Mix brown sugar, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar into a marinade.
2. 2
   Marinate salmon for about 4 hours.
3. 3
   Bake until the salmon is cooked through and glossy.
4. 4
   Serve with roasted vegetables or rice.

Bread the cod thick. It should crackle when you bite in.

• Cod
• Corn tortillas
• Red cabbage
• Pico de gallo
• Cilantro
• Sour cream or crema
• Oil

  for shallow frying
• Breading of choice

1. 1
   Bread the cod.
2. 2
   Shallow fry until crisp and cooked through.
3. 3
   Warm the corn tortillas.
4. 4
   Serve with red cabbage, pico de gallo, cilantro, and sour cream or crema.

Press the cheese deep into the patty. Seal the edges so it doesn't leak.

• Ground beef
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Garlic
• Onions
• Fast-melting cheese

  for stuffing
• Hamburger buns
• Mayo
• White onions
• Lettuce
• Beefsteak tomatoes
• Bacon

1. 1
   Season ground beef with salt, black pepper, and garlic.
2. 2
   Form patties around small pieces of fast-melting cheese.
3. 3
   Grill or pan-cook until the beef is cooked and the cheese inside is melted.
4. 4
   Serve on buns with mayo, onions, lettuce, tomato, and bacon.

Big brines do two things: they season the bird all the way through, and they cover for any timing mistakes you make later. This one leans on apple cider vinegar, red wine, banana pepper brine, soy, lemon, and a kick of hot sauce — five sources of acid and salt working at once.

The base is fixed. The bonus list at the end isn't — it's a menu of things that have worked before, to be added in twos and threes depending on what the bird is going with. Cinnamon and allspice for fall. Ginger and brown sugar for an Asian lean. Maple syrup and butter if you're roasting low and slow.

“Freedom inside a prepared system. The base is fixed; the rest is a menu.”

Five sources of acid and salt working together.

• 2 tbsp
  olive oil
• ½ cup
  apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup
  red wine
• ¼ cup
  banana pepper brine
• ¼ cup
  lemon juice
• ¼ cup
  soy sauce
• 1 tbsp
  mustard
• 1 tbsp
  Frank's Red Hot
• 4 cloves
  crushed garlic
• ½
  raw white onion, diced
• 1 tsp
  thyme, parsley, rosemary

  mixed
• ½ tsp
  paprika
• ½ tsp
  red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp
  salt
• ½ tsp
  black pepper
• up to 1 cup
  water

  as needed for volume

1. 1
   Combine all ingredients in a bowl or container.
2. 2
   Add water only as needed to create enough volume for the bird.
3. 3
   Marinate poultry until seasoned through.
4. 4
   Cook using your preferred method.

This sauce is built backwards from the fond — the crusty browned bits on the bottom of the stainless pan after a seared steak. Without good fond, no good sauce. So sear the steak hot, sear it dry, and don't crowd the pan.

Deglazing with vinegar and banana pepper brine instead of wine or stock is what gives this its acid backbone. The bouillon, soy, and a spoon of pasta sauce layer in salt and umami; the brown sugar pulls it together; cream and butter finish the texture.

Taste constantly. The four levers — salt, acid, sweetness, richness — should each be present, but none should win.

“Four levers — salt, acid, sweetness, richness. Each should be present. None should win.”

Built backwards from the fond. Without good fond, no good sauce.

• Fond from a stainless steel steak pan
• Vinegar
• Banana pepper brine
• Minced garlic
• Vegetable bouillon base
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Basil
• Coriander
• Black pepper
• Crushed red pepper
• Soy sauce
• Pasta sauce
• Light brown sugar
• Butter
• Heavy cream
• Water

1. 1
   After cooking steak, keep the fond in the stainless steel pan.
2. 2
   Deglaze with vinegar and banana pepper brine.
3. 3
   Add minced garlic and a small amount of vegetable bouillon base.
4. 4
   Season with rosemary, thyme, basil, coriander, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.
5. 5
   Add soy sauce, a spoonful of pasta sauce, and a little light brown sugar.
6. 6
   Loosen with water as needed.
7. 7
   Finish with butter and heavy cream.
8. 8
   Taste and adjust salt, acid, sweetness, and richness.

If it breaks, a splash of water brings it back. Don't panic.

• Butter
• Minced garlic
• Rosemary
• Crushed red pepper
• Lemon juice
• Heavy cream
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Lemon zest
• Water

  as needed

1. 1
   Brown butter gently in a pan.
2. 2
   Add garlic, rosemary, and crushed red pepper to infuse the fat.
3. 3
   Add lemon juice and cream.
4. 4
   Season with salt, black pepper, and lemon zest.
5. 5
   If the sauce breaks, add a small splash of water and whisk until it comes back together.
6. 6
   Serve with fish.

Balance sweet, salty, acidic, spicy, and rich. Then mount with butter.

• Soy sauce
• Light brown sugar
• Dark brown sugar
• Minced garlic
• Lemon juice
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• Crushed red pepper
• Cinnamon
• Allspice
• Cold pat of butter
• Finely shredded full-bodied cheese

  optional
• Water

  as needed
• Cream

  as needed
• Vinegar

  as needed
• Breadcrumbs

  optional and experimental

1. 1
   Start with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and lemon juice in a pan.
2. 2
   Season with salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, cinnamon, and allspice.
3. 3
   Add water to loosen, cream for richness, and vinegar for more acid as needed.
4. 4
   Mount with a cold pat of butter.
5. 5
   Add finely shredded cheese if you want extra body.
6. 6
   Use breadcrumbs only if you want to thicken the sauce into a more rustic, clingy texture.
7. 7
   Taste and adjust until balanced between sweet, salty, acidic, spicy, and rich.

Hot oven. Don't crowd the tray.

• Brussels sprouts
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

1. 1
   Toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
2. 2
   Roast at 450°F for about 25 minutes, or until browned and tender.

Don't be shy with the cotija.

• Corn
• Butter
• Cotija cheese
• Paprika
• Salt
• Garlic

1. 1
   Grill or roast the corn.
2. 2
   Rub with butter.
3. 3
   Coat with cotija, paprika, salt, and garlic.
4. 4
   Serve hot.

Dry them really well. Water is the enemy of crisp.

• Chickpeas
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Chili powder

1. 1
   Soak, wash, and dry chickpeas well.
2. 2
   Coat with olive oil, salt, and chili powder.
3. 3
   Bake at 400°F for about 40 minutes, or until crunchy.

A toss in cornstarch with the oil — that's the crisp trick.

• Sweet potatoes
• Oil
• Salt

1. 1
   Cut sweet potatoes into fries.
2. 2
   Toss with oil and salt.
3. 3
   Roast until browned and tender.

Trim the woody ends. Salt at the end, not the start.

• Asparagus
• Oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

1. 1
   Toss asparagus with oil, salt, and black pepper.
2. 2
   Roast until tender and lightly browned.

Real butter, hot pan. That's it.

• Sourdough bread
• Butter

1. 1
   Heat butter in a pan.
2. 2
   Toast sourdough slices until golden and crisp.

This one is still a work in progress. The flavor direction is clear — banana, brown sugar, vanilla, warm spices, dark chocolate — but the exact butter and baking soda amounts haven't been pinned down yet. The next bake should split-test ⅓ vs ½ cup butter, and ½ vs ¾ tsp baking soda, and see which one rises taller without going gummy.

What I do know: chill the batter before baking. Cold batter spreads less, bakes taller, and ends up more tender. The dark chocolate needs to be dark, not semi-sweet — the bread is already plenty sweet from the bananas.

“Chill the batter before baking. Cold batter spreads less, bakes taller, and ends up more tender.”

The flavor direction is right. The exact butter is still a question.

• 3
  bananas
• 1½ cups
  flour
• ¼ cup
  white sugar
• ¼ cup
  brown sugar
• ~⅓ cup
  softened butter
• 1
  egg
• 1 tbsp
  vanilla extract
• —
  nutmeg
• —
  cinnamon
• —
  allspice
• —
  salt
• —
  baking soda
• —
  dark chocolate chips

1. 1
   Mash the bananas.
2. 2
   Mix with softened butter, egg, vanilla, sugars, and spices.
3. 3
   Add flour, salt, baking soda, and dark chocolate chips.
4. 4
   Chill the batter before baking.
5. 5
   Bake until set and fragrant.

These aren't candy apples in the carnival sense. They're a plated dessert — sweet, salty, warm-spiced, a little boozy from the bourbon — that just happens to use the candy-apple technique of tossing fruit in hot caramel.

Granny Smiths are the move. The tartness against the caramel is what keeps it from being one-note sweet. A sweeter apple or a pear works too — just marinate it in lemon juice first so it doesn't go flat.

Watch the caramel carefully. Medium brown is the target; one shade past and it's burned and bitter, and there's no rescuing it.

“Medium brown is the target. One shade past, it's burned, and there's no rescuing it.”

More plated dessert than candy apple. The bourbon holds it together.

• Granny Smith apples
• Granulated sugar
• Water
• Heavy cream
• Butter
• Bourbon
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Crushed peanuts

  optional
• Lemon zest

  optional
• Chocolate syrup

  optional

1. 1
   Dice Granny Smith apples into roughly 1-inch cubes.
2. 2
   Alternatively, use a sweeter apple or pear and marinate briefly in lemon juice.
3. 3
   Add a generous amount of granulated sugar to a pan with a small splash of water.
4. 4
   Simmer until the sugar turns medium brown. Watch carefully so it does not burn.
5. 5
   Remove from heat and carefully stir in heavy cream.
6. 6
   Add butter and stir until smooth.
7. 7
   Add bourbon.
8. 8
   Season with salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
9. 9
   Toss apples in the caramel until coated.
10. 10
    Finish with kosher salt.
11. 11
    Top with crushed peanuts, lemon zest, or chocolate syrup.

Scrape it often as it freezes. The texture is the whole point.

• Cucumber
• Mint
• Lime juice
• Agave

1. 1
   Puree cucumber and mint.
2. 2
   Add lime juice and agave to taste.
3. 3
   Freeze in a shallow container.
4. 4
   Scrape with a fork as it freezes to create an icy texture.

Four ways to
build a meal.

Future Recipe Ideas.

From the original notes — need more development before becoming full recipes.

• 01Cote d'boeuf
• 02Beef Wellington
• 03Greek salad
• 04A dish based on mirepoix
• 05A dish based on roux
• 06Vegetable frittata with sourdough toast
• 07Grapefruit mimosas with St. Germain
• 08Tequila bacon

A working
cookbook.

Set in Newsreader, Inter Tight, and JetBrains Mono.

Visual language adapted from the Reflection design system, with a debt to Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Lake George Reflection” (1921–22). All recipes are from Ras’s kitchen notebook.