There are certain ingredients that the simple mention there of brings an image to mind. Kobe beef, cognac, caviar, truffles. Ingredients that, if used properly, can be transformative to a recipe, and turn the mundane into the extraordinary. But that’s rarely the case. In fact, take a few minutes, look up #truffles #caviar #cognac. Also spend a few minutes looking at these on various “high end” menus. Go on, do it.

If you skipped ahead. Go back. Now.

If you’ve done it. Continue.

Some of you probably got very lucky. You probably got to see how these ingredients can be used properly. The majority of you probably saw these ingredients being used as a means of trying to justify charging people a ridiculous sum for an otherwise average recipe, or worse still being used as a clout prop. Which is a fucking travesty as it, quite frankly, underscores the true beauty of these ingredients and cheapens them in a way that borders on criminal to anyone who knows their actual potential.

Our goal at the Yupfeed is to approach things from a “stage 1” perspective. We’re respectfully assuming that you’re coming into this completely ignorant of how to use these amazing ingredients. And speaking from experience. Without knowing how to properly use these ingredients, you could be setting yourself up for a situation where, for example, truffle oil would’ve been as effective as the real thing, or worse, when you should’ve made the splurge. Over the course of three to four recipes, we will be building you up on how to go from, and make the most of the cheapest passable alternative, to being capable of using the real thing.

Now, here is the fun bit. I am, as of writing this, based in a tiny town in Northwest Michigan. So for the most part, I don’t have the luxury of being able to purchase a lot of this stuff adlib unless I am going to a shop where I personally know the owner and am making an order through them. In fact, in the case of game meat, I will likely be taking matters into my own hands. Whenever I am sourcing these ingredients I will include links to wherever I was purchasing them through, and this will also include to the pages for whatever products I’m able to source locally. This will extend to luxury products that, unless you’re going to get very lucky at the farmer’s market, you’re going to have to grow yourself.

Notes

• Venison will probably be the most frequently used “luxury” meat. Where I live, they’re above the environmental carrying capacity.
• Whenever you see us using a fresh caught fish in a video, we will specify the closest thing you can buy at a store. As, frankly, it will likely be whatever was foolish enough to bite that day.
• For specialty meats, d’artagnan is our go to supplier.
• For a lot of the stuff we grow that utilizes Row 7 seeds, we will include links to seeds as well as the closest possible alternatives that you should be able to find either at a grocery store or a well-supplied farmer’s market.
• A lot of our grits, rice, and grain dishes utilize Anson Mills products.
  • This is also the one case where we advise you use these for the nutritional value as much as the flavor for reasons that will be discussed at length in a later article.