Buy the best you can afford * Extra-virgin Olive Oil, pressed in the last calendar year * Whole chunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy * Chocolate and Cocoa Powder Buy whole and prepare yourself * Pick and chop fresh herbs (and always use Italian or flat-leaf parsley). * Juice lemons and limes * Peel, chop, and pound garlic * Grind spices * Soak, rinse, filet, and chop salt-packed anchovies * Make chicken stock when you can (see for a recipe). Or buy fresh or frozen stock from your butcher, rather than the boxed or canned stuff