Embrace what it's made of.

One of the great things about living in New York City is that if I realize I'm out of lemons, I can run out and buy lemons. Any time of day or night, there's going to be lemons available. It's a citrus fruit that grows hundreds of miles away under industrial conditions I'm rarely aware of and had to be transported in a complex system of networks I barely comprehend, and I don't even have to think about it. Just put on some shoes and go out and buy some.

The chocolate cake I made tastes delicious, but I didn't whip the batter enough for it to properly rise - just mixed and poured - so it didn't come out looking good. So I spite-baked a lemon cake to look pretty. I'm going to have to remake the chocolate so I'll know I got it right. And should I realize I've run out of something right before I start, or even in the middle of the recipe, I can put on some shoes and go out and buy it.

Spite-buying lemons at 9 PM on a Tuesday. Welcome to New York City.