If your goal is to cook and cook quickly, to get a satisfying and enjoyable variety of real food on the table as often as possible, a well-stocked pantry and fridge can sustain you.
-Mark Bittman, New York Times food writer-
In the January 6th, 2009 New York Times, Mark Bittman's Fresh Start for a New Year? Let's Begin in the Kitchen offered some excellent tips for stocking a winter pantry. It's "Out with old-school staples" and "In with the new-school of fresh-whole-and-tastier staples".
I was glad to see my kitchen was mostly up to Bittman's standards. Not all the way--though. And I definitely learned some new tricks to try. Basic rule: Go for fresh. Minimize the processed.
Bread crumbs
OUT - with the packaged stuff.
IN - with making your own crumbs. There's no comparison--& you can choose the quality of the bread. On the very rare occasions that I need bread crumbs, I toast some healthy variety in a slow oven, crumble them in the food processor & keep them in my pantry in a sealed container--but I rarely use bread crumb.
Broth
OUT - with bouillon cubes, powder or canned stock.
IN - Bittman says you're better off just making your own by simmering a carrot, celery & a half an onion in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Is he kidding? No way--it will be thin, drab & take too much time when you're already busy making some soup. Use the Kitchen Basics brand, especially the vegetable broth. It comes in BPA-free Tetra boxes. It's vegan, rich, all natural!
Cooking Oils & Sprays
OUT - Forget about PAM or other aerosol oils. I've also tossed out all my oils except for the ones lowest in the inflammation-causing-omega-6s. Dump the corn, peanut, vegetable, soybean, safflower oils & the Crisco. And margarine, too!
IN - Keep the canola oil & high quality extra virgin olive oil & use them sparingly. Evelyn Tribole, MS,RD says canola has twice the inflammation-causing omega-6s as olive oil, so she prefers olive oil--but after olive oil, canola is the best choice-especially for high-heat cooking. To coat your pans Bittman advises putting olive oil in a hand sprayer. Forget about it! It's hard to clean out & it could go rancid by the time you use it up. Simplest: Use your fingers.
Salad Dressing
OUT - Bottled dressings & marinades
IN - Make your own with the "good oils" (Dr. Joel Fuhrman processes nuts or tahini in place of oil- the Esselstyns use none) & vinegar or lemon juice and add-ins like fresh garlic, pepper, herbs or dijon mustard.. Try different recipes. It's really pretty easy. Bittman recommends 3 parts of oil to one of vinegar, I use a one to one ratio to cut down on oil--just keep tasting till it's good. I'm not ditching bottled dressings--I like the convenience. My favorite is Wild Thymes Meyer Lemon Salad Refresher. It's made with canola/olive oil, real ingredients & only 32 calories a TBS + 2.6 grams of fat.
Citrus Juices
OUT - Bottled lemon or lime juice.
IN - Use the real thing & use it often. I use lemon & lime juice in soups, sauces, vegetables, salad dressings & dips. I'm always juicing lemons or limes & grating their zest for added zing. Bittman says forget about reamers & squeezers, & just use your hands to squeeze out juice. I used to do this until I got this fantastic lemon squeezer. It works for lemons & limes. And get a good microplane for zesting.
Dried Herbs & Spices
OUT - Spices older than a year. Pitch them once a year since they lose punch. Dried parsely, basil, cilantro. Don't even bother!
IN - Buy fresh & try different things like fennel (both ground & seeds), cardamom, smoked paprika, dried chipoltles & garam masala. I admit to having a problem with getting stuck with half-used jars that I keep on using way past their prime. Bittman has inspired me to date them with a Sharpie & pitch after a year. Why ruin a recipe with too-old spices? My friend Les (who's an excellent cook) recommends buying small quantities at Penzey's Spices--they have both retail & online stores.
Fresh Herbs & Spices
OUT - Anything in a jar or a can--including jalapenos.
IN - Buy fresh. All grocery stores have just about any fresh herb/spice you could want year round. Mint, cilantro, Italian parsley, ginger, garlic, dill, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage and more. The green herbs will last for about a week & you can always toss them into your salads or mix them into your tuna or beans or soups or whatever.
I never used to bother with the fresh herbs, but now I can't imagine using anything dried or in a jar if I can buy the real thing. Here's some good advice for keeping fresh herbs as long as possible.
And make use of fresh hot peppers. They add a great kick. Seems like I'm always using jalapenos, serranos & more. TIP: Buy yourself some disposable plastic gloves to use when you start chopping them--don't want to rub your eyes with jalapeno oil on your hands!
Beans
OUT - Canned bean - except in emergencies (this would be a real hard habit to break!)
IN - Dried beans.
OUT - Imitation vanilla & even real vanilla extract
IN - Vanilla beans. They're expensive, but they keep (if you look online you can find bargains in bulk & store them in the fridge. Bittman says if you slice a pod in half & simmer it with some leftover rice & milk (almond, soy, coconut, dairy) you'll never go back. This is all news to me--I thought the real extract from Mexico was IN. Wrong!
Tomato Paste
OUT - Tomato paste in a can
IN - Tomato paste in a tube. Most of my recipes call for 2 tablespoon at a time, so I'm either sticking the rest in the freezer which never gets used again, or guiltily throwing it out. The paste in the tube is "double strength" & is keeps in the fridge for a long time.
Good Grains
OUT - Instant rice or boil-in-a-bag grains.
IN - Real grains. There's so much variety. Short grain Rice for risotto or paella. Barley, great for Mushroom Barley soup & loaded with nutrition; Bulgur, which is ready in 10 minutes; and my all-time favorite, Quinoa, the complete & delicious protein. Eat it with fruit & nuts for breakfast, or savory with jalapenos, sun-dried tomatoes, cilantro & lime. Click here and here for recipes. TIP: I always have a box of microwaveable fully-cooked organic brown rice from Trader Joe's in my freezer. When there's really NO TIME, it's ready in 3 minutes!
Staples for the Pantry to Jazz Up Your Cooking
I was glad to see my kitchen was mostly up to Bittman's standards. Not all the way--though. And I definitely learned some new tricks to try. Basic rule: Go for fresh. Minimize the processed.
Bread crumbs
OUT - with the packaged stuff.
IN - with making your own crumbs. There's no comparison--& you can choose the quality of the bread. On the very rare occasions that I need bread crumbs, I toast some healthy variety in a slow oven, crumble them in the food processor & keep them in my pantry in a sealed container--but I rarely use bread crumb.
Broth
OUT - with bouillon cubes, powder or canned stock.
IN - Bittman says you're better off just making your own by simmering a carrot, celery & a half an onion in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Is he kidding? No way--it will be thin, drab & take too much time when you're already busy making some soup. Use the Kitchen Basics brand, especially the vegetable broth. It comes in BPA-free Tetra boxes. It's vegan, rich, all natural!
Cooking Oils & Sprays
OUT - Forget about PAM or other aerosol oils. I've also tossed out all my oils except for the ones lowest in the inflammation-causing-omega-6s. Dump the corn, peanut, vegetable, soybean, safflower oils & the Crisco. And margarine, too!
IN - Keep the canola oil & high quality extra virgin olive oil & use them sparingly. Evelyn Tribole, MS,RD says canola has twice the inflammation-causing omega-6s as olive oil, so she prefers olive oil--but after olive oil, canola is the best choice-especially for high-heat cooking. To coat your pans Bittman advises putting olive oil in a hand sprayer. Forget about it! It's hard to clean out & it could go rancid by the time you use it up. Simplest: Use your fingers.
Salad Dressing
OUT - Bottled dressings & marinades
IN - Make your own with the "good oils" (Dr. Joel Fuhrman processes nuts or tahini in place of oil- the Esselstyns use none) & vinegar or lemon juice and add-ins like fresh garlic, pepper, herbs or dijon mustard.. Try different recipes. It's really pretty easy. Bittman recommends 3 parts of oil to one of vinegar, I use a one to one ratio to cut down on oil--just keep tasting till it's good. I'm not ditching bottled dressings--I like the convenience. My favorite is Wild Thymes Meyer Lemon Salad Refresher. It's made with canola/olive oil, real ingredients & only 32 calories a TBS + 2.6 grams of fat.
Citrus Juices
OUT - Bottled lemon or lime juice.
IN - Use the real thing & use it often. I use lemon & lime juice in soups, sauces, vegetables, salad dressings & dips. I'm always juicing lemons or limes & grating their zest for added zing. Bittman says forget about reamers & squeezers, & just use your hands to squeeze out juice. I used to do this until I got this fantastic lemon squeezer. It works for lemons & limes. And get a good microplane for zesting.
Dried Herbs & Spices
OUT - Spices older than a year. Pitch them once a year since they lose punch. Dried parsely, basil, cilantro. Don't even bother!
IN - Buy fresh & try different things like fennel (both ground & seeds), cardamom, smoked paprika, dried chipoltles & garam masala. I admit to having a problem with getting stuck with half-used jars that I keep on using way past their prime. Bittman has inspired me to date them with a Sharpie & pitch after a year. Why ruin a recipe with too-old spices? My friend Les (who's an excellent cook) recommends buying small quantities at Penzey's Spices--they have both retail & online stores.
Fresh Herbs & Spices
OUT - Anything in a jar or a can--including jalapenos.
IN - Buy fresh. All grocery stores have just about any fresh herb/spice you could want year round. Mint, cilantro, Italian parsley, ginger, garlic, dill, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage and more. The green herbs will last for about a week & you can always toss them into your salads or mix them into your tuna or beans or soups or whatever.
I never used to bother with the fresh herbs, but now I can't imagine using anything dried or in a jar if I can buy the real thing. Here's some good advice for keeping fresh herbs as long as possible.
And make use of fresh hot peppers. They add a great kick. Seems like I'm always using jalapenos, serranos & more. TIP: Buy yourself some disposable plastic gloves to use when you start chopping them--don't want to rub your eyes with jalapeno oil on your hands!
Beans
OUT - Canned bean - except in emergencies (this would be a real hard habit to break!)
IN - Dried beans.
- More economical, better tasting, space saving and available in far more varieties.
- I don't think I've ever cooked dried beans, unless you count lentils or split peas. It means you have to plan a day ahead & it always seemed like too much trouble. But I think Bittman's on to something.
- First of all, all canned food, including most beans, have the "dread BPA" in their linings, not to mention they're loaded with sodium.
- Bittman says, "If you're not sold, try this: soak and cook a pound of white beans. Take some & finish with fresh chopped sage, garlic and good olive oil. Puree another cup or so with a boiled potato and lots of garlic. Mix some with a bit of cooking liquid, and add a can of tomatoes; some chopped celery, carrots and onion; cooked pasta; and cheese and call it Pasta Fagiole or minestrone. If there are any left, mix them with a can of olive-oil-packed tuna or sardines. And that's just white beans."
- I've got some beans soaking as I write this! According to Jane Brody the soaking method is more economical, produces a better product & gets rid of sugars that can cause the "dread gas". Here's how to do it: 6-8 cups of cold water for a pound. Soak overnight at room temperature, or at least 6-8 hours. Drain & rinse and you're ready to cook them. Place soaked beans and water in a pot. Add some onion, thyme, white wine, and a little olive oil. Simmer partially covered until beans are soft. Time will vary with age of beans. Allow 1 1/2 to 2 hours for steady simmer--longer if simmer is very gentle or intermittent. For step-by-step instructions, click here.
OUT - Imitation vanilla & even real vanilla extract
IN - Vanilla beans. They're expensive, but they keep (if you look online you can find bargains in bulk & store them in the fridge. Bittman says if you slice a pod in half & simmer it with some leftover rice & milk (almond, soy, coconut, dairy) you'll never go back. This is all news to me--I thought the real extract from Mexico was IN. Wrong!
Tomato Paste
OUT - Tomato paste in a can
IN - Tomato paste in a tube. Most of my recipes call for 2 tablespoon at a time, so I'm either sticking the rest in the freezer which never gets used again, or guiltily throwing it out. The paste in the tube is "double strength" & is keeps in the fridge for a long time.
Good Grains
OUT - Instant rice or boil-in-a-bag grains.
IN - Real grains. There's so much variety. Short grain Rice for risotto or paella. Barley, great for Mushroom Barley soup & loaded with nutrition; Bulgur, which is ready in 10 minutes; and my all-time favorite, Quinoa, the complete & delicious protein. Eat it with fruit & nuts for breakfast, or savory with jalapenos, sun-dried tomatoes, cilantro & lime. Click here and here for recipes. TIP: I always have a box of microwaveable fully-cooked organic brown rice from Trader Joe's in my freezer. When there's really NO TIME, it's ready in 3 minutes!
Staples for the Pantry to Jazz Up Your Cooking
- Fish sauce - this is different, stronger, and less refined than ordinary soy sauce. Use just a little. Bittman suggests a little over cooked vegetables.
- Canned coconut milk - I stick to the light version for less fat. It makes vegetables, curries & rice delicious, so it's worth the occasional extra fat-which is saturated. Even Dr. Chris Gardner, the nutrition guru at Stanford uses it, and says it adds so much flavor to vegetables that it's fat content is a non-issue.
- Miso paste - Never goes bad and its flavor is incomparable, according to Bittman. Whisk into boiling water for real soup in 3 minutes; thin a bit (with sake if you have it) & smear on meat or fish that's almost done broiling; add a spoonful to vinaigrette. I've only used this once or twice for a recipe, but I like Bittman's suggestions.
- Capers, good olives (buy in bulk, not cans or jars) and good anchovies (in olive oil, please). The combination of the three makes a powerful paste, or pasta sauce, or dip. Yes, I know these are loaded with salt, but they add so much flavor to a pasta sauce or fish. They're staying in my pantry.
- Nuts - Walnuts are highest in Omega-3s, but they're all good & the latest research confirms this, especially for diabetics. NEVER buy anything roasted in oil--bad, bad. Buy raw, or dry roasted or toasted. I throw nuts in my cereal, on my berries, grind them for salad dressings & snack on raw cashews & dates.
- Dried fruit & dried tomatoes (it's a fruit) - For snacking, in salads, for braising, poaching, in cereal, whatever. I have a large drawer in my kitchen that's known as the "Fruit & Nut Drawer"
- Dried mushrooms - Whole Foods & my grocery have any variety you can think of, shitake, oyster, portabella and mushrooms I've never heard of. Don't bother to reconstitute if you're cooking with liquid-just toss them in. They really enrich & deepen the taste of Mushroom Barley Soup.
- Winter Squash & Sweet Potatoes - So much more nutritious & interesting than regular potatoes. Bittman says (& I agree) that a sweet potato roasted until the exterior is almost blackened and the interior is mush is a wonderful snack. He recommends a winter squash called Delicata with an edible skin. Beats peeling. Chunck it & roast with a little oil & real maple syrup for an amazing salad topper or snack. Here's a Bittman TIP: For butternut or acorn squash, poke holes through to the center with a skewer in a few places and roast at 400 degrees until soft. Cool, then peel & seed. Love winter squash!!
- Real maple syrup & Agave - don't even think about imitation Aunt Jemima. Trader Joe's has the real thing at a real good price. Put a little on roasting vegetables. Try organic blue agave if you need to sweeten something. It's low glycemic & won't spike blood sugar.
- 100% Buckwheat Soba Noodles - Quick cooking, high nutrition for Asian noodle dishes. Check labels carefully for the 100% variety. Eden Organic makes one. Click here and here for soba noodle recipes.
- Specialty vinegars - These are pricey but they're tasty alternatives to boring balsamic. I've added sherry, blood orange & fig vinegars to my pantry. I had to go to a specialty store to find them, or you can find them at Dr. Joel Fuhrman's website. The sherry vinegar added a unique depth to my black bean soup (recipe here) & Bittman likes it in a salad of shredded cabbage--shred cabbage then toss in a colander with a couple of tablespoons of salt for an hour or two--then drain & rinse- toss with plenty of black pepper, a little olive oil & enough sherry vinegar to make the whole thing sharp.
Dear Healthy Librarian
This is a short email to say how much i enjoy your posts . I'm a busy time poor professional type living in the inner city in Australia. Some days i don't have time and you go straight into the trash but more often than not i take the time to skim through and usually find an interesting snippet that makes me stop and think.
So well done you - thanks for adding to the richness of my day.
In terms of the pantry - my partner Sue is the one who is a dab hand in the kitchen - but - i know we like to stock preserved lemons and verjuice as nice little extras.
Have a great day
Posted by: Paul | January 12, 2009 at 12:23 PM
Re: broth - I like to use the Seitenbacher Vegetable Broth Powder rather than premade liquids. It's inexpensive, shelf-stable, and packed in a recyclable cardboard container. It is available online at Amazon, where an ingredient list is posted.
Posted by: rosemaryevergreen.blogspot.com | September 07, 2009 at 01:10 AM
Just wanted to say Re: the dried beans, I cook mine in a pressure cooker. Takes much less time, between 1 and 2 hours. There are some beans you can't do in a cooker, but most big beans like kidney or pinto are fine. I think they taste better and are firmer than soaked beans. There are lots of websites that tell how to do it and sometimes even pressure cooker instruction manuals will give ratios. My Father-in-law has worn out several cookers over the decades making pintos and as far as I know has never had an explosion. Now if I could just get over my canned tomato habit...
Posted by: VeggieMama | January 26, 2010 at 08:40 AM
@Veggiemama: Just curious.. 1 to 2 hours in pressure cooker? Won't that make it overcooked and probably result to soggy beans? Thanks
Posted by: Carol | July 17, 2011 at 08:05 AM