Having lived with friends and my sister for the past few years/summers, I've realized the importance of always keeping basic ingredients in my kitchen. When the urge to eat kicks in (when hunger strikes, when the going gets tough... etc etc :~) lol!), it's so great to have these supplies in the house. Here's what I think is important to keep stocked in the refrigerator and some reasons:
To keep stocked in the refrigerator:
1. Tomatoes
I LOVE tomatoes! Best fruit/vegetable EVER!
2. Limes
Limes are great for cooking because they can be used to liven up the flavor of a dish. A lot of Thai dishes use them, as do Indian dishes. There was an interesting article in the NYTimes ("When the sour note is just right," July 20, 2006) about the use of limes and oranges- definitely check it out!
3. Onions (I think yellow onions are more useful to have than red, but my sister loves them red, so I keep both)
4. Jalapeno peppers (some people use them from a jar, but I think they taste so much better fresh and they last for a long time in the refrigerator, so why not keep them fresh?!)
5. Hummus
Good for dipping veggies, spreading on high quality bread, making sandwiches. My favorite spread!
To keep stocked in the pantry:
1. Chocolate chips
Perfect for any baking emergency. Also good for impromptu microwave s'mores or a quick dip for fruit when sweetened with powdered sugar.
2. Bisquick/a generic brand pancake/waffle mix
For the most part, I argue for the importance of using fresh ingredients and making food from scratch. However, I was raised in a house where eggs were not purchased very often (my family is Hindu.) But I also loved pancakes for breakfast, so my mom would always keep the mix in the pantry. Therefore, for me, this is definitely a staple for my kitchen. Last weekend, a friend visited and we made banana pancakes and chocolate chip pancakes. I remember throwing together pumpkin pancakes last fall and raspberry pancakes in the spring. Pancakes are a great breakfast, brunch, and snack item! I suppose I should also mention that I love breakfast foods and would eat them at every meal if my friends and family let me!
3. Black bean sauce
I stir-fry everything with this sauce- mushrooms, cabbage, bok choy, onions.... so tasty!
4. Tortilla chips
Munch on by themselves, dip in salsa, or make into a place of nachos.
5. Jar of banana peppers
Use on sandwiches, on nachos, etc.
6. Good quality bread
7. Potatoes
I don't think I really need to explain this one!
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2 comments:
haha awww this post makes me miss living with you (and all the yummy food you cooked me!)
jalapeno peppers are evil...
I feel the overwhelming need to comment on every single one of your posts, but I don't think that is going to happen forever (um, just kidding!) so I should set an adequate precedent for myself. Just so I don't disappoint, you know? I don't think I'm doing a very good job. Banana peppers though... good idea, I hadn't thought of it.
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