Tips & Tricks | Cooking from Your Pantry
Published May 14, 2020
Note the published date. I wrote this piece in May 2020. We all remember what was happening then. This article and an appearance as a guest on a podcast inspired me to write a book: Stocked: Flavor Bombs and Staples for Your Kitchen.
Published May 14, 2020
Note the published date. I wrote this piece in May 2020. We all remember what was happening then. This article and an appearance as a guest on a podcast inspired me to write a book: Stocked: Flavor Bombs and Staples for Your Kitchen.
We are now more than eight weeks into Coronavirus lockdown. While some restrictions are lifting, we still limit how often we go out, especially to a grocery store. I’m convinced that one of the reasons there was such a rush at the beginning of the shutdown is because so many people are used to shopping frequently. I worked in a grocery store for 10 years, where I saw many customers who shop every day, even more who come to the store two to three times a week. Because stopping at the store was so convenient, these customers did not have to plan ahead or keep a stocked pantry; they just buy what they need for today and tomorrow. Not anymore.
Towards the beginning of this shut down, social media was filled with people posting pictures of elaborate meals, baking sprees, and comfort food. I baked two cakes myself and I rarely bake. But the novelty of having time to cook has worn off. We are tired of heavy comfort food and ready for lighter spring fare. We don’t want to think about every meal two weeks in advance and we don’t know what we might feel like eating.
We must be strategic on every shopping trip. Here are some ideas about items to keep in your pantry and how to use them.
Towards the beginning of this shut down, social media was filled with people posting pictures of elaborate meals, baking sprees, and comfort food. I baked two cakes myself and I rarely bake. But the novelty of having time to cook has worn off. We are tired of heavy comfort food and ready for lighter spring fare. We don’t want to think about every meal two weeks in advance and we don’t know what we might feel like eating.
We must be strategic on every shopping trip. Here are some ideas about items to keep in your pantry and how to use them.
My downtown apartment pantry
Canned vegetables
Cans are a mainstay of a well-stocked pantry. Frozen vegetables are the best alternative to fresh, but as we learned on Erev Pesach (the first night of Passover), when the power goes out, our freezers aren’t much help. Keep bags of veggies in the freezer, but also stock up on low or no salt vegetables like corn, peas, and green beans. They can be heated up for a quick side dish or tossed together with dressing and cooked pasta for a quick salad. Add some canned veggies to rice and use to make quick soups.
Canned tomatoes
Keep a variety of canned tomatoes: whole Italian, diced, crushed, sauce, and paste, and prepared marinara sauce. The first week of the shutdown, I made a large batch of marinara, which I froze. We have used it on spaghetti, in Chicken Cacciatore, and Meatball Subs.
Canned beans
You know I love and recommend beans; keep at least one can each of garbanzo, cannellini, kidney, and black beans. Garbanzo becomes Hummous. Cannellini are added to soup, tossed with sausage, or mashed into appetizer spread. Kidney beans make chili with or without meat or refried beans. Stew black beans with diced tomatoes, chilies, and cumin for a Latin side dish with eggs on tortillas. Remember what I said before about rinsing canned beans to get rid of most of the salt.
Canned fish
Tuna, salmon, anchovies, and sardines, if you like them. And even though Passover was just a month ago, it’s not a bad idea to keep a small jar of gefilte in the cabinet. Most canned tuna ends up as salad, but Tuna Casserole is fun too – it’s basically Macaroni & Cheese plus tuna, topped with crushed potato chips. Salmon becomes patties or a smoked salmon ball; you don’t have to wait for a party to make appetizers for yourself. You need anchovies for Caesar salad.
Flavor bombs
Here is a list of items that are rich in flavor and keep for a long time. You should always keep at least one jar or bottle of each in your cupboard. Mustard. Olives. Capers. Salsa. Hot sauce. Vinegar. Ketchup. Barbeque sauce. Pickles. Jelly. And even though I always recommend fresh-squeezed citrus, for times like this, it pays to keep two small bottles of lemon and lime juice in the house.
Carbs
Branch out from white rice; keep small boxes or bags of brown or mixed wild rice. Pasta – you don’t need a shelf-full, but one box each of a long pasta, like angel hair or fettuccini, and a smaller pasta, like macaroni or bowties. Both pasta and rice are so versatile; they can be eaten hot or cold, they can be the main event or a side, and rice can even be made sweet, into Rice Pudding. Obviously, spaghetti-length pasta can be Italian, but it can also go Asian as Lo Mein or Sesame Noodles.
Nut butter
Don’t stop at peanut butter. Add another jar of something else, like almond butter. There are also great nut alternative butters, made from sunflower seeds, for people with allergies. Nut butters add flavor and thickening to sauces, like Sesame Noodles or Chickpea Almond Stew. They’re also great in baking; add a couple spoon fulls to Banana Bread or Brownies.
Crunchies
Chips of all kinds can be ground up for breading for chicken or fish; nuts can too. Keep a supply of various crackers – eat them with soup or salad instead of bread, make tiny sandwiches for fun, top with marinara and melted cheese for tiny pizza.
Cans are a mainstay of a well-stocked pantry. Frozen vegetables are the best alternative to fresh, but as we learned on Erev Pesach (the first night of Passover), when the power goes out, our freezers aren’t much help. Keep bags of veggies in the freezer, but also stock up on low or no salt vegetables like corn, peas, and green beans. They can be heated up for a quick side dish or tossed together with dressing and cooked pasta for a quick salad. Add some canned veggies to rice and use to make quick soups.
Canned tomatoes
Keep a variety of canned tomatoes: whole Italian, diced, crushed, sauce, and paste, and prepared marinara sauce. The first week of the shutdown, I made a large batch of marinara, which I froze. We have used it on spaghetti, in Chicken Cacciatore, and Meatball Subs.
Canned beans
You know I love and recommend beans; keep at least one can each of garbanzo, cannellini, kidney, and black beans. Garbanzo becomes Hummous. Cannellini are added to soup, tossed with sausage, or mashed into appetizer spread. Kidney beans make chili with or without meat or refried beans. Stew black beans with diced tomatoes, chilies, and cumin for a Latin side dish with eggs on tortillas. Remember what I said before about rinsing canned beans to get rid of most of the salt.
Canned fish
Tuna, salmon, anchovies, and sardines, if you like them. And even though Passover was just a month ago, it’s not a bad idea to keep a small jar of gefilte in the cabinet. Most canned tuna ends up as salad, but Tuna Casserole is fun too – it’s basically Macaroni & Cheese plus tuna, topped with crushed potato chips. Salmon becomes patties or a smoked salmon ball; you don’t have to wait for a party to make appetizers for yourself. You need anchovies for Caesar salad.
Flavor bombs
Here is a list of items that are rich in flavor and keep for a long time. You should always keep at least one jar or bottle of each in your cupboard. Mustard. Olives. Capers. Salsa. Hot sauce. Vinegar. Ketchup. Barbeque sauce. Pickles. Jelly. And even though I always recommend fresh-squeezed citrus, for times like this, it pays to keep two small bottles of lemon and lime juice in the house.
Carbs
Branch out from white rice; keep small boxes or bags of brown or mixed wild rice. Pasta – you don’t need a shelf-full, but one box each of a long pasta, like angel hair or fettuccini, and a smaller pasta, like macaroni or bowties. Both pasta and rice are so versatile; they can be eaten hot or cold, they can be the main event or a side, and rice can even be made sweet, into Rice Pudding. Obviously, spaghetti-length pasta can be Italian, but it can also go Asian as Lo Mein or Sesame Noodles.
Nut butter
Don’t stop at peanut butter. Add another jar of something else, like almond butter. There are also great nut alternative butters, made from sunflower seeds, for people with allergies. Nut butters add flavor and thickening to sauces, like Sesame Noodles or Chickpea Almond Stew. They’re also great in baking; add a couple spoon fulls to Banana Bread or Brownies.
Crunchies
Chips of all kinds can be ground up for breading for chicken or fish; nuts can too. Keep a supply of various crackers – eat them with soup or salad instead of bread, make tiny sandwiches for fun, top with marinara and melted cheese for tiny pizza.