A recipe for a prepped kitchen
Every time I get a new cookbook, I make note of whether it has a section that loosely falls into the category of “what to keep in your pantry”—not out of judgement, just out of curiosity. I’m no food publishing expert, but it’s fairly clear why the ones that have them do; they’re cookbooks for people who think their audience won’t get be familiar with their cuisine, or have a really specific personality they’re selling, or are marketing themselves as Mark Bittman 10.0.
At this juncture, I might read them in full, but it’s rare that I find new must-haves on these lists; the best recommendations tend to be for homemade sauces you should keep around because they can be used with every kind of protein. I’m still not likely to do that, as much as I’d like to, given my lack of interest in planning ahead. But since we’re entering winter stock season, taking a closer look at my dad’s suggestions for what to always keep around seemed worthwhile. As I’ve said before, there is little that prompts the feeling of accomplishment more than throwing together dinner from what you have, and you can be nice to your past self and give it a thank you from your present self.
Weirdly, I wasn’t super familiar with shallots until later in life. Love them now! I’ve already mentioned my passion for chicken and beef Better Than Bullion; unless I’m using homemade frozen broth, that’s my go-to. I don’t buy the box stuff anymore. Dried mushrooms… not sure why that was a must for him. We’re going with it but I’m curious!
It’s true that fresh is best, but some things are easier frozen—peas I feel like I almost never can find fresh. And yes, always rinse your beans.
This year, I’ve frozen some chives and am interested to see how that goes. I can’t speak for everyone but I never get rid of my spices—sorry, I’m bad! [Note from my mother: “Your father never got rid of any of his dried spices either, no matter what he says in the book!”] Otherwise, I keep all of the above in my pantry (except for maybe sage, which is just so much better fresh), plus kosher salt. Generally, though, you can find fresh parsley, rosemary, sage, etc. (or even grow your own) easily at the grocery stores, and so the dried spices I use more these days are cumin, paprika and whole seeds like fennel. I’m also lucky to live down the block from an amazing spice store.
We remember the marsala drama! No idea why Jalapeño pepper sauce seems to have taken such a hold on my dad; we certainly have a lot of different kinds of hot sauces in our fridge, none of which I eat.
Mm this is a good tip about flour, though I’m not sure how frequently I’m making a roux that would make it worth it. I vividly remember when the olive oil sprayer was the hot item in the ‘90s! (By contrast, I don’t recall the Calphalon brand loyalty but makes sense.) And people who say you don’t need a masher don’t really like mashed potatoes.
A random assortment of additions to this list that I tend to always keep around, definitely not exhaustive:
Parmesan cheese—in a block, not pre-grated
Pickles
Unsalted butter
Olive oil in really large jugs so you’re never out
Olives, Kalamata and green—great for quick snacks or niçoise salads
Anchovies and other kinds of tinned fish
Sesame oil
Red Boat fish sauce
Peanut butter
Tahini sauce
Hoisin
Chili garlic sauce
Capers
I love a garlic press
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