I have a theory that the more often one cooks, the easier it is for one to cook more often. I know from experience that this is true for me. Back when I worked at night in the restaurant business, I loved to cook at home on my nights off. Being a busy student and worker, my refrigerator was always bare so I’d pore over cookbooks, decide what to make, and then head to the store (or stores) for the ingredients. Every time I cooked, I’d have to start from scratch with just the right spices, herbs, grains, cheeses, etc. Then I’d spend the entire afternoon cooking … and about twenty minutes eating. I enjoyed it, but this was no way to actually feed myself on a regular basis.
Now I have a different approach to cooking. I cook more seasonally, inspired by the market, rather than a cookbook, and I cook regularly. This means I always have food to eat or the remnants of a meal on which I can build a new meal. It’s so much more pleasurable to be able to feed myself (and sometimes-unexpected guests) with healthy whole foods without any fuss.
Many of us end up in front of the prepared foods counter at the grocery store more often than we’d like, but we also know that if we only cooked more we’d save money, we’d know exactly what’s in our food, and we’d probably consume fewer unhealthy calories and more healthier ones. The challenge is fitting cooking into our busy modern lives, but it’s a worthy challenge. When I can feed myself, even on the busiest of days, I feel a sense of triumph in the midst of the chaos that sometimes overtakes my life.
A few weeks ago, we talked about how to actually shop the farmers’ market. Since we can’t live on fresh vegetables alone, today we’re going to talk pantry, paraphernalia, and planning. You’ll see how a wide variety of foods on hand, the proper kitchen tools, and a little advance thought can turn your kitchen into the most important room in your home.
Pantry Basics
Your personal pantry will depend on taste, dietary needs and cooking habits, but here’s a good start for developing a pantry full of real food.
Basic Oils:
- One refined oil for high heat cooking like stir-frying: peanut, avocado, or safflower are good choices
- One good quality extra virgin olive oil
- One unrefined oil for general use in dressings and low heat cooking: safflower or sunflower are good choices
Optional:
- One nut oil for special salads: walnut or hazelnut oils are good options (must be refrigerated after opening as they go rancid quickly)
- Toasted sesame oil for cooking with Asian flavors
Basic Vinegars:
- Good red wine vinegar
- Cider vinegar
- Rice wine vinegar
Condiments:
- Dijon mustard
- Soy sauce
- Fish sauce
- Ketchup
- Chili paste
Spices:
- One gourmet salt
- Everyday salt for cooking, like kosher or iodized sea salt
- Whole and ground cumin
- Whole black pepper
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Cayenne
- Pepper flakes
- Cinnamon
- Bay leaves
Canned Goods:
- Canned wild salmon, sardines, herring, and anchovies
- Canned beans and chickpeas
- Canned whole and diced tomatoes
- Coconut milk
- Chicken or vegetable broth
Dry Goods:
- Three types of pasta: one regular, one buckwheat or whole wheat, one rice noodle
- Cornmeal
- All-purpose unbleached flour
- Whole-wheat flour
- Lentils
- Two types of dried beans—one white and one black or brown
- Oats
- One white long-grain rice
- One brown rice
- One interesting rice, like red or black
- One to Two types of quick cooking grains like quinoa
- One to Two types of longer cooking grains like wheat berries, faro, kamut
- Dried mushrooms
- Dried chilies
- Sea vegetables
- Nut butters
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Agave and/or sugar
Refrigerator Pantry:
- Capers
- Anchovies
- Eggs
- Tortillas
- Butter
- Basic cheeses: one feta, one hard grating, and one everyday like cheddar or Jack
