Things I can't Live Without in my Kitchen

I thought today I would talk about the things or ingredients I cant live without in my kitchen, ingredients I always keep to spice up every day meals and take an ordinary chicken tenderloin into an exotic quick meal. These basic things I pick up in the grocery not to use today but to keep handy, I love stocking up on wine when they are on sale or I can spare it in my grocery so I can keep extra in the cool bottom of my pantry, so when the occasion comes up I don't have to run out or when I'm getting ready for a function or someone Else's dinner party I don't have to waste time going to the store on the way there, I can devote more time getting ready or finishing my dish that I am bringing. Plus who can afford to buy 4 bottles of wine at the same time. I cant. So I look at it as a savings account. A lot of grocery stores today do the Buy one get one free and If you donut take advantage of it, the next time you'll have to pay full price. My wine tastes stay in the price range of 6.99 to 10.00 USD.

The other ingredients I love to keep handy is a spare can or two of coconut milk (making yellow curry, desserts) dry tamarind paste (one of the most important ingredients for Chicken pad Thai) Spanish spices (capers, peppers I chopped them up and keep them frozen, cans of tomato paste) Asian spices; powdered ginger (this adds spice to basic sauces, sprinkled it on any veggie) I also keep fresh ginger but that has a shelf life so the powder version helps.  Sesame oil , Dry lemongrass I cant live without that, ( vital for sauces, dipping sauces, remember to use only at the end , I sprinkle it on broccoli or quick stir fry) I have various vinegars apple, red wine, rice balsamic. Soy or tamari sauce, various Asian noodles and of course Kosher salt.

Look what they sell frozen now, veggie dumplings, they steam in less than 4 minutes I enhance the dipping sauce with a splash of sesame oil and chili oil with alittle powdered ginger, I didn't even wait to put on some chopped scallions. to devour these quick snacks or entree. Then of course frozen edamame, just quick boil with salt and alittle kosher salt with presentation.

I have this iron skillet that will make its debut soon, its over 30 years old and I've been curing it over the years, I only wipe it dry, but it makes all my meals taste good, and I make one skillet meals with it all the time.

Until next time.