Cooking To Beat The Clock-Pantry
Beans, canned.
An excellent source of fiber and nonmeat protein. Quality can vary among
brands, especially for cannellini beans, which can be mushy. However, chickpeas
are generally good. These two varieties and black beans make up the canned
bean triumvirate in my pantry. I usually also stock red kidney, pink, or
pinto beans and perhaps navy, Great Northern beans, or other white beans.
Cheese.
Parmesan: The most versatile and important cheese in the world. Use the real
thing, Parmigiano-Reggiano; it’s worth the extra cost. Though freshly
grated Parmesan is always best, for convenience buy it already grated (or
grate a large amount yourself) and store it in the freezer where it will
it keep for a few months. Aged Asiago and dry aged Jack cheese are alternatives
to Parmesan.
Pecorino: A sheep’s milk grating cheese with more bite than Parmesan. Locatelli is probably the best-known brand. Store it like Parmesan, already grated in the freezer for convenience.
Grains.
Bulgur: Steamed, dried, and crushed wheat kernels now commonly available
in cereal-size boxes in supermarkets. When sold in bulk, mostly in ethnic
markets and health food stores, bulgur often comes in two or three different
grinds. I prefer the medium grind.
Couscous: Actually a kind of pasta, though used like a grain. It is almost always found in instant form but the quality is often good.
Polenta: Cornmeal mush that traditionally takes at least 30 minutes prepare on the stove with lots of stirring. Cooked in a microwave oven, however, polenta can be done in under 15 minutes. Instant polenta takes only a few minutes on top of the stove.
Rice: With the exception of Lundberg Quick Brown Rice, which is used in the Seafood Pilaf with Saffron and Peas, I use basmati rice exclusively in this book because this slender, long-grain, Indian rice cooks quicker than normal long-grain rice. It’s also so fragrant and flavorful it doesn’t need any embellishment. Indian basmati is available in many supermarkets as well as by mail order. Basmati is also produced in the United States as Texmati and in California by Lundberg. Long-grain rice can be substituted in many of the dishes, though it is not as fragrant or flavorful and takes longer to cook.
Herbs.
Fresh: Most major supermarkets carry at least several fresh herbs. I use
mint, basil, thyme, chives, and cilantro most often. For parsley, I prefer
the more flavorful flat-leaf, or Italian, parsley to the curly type. Fresh
herbs will last up to one week, loosely stored in plastic bags in the crisper
section of the refrigerator.
Dried: Though fresh herbs are invariably better than dried, they’re not always convenient. Some herbs, particularly sage leaves (not ground), thyme, rosemary, mint, and marjoram, transfer their flavors relatively well from the fresh to the dried form. Oregano does too, but only Greek oregano, which can be purchased in bunches in Middle Eastern markets, or Sicilian oregano, which is similarly packaged and sold in better food stores. If you can’t find either or can’t get them by mail use dried mint or marjoram or fresh herbs. Stay away from what I call pizza oregano, that acrid stuff that comes in shakers in pizza parlors. Herbs de Provence, a blend that includes thyme and rosemary, is a terrific all-purpose seasoning. And bay leaves, an essential seasoning, are almost always purchased dried. When well-sealed and stored away from the stove, dried herbs can keep from six months to one year, depending on their pungency. (Stronger rosemary, for example, lasts longer than thyme.)
Oils.
Nut and seed oils: Walnut oil is the most common, but almond and hazelnut
oils are also great in cold preparations—especially when fruit is
used. However, only one of these is necessary to keep in your pantry. I
especially like those from Loriva, which have a rich, toasted flavor (as
does the company’s peanut oil). Toasted sesame oil is a great flavor
enhancer in Asian dishes; a little goes a long way.
Olive oil: Use the more flavorful extra virgin type in cold preparations like salads, or in cooked dishes where the oil is drizzled in at the very end to enhance the flavor. Find the specific oil you like, regardless of where it comes from, by experimenting, much like tasting wine. Always go for intense flavor. For sautéing or frying, pure olive oil or a lower grade of extra virgin is fine.
Other oils: When a neutral cooking oil is called for I use canola oil for its heart-healthy qualities and relatively high smoke point. There are also many flavored oils on the market such as those with basil, roasted garlic, and hot peppers. These are obvious time-savers because you eliminate at least one ingredient. I like the Consorzio line in particular. Well sealed in a cool, dry place, oils will last several months or more. I’m not in favor of refrigerating oils. Better to buy smaller amounts and turn them over.
Onion family. Though perishable, onions, garlic, shallots, and scallions are pantry staples because I use them so regularly and they are available year-round.
Any white, Spanish, or yellow onion is fine in recipes that call for cooked onions. Buy different sizes so that you’ll have what is called for in the recipe. In this book, a small onion is about 4 ounces, a medium about 8 ounces, and a large about 12 ounces. When a raw onion is needed, use a sweet onion like Vidalia, Walla Walla, or Maui—all of which have less of a bite—or a red onion, which is usually between a Spanish onion and sweet onion in intensity. I store white or Spanish onions in the refrigerator—where they’ll last several weeks—because the cold helps to neutralize the compounds that cause tearing when onions are chopped. Sweet and red onions should be kept cool but not refrigerated and consumed within a few weeks.
Whole heads of garlic are available year round and will last several weeks without refrigeration if kept cool. When a clove is called for in a recipe, it should be good size one. Like garlic, shallots are available year round and will last several weeks without refrigeration if kept cool. Onions mixed with garlic are a decent substitute. Scallions are not because they are too mild. Scallions, also known as green onions, are available year round. The green tops can be substituted for chives as a garnish. In the crisper section of the refrigerator, they’ll last up to five days.
Pasta. I use dried pasta almost exclusively at home because, in addition to being incredibly convenient, it is consistently good. I prefer pasta imported from Italy and choose from among several brands. American pastas have improved in recent years, so try different brands until you find the one you like. I use dried capellini primarily in this book because it cooks the fastest among dried pastas. If you want to use dried pasta other than capellini, it will take longer to cook. Fresh pasta, regardless of the shape, cooks as fast as or faster than dried capellini. More and more supermarkets are carrying fresh pasta in a variety of shapes. While dried pasta, as the saying goes, lasts longer than most marriages, fresh pasta should be used within a few weeks if sealed and kept under refrigeration.
Roasted Red Bell Peppers. Seeded and peeled and packed in jars, they are an essential pantry item because they can be used in pasta salads, sauces, omelet fillings, and as part of an antipasto platter. Though expensive, the Spanish piquillo sweet red peppers, which are roasted over a wood fire, are sensational, velvety and full of flavor. Available at specialty stores or by mail.
Seafood, canned.
Anchovies: Most commonly available filleted and packed either flat in 2-ounce
cans or upright in jars. (Don’t use fillets wrapped around capers.)
I prefer the hand-filleted Ortiz Spanish anchovies, which are meaty
and not very salty. They come in 4-ounce tins and are available in specialty-food
shops or by mail order. If you use only chopped anchovies, and not very
often, anchovy paste in tubes may be more appropriate. It lasts several
months in the refrigerator.
Clams: Minced or chopped (I prefer chopped) and packed in round cans, like tuna. After tuna, the most versatile canned seafood for chowders and pastas.
Tuna: In recent years I’ve switched from fancy albacore packed in water to light or albacore packed in olive oil because the latter has so much more flavor for everyday eating as well as specific dishes like the Pantry Antipasto or Salade Nicoise. Progresso is a widely available brand of very high quality olive-oil packed tuna.
Other: Salmon, sardines, mussels, crab, and shrimp are not used in this book but are candidates for pantry stocking. For example, mussels could be used in quick pasta dishes (like canned clams) and sardines could be a part of an antipasto platter.
Spices.
While ground seasonings are the most convenient, whole spices, like coffee
in bean form, give more flavor and aroma when freshly ground in a spice
mill, such as a coffee grinder used exclusively for spices. Specific whole
spices I use are cumin, allspice, dried ginger root, black pepper (ground
in a pepper mill), and nutmeg (grated with a nutmeg grater). I grind small
batches of cumin, allspice, and ginger so I always have some that is as
close to freshly ground as possible. Black pepper and nutmeg are ground
as needed.
Other important spices in my kitchen include hot pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, saffron (threads, not ground), curry powder, and paprika. I use less often Chinese five-spice powder, caraway seeds, chili powder, juniper berries, fennel seeds, and dried chilies (ancho, New Mexico, and reconstituted chipotle peppers in tomato sauce). See Mail Order Sources if these less used spices are not readily available to you. I keep a jar of pickled sliced jalapeno peppers in the refrigerator (where they last for months) as an alternative to fresh jalapenos. Though technically perishable, fresh ginger is always part of my spice pantry. To keep cut ginger from molding, wrap it in a paper towel and put it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator where it will last a few weeks or more.
Vinegar.
A great source of nonfat flavor in cold and hot dishes, and a good substitute
for alcohol when deglazing skillets for a quick sauce in sautéed
dishes. I use balsamic, sherry, and red wine vinegars most often. Balsamics
come in many quality levels; the better ones are good enough to use as
sauces or dressings by themselves. Raspberry is the most common of the
many delicious fruit vinegars. Consorzio makes wonderful passion fruit
and mango vinegars. Most fruit vinegars are less acidic than wine vinegars.
If I want less acid but no fruit, I use cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar.