Rather offhandedly: What's onhand?

[lorilei]

It is becoming increasingly obvious to me that some of the things I consider to be "staples" in my household are definitely NOT things other people eat on a regular basis. And it's fascinating.

I'm not talking about your typical by-the-book "staples": rice, beans, flour, pasta, things like that. Just things you ALWAYS have around because you use them so often.

What are some of the things you keep as "staples" in your kitchen? And what sorts of things do you use them for?

I'll start out by saying that I ALWAYS have a can of (low fat) coconut milk. Maybe that's weird. I don't know... I cook rice in it. I make Thai food. I use it in desserts. The minute I don't have a can, I need a can http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif To me, that makes it a staple!

[marys]

For me, it's Knorr dry vegetable soup mix. I mix it with light sour cream for veggie dip and I get HUGE cravings for it. I always have at least 2 boxes on hand and I stock up whenever it's on sale.

[BethH]

I always keep the ingredients for my fave pantry pasta on hand...can of italian tuna, garlic, capers, a lemon, and some kalamata olives. It comes together so easily and always tastes so good--I always have those ingredients.

I keep the light coconut milk on hand too, along with canned water chestnuts and the "taste of thai" peanut sauce mix so I can throw that together at any time too.

I also always have cans of diced tomatoes on hand--I throw those in any and everything. Oh, and frozen shrimp. I always stock up on that.

Are these things really so strange? I guess I never thought about it. I've often thought that my 'convenience foods' are probably different from a lot of peoples (probably not the people on this board though! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif)

[Vanessa]

There is always rice, onions,pasta, beans on hand, chicken broth and in the freezer pesto, tomato sauce (just made some this week)I should try making rice with coconut milk I bet it tastes great Lorilei!

[valeriek]

I don't know if this is a staple (well, I guess it is since my pantry is never without cans of it), but I always have refried beans on hand. I also always have several types of canned tomatoes or stewed tomatoes in different flavors. Those are definately staples in my pantry.

[christinew]

Simply put: Rice, beans, cans of diced tomatoes, pasta, tuna, onions, garlic, and fresh ginger. This is fun http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

oh also, sardines, hearts of romaine and cans of black olives

[This message has been edited by christinew (edited 08-23-2000).]

[lorilei]

Now see!
It's not that I feel so bizarre about what's in my pantry -- it's that it's so interesting to hear what other people keep in theirs. We all have different meals that we keep in the backs of our minds for emergencies http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

This could be very interesting.

Oh -- I too keep tuna, kalamata olives and capers... I also always have a can of salmon for salmon patties.

[This message has been edited by lorilei (edited 08-23-2000).]

[TraceyK]

lorilei - What do you put in your salmon patties?

[Jeanne G]

This IS interesting! And I was surprised to see Lorelli - your mentioning the lite coconut milk. I just bought some this weekend at the grocery because I want to try some Thai Recipes. I'd love to hear how you use it with rice.
And as for my staples, I also stock a lot of things already mentioned. But other than that, I always have on hand sauerkraut(to use with lean turkey kilbasa(sp?), water chestnuts, anchovy paste and pimento pieces (I LOVE pimento cheese!!). http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Mamasue]

Always make sure I have pasta (italian imported....not american brand for me), canned tomatoes (whole italian), canned broth (both chicken and beef), garlic and oh yes, parmesan reggiano (sp) in the frig.

[Mamasue]

double post....deleting this one http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by Mamasue (edited 08-23-2000).]

[alisome]

It's so funny thinking about my pantry "staples"; the last time my sister-in-law came over I asked her to get me something and she was so awed by the amount of "unique" stuff in there she called over my mother-in -law and said, "This is better than the grocery store!" I thought everybody kept 4 different types of pasta, 3 different kinds of tomatoes, mandarin oranges(salads), 2 kinds of pineapple( crushed for pina coloadas, sliced for upside down cake), wheat bulgar, and at least five different types of jellies and jams because I'm addicted and I buy a ton of that specialty stuff when I travel.

I'm glad to know that others get the same response because they cook adn you never know what you need.

[Gail]

Staples, hmmm? Let's see... salmon absolutely (patties are one of our emergency meals.) Clams and clam juice (for linguini, another emergency meal.) Both corn and flour tortillas, enchilada sauce (green and red), canned jalapeños, etc. (For various emergency Mexican meals. WHAT? Other people don't have emergency Mexican meals??) Tomatoes in all forms: chopped, whole, puréed, sauce, paste, dried-- you name it, it's probably in here... Black olives, green olives, Kalamata olives, capers (for Mexican, Cuban or Greek meals, mostly.) A couple of varieties of dried mushrooms (for Stroganoff or Chinese.) Baby corn, straw mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts... And wines! Port, Madeira, Marsala, Sherry, etc. etc. I can go on and on here. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Now you know another reason why I don't plan my meals ahead...



[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 08-23-2000).]

[lorilei]

Originally posted by TraceyK:
lorilei - What do you put in your salmon patties?

Tracey - mine are a simple "throw together" thing. Usually they consist of a can of salmon, an egg or two, flour, salt, pepper and dill. Sometimes I bake them. Sometimes I pan fry them. And I almost always serve them with peas. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

WITH REGARD TO COCONUT MILK:
Someone asked how I use it with rice... I've taken to cooking my rice in coconut milk instead of water. Not always, but often. It gives the rice a wonderful creamy taste, and lends itself to curries quite splendidly. I ALWAYS use coconut milk when I make beans & rice.

Aha -- I just thought of another staple. I used to be addicted to tortillas (OK, I still am). But now I've discovered a lovely whole wheat mediterranean flatbread that I simply HAVE to keep around all the time. It's indispensable for impromptu greek wraps (olives, lemon chicken, tomato & tzatziki), a dip for harissa, & a crust for funny little pizzas.


[This message has been edited by lorilei (edited 08-24-2000).]

[MrsReber]

Hey Jeanne, I too have saurkraut in my cabinet to go along with turkey kielbasa! How weird is that? I also keep black olives, salad olives, three different kinds of oil, four differnt kinds of vinegar, and always always artichoke hearts for salads and pizzas, a chunk of romano cheese, canned minced clams for sauce, condensed milk and evaporated milk, canned chicken broth, marsala wine for cooking, walnuts, and chips (chocolate or peanut butter so I can make cookies when the urge strikes), english muffins for when I am completey out of ideas for dinner and resort to english muffin pizzas (there's always sauce and mozzerella cheese lurking in the freezer). And we are never without garlic. We hardly eat any meals that don't have some garlic somewhere. Pasta is not a staple in my house, it's a way of life. And yes, we do have mucho cabinet space with an extra closet in the garage.



[This message has been edited by MrsReber (edited 08-24-2000).]

[Holly S]

Ah, staples? I guess for me it is condensed milk, black olives, anchovie paste, fresh ginger, granny smith apples, tons of pasta, and canned tomatoes in various forms and the ever present 5 bulbs of garlic. Hmm, You think most other people don't stock up on these things? No wonder they don't enjoy cooking, they have nothing interesting to just toss in and see what happens.........

[SueK]

I always keep diced canned tomatoes, pizza sauce, refried beans, evaporated skim milk and sweetened condensed milk, too. Always have lots of meat, poultry and fish in the freezer, too! My pantry is never without pasta, canned minced clams, tuna, etc either.

[lindrusso]

Well, I'll take a chance that things are up and running again...

I like to keep all the usual things - tomatoes in all forms, pastas, rice, beans - and some other things as well. Olives, capers, dried mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, couscous, various vinegars, coconut milk (you're not weird Lorilei!), jarred sauce, different broths. Potatoes, onions, garlic and shallots under the sink.

For baking I always have chocolate chips, toffee bits, coconut, oatmeal, canned pumpkin, canned/evaporated milks, pudding, etc.

In the fridge/freezer there's almost always: Parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar, tofu, cream cheese, soy sauce (and related items) chopped spinach, chicken breasts, assorted flours, nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts), breadcrumbs, pesto, and now, frozen herbs from the garden.

I don't know if any of these things are unusual, so I just listed anything I could think of!

Most of all, I like to keep extras (like butter, flour, peanut butter, etc.) in my pantry/fridge/freezer so that I don't get in the middle of something and run out.

[Ohioan]

Let's see ... I always have at least a half-dozen varieties of rice, dried beans, and pasta, plus two or three kinds of lentils. Then: garlic, onions, what sometimes seems like the entire inventory of Penzey's herbs and spices http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif, canned diced and/or crushed tomatoes without salt, two or three kinds of olives, Provolone and Parmigiano cheeses, a few cans of "lite" fruit (in the refrigerator) for when the fresh fruit runs out, olive oil, peanut oil, red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, hot bean paste, yellow bean paste, hoisin sauce, dark sesame oil, sambal oelek, and ... KIMCHI!

As for fresh stuff, depending on how long since I've been to the store: several kinds of greens (cooking and salad), fresh tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms, and zucchini.

In the freezer for emergencies: veggie burgers of various kinds, frozen peas and corn, and a backup loaf of sprouted-grain bread.

Whew. I'm sure there's more, but these come to mind first.

Phoebe

[lorilei]

Balsamic vinegar!

Another thing I cannot live without.

(Does garlic count? Oh, man. I have more garlic than onions sometimes!)

[Shelly]

I always have canned tomatoes, beans (black, red, kidney, garbanzo, pinto and refried), Campbell's tomato soup (can't wait for winter - tomato soup (made with milk, never water, and toasted/grilled cheese on whole grain bread - serious comfort food!), canned green chilies, evaporated skim milk, sweetened condensed milk (reduced fat) and jarred spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, red wine vinegar and Cavendar's Greek seasoning in my pantry. In the freezer, bagels, chocolate chips, walnuts (my personal fave), cheese ravioli, individually frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, and various kinds of juices. In the fridge, 2% milk sharp cheddar, parmesan and asiago, dill pickles, Polaner all fruit spread, fat free plain yogurt (for cooking/baking), flavored yogurt (for eating)and whatever fresh fruit is in season. I hit the grocery store twice a week in the summer because we eat so much fresh fruit!

Gee, that is a lot of stuff.............and I probably could have added even more ! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif

How could I forget garlic and onions?? I use these at nearly every meal!! (this edit function is really handy for us forgetful types...........)

[This message has been edited by Shelly (edited 08-24-2000).]

[food girl]

Wow, some of you must really have a kitchen a la Sam's Wholesale.
I am suffering from 'condiment overload'. I have too many condiments in the frige to make room for food!
Wasabi, fish sauce, 4 kinds of mustard, adobo, relishes galore, chili paste...

Does anyone else have this problem?
Lisa

[sneezles]

Try combining two pantries. We've had a country place for a couple of years that we were at every weekend. So I had the pantry there(with loads of doubles since I could never find the "shopping" list I wrote on Sundays) and the "main" pantry at home. I am a chronic "new" item shopper buying things that I have no recipe for but have to have anyway. And then a couple of months ago we decided to move permanently to the country. I have spent weeks trying to fit tthe two kitchens together and discovered 15 tubes of tomato paste(great for recipes that call for only a tablespoon), six tubes of garlic paste, onion paste and even anchovy paste... and the list goes on & on!!!

[Angela]

Let's see...I always have canned diced tomatoes (and I don't even like tomatoes that much though I seem to use them all the time), and canned beans (chili and black beans), chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips (for any baking needs), flour tortillas, cheddar cheese (for the fav emergency meal- cheese quesadillas), boxed mac and cheese (for those evenings I don't feel like cooking). Fun topic.

[This message has been edited by Angela (edited 08-25-2000).]

[skylarc]

My joke was that I had no need to stock up for Y2K -- you could eat just fine out of my cupboards for a month, thank you. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

One of our current favorite CL recipes is from a fairly recent issue -- the article was something about cooking out of your cupboards. The dish is chicken with couscous cooked in light coconut milk -- very tasty & clearly they think everyone has both couscous & coconut milk in the cupboard!

Canned beans -- black & white -- are a must & the Minute Maid bottled lemon juice -- I always have one bottle in the fridge & another one in the freezer.

[tammy/MN]

we, who love took cook, are always Y2K ready. i had a girlfriend who couldn't believe what i keep onhand, i sometimes don't have to do groceries for 2 wks, besides milk that is.

on thing that i always keep onhand, is canned mushrooms, dry onion soup mix-for a rice dish, & taco seasoning.

my hubby thinks i'm weird when i want to marinate a piece of chicken or pork & just start pouring from different things i have onhand in the frig & pantry. he always says he won't eat it, but i can always count on him for having seconds!