By Chef & Social Guru Alexander Smalls
Here are some “must have items” for your pantry and refrigerator. Then and only then will your kitchen truly be ready to sizzle.
Grains
Grains are healthy and essential to your diet with no shortage of varieties. Always buy whole grains to get the most health value. (brown rice, bulgur, quinoa, oats, whole grain or multi-grain pasta).
Beans
The best all purpose food on the planet. Always have an assortment of dried and canned beans to create delicious healthy meals. Great in salads, casserole’s stews, hardy vegetable sauté dishes, and the classic, beans and rice. (chickpeas, kidney beans, black and red beans, black-eyed peas, butter beans).
Dried Fruit and Nuts
Nuts and dried fruit are extremely nutritious and quite versatile. They are a great snack food; raw almonds being a favorite of mine with dried ginger. Store nuts in the freezer (they keep longer), or in an air tight container. Having a jar of unsalted peanut butter, almond butter or other nut butters on hand comes in very handy too for snacks and sauces.
Long-Keeping Vegetables & Fruits
From garnishes to flavor boosters, these items are must haves for cooking and enjoying. Lemons and limes are great for cooking, garnishing cold dishes, vinaigrettes. and spiking great beverages. Carrots, celery, broccoli, squash, and root vegetables (turnips, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, parsnips) keep at least a week. Potatoes, onions, shallots, garlic, and dried chilies keep even longer. Frozen vegetables like spinach, peas, and corn are forever (as long as there’s no power outage).
Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs provide a true luxury for the cook who lives for freshness and flavor. While buying these delicacies can be expensive, treat yourself to a couple a week. You can even grow your own or when they are abundant and less costly buy a lot and dry them yourself. (parsley, cilantro, basil, mint, dill, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, bay leaves).
Dried Herbs & Spices
Garlic and onion powder, celery seeds, seasoning blends like Cajun and Greek are good too (watch the sodium and salt content). Curries are fun and favorable and assorted black, red, and green peppers can really lift a dish or sandwich. If you’re baking make sure there’s nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. You will also need to stock leavening products such as baking soda, baking powder, and yeast.
Flour
Flour is a major staple in the kitchen, whether making bread, frying fish or thickening sauces. Whenever possible, whole flour has the most nutrients but being unprocessed is more of an acquired taste. (options include all-purpose, cake flour, whole grain, cornstarch).
Oils
Always look for oils that are cold pressed, not chemically extracted. Olive oil is simply the best for you and taste greats, but canola and peanut oils are great for high heat intensity cooking. Other options like vegetable oil, grape seed oil, sesame oil and flavored oils (pepper, garlic, citrus) add versatility to your cooking.
Vinegar
Sherry vinegar is really versatile and a good value. Balsamic is great for cooking, salads and marinades. Vintage balsamic goes great on ice cream too. A true staple is cider, and wine vinegars are fine standbys and versatile. Also rice vinegar, for salads, with steamed vegetables and fish.
Canned Tomatoes (carton tomatoes)
Indispensable. Wonderful for sauce, but add them to any soup or stew you like. Pre-chopped tomatoes make life a little easier.
Dried Mushrooms
Asian black mushrooms, porcini, wood ear and shiitakes bring real flavor to any dish. For a real splurge go with black truffles or use the oil, you won’t regret it. Soak them in hot water until soft, then add them to sauces or stir-fry dishes and taste the full flavor it offers.
Sweeteners
Sugar is fine in moderation, but molasses, agave nectar, maple syrup, and honey are far more flavorful.
Soy Sauce
Great as a base for sauces, salads and marinating everything from pork and chicken to fish and seafood. Brands that contain only soy, wheat, salt, water, and bacteria, are the best. Feel free to try the low sodium version as well.
Parmesan
Buy the best…fresh and unprocessed from Italy. It’s the easiest and best way to add flavor to pasta and rice dishes, as well as casseroles and that chicken parmigiana you love so much.
Condiments
Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, and steak sauce. Don’t forget the pickles and relishes.
Chef & Social Guru Alexander Smalls is a man of many talents. He is chef / restaurateur, author of Grace the Table, brand spokesman, and entertainment guru – an essential staple on the New York City hospitality scene. Smalls successfully introduced New Yorkers to his new American cuisine, which he named Southern Revival Cooking through his 3 previously popular and highly regarded restaurants, Café Beulah, Sweet Ophelia’s, and The Shoebox Café. He has appeared on many national TV magazine and news programs including The Today Show, The View, and the CBS Morning Show, Food Networks series, Recipe for Success and co-hosted a TV special about Las Vegas for the Fine Living network.
© Alexander Smalls for Smalls & Co., All Rights Reserved
