I've been writing and testing my favourite home recipes recently to really get the blog started and it occurred to me; my cupboards are stocked regularly with my 'go-to' herbs and condiments so that I can rustle up a home cooked supper without having to hit the shops every time. This is a really important part of my routine for home cooking and working full-time. I don't want to have to think about popping to the shops every time I cook. For this reason I thought I'd write a post about getting your cupboards stocked to a basic level so that you can easily put something together which tastes great but didn't take excessive planning. Now don't get me wrong, I'm no Nigella Lawson with a walk in pantry and some foodie purists probably won't agree with some of the ingredients I like to use but they're cost-effective, easy, and last a pretty long time which is handy for sporadic cooking sessions when you're busy! Most of all they work pretty well for me so they may work for you too. This post is best suited for newbie home cooks, and also any cooks who are looking for inspiration on what to stock in their cupboards.
I've broken it down into sections and given hints for what you can use certain things for as follows:
Mustards:
I love adding mustards to creamy dishes and coleslaws to add extra richness. It can take a bland dish and turn it into something that tastes really special. Wholegrain mustard is also great for sauces and casseroles as it colours the sauce and I love the look of it. They're also really tasty with chips and ham sandwiches if you're looking for something simple and tasty.
I always keep the following as a minimum:
Dijon
English
Wholegrain
Dried herbs and spices:
Yes dried herbs! When I first left University I filled my cupboards with as many dried herbs as I could so I could experiment and try them all. Now some purists will say only fresh will do and to a certain extent they're right, fresh herbs are delicious but unfortunately for me I don't have a herb garden YET and dried herbs last longer and are more convenient especially if you're only just feeling your feet in the kitchen. I've found that in some cases I actually prefer dried herbs to fresh; however some dried herbs just don't cut it so I've tried to compile a list of what works for me to give you some hints. I always keep the following dried herbs and spices in my cupboard:
Oregano
Thyme
Rosemary (I'll grind in a pestle and mortar before adding to dishes)
Coriander seed
Bay leaf
Bouquet Garni (like a herby teabag; good for casseroles)
Sweet smoked paprika (good quality only i.e. avoid supermarket own brand)
Ground Cumin
Ground Cinnamon
Hot chilli powder
Cayenne pepper
Allspice
Ground ginger
Chinese Fivespice
There are more herbs, seeds and spices that I keep but I would say the above are the ones I use most often and most versatile for numerous dishes.
Fresh Herbs:
There are some herbs that are simply best as fresh! I tend to buy the little pots of these as often as I can. Be sure to keep in a saucer of water on your kitchen windowsill though, otherwise they'll dry out and go off pretty quickly.
Basil
Coriander
The fresh herbs that I don't stock often, but would recommend over the dried options are parsley and tarragon.
Wines:
Unfortunately I'm not a lover of wine; I wish I were as it would make dining out so much easier! I do however make a conscious effort to keep my kitchen stocked with wine. I love adding alcohol to my recipes; I’m a sucker for big flavours and rich dishes so cooking with alcohols indulges my desire for rich yummy food. I like to add cider to pork dishes, ale to beef dishes and rum to desserts. One staple alcohol I cook with regularly is wine so here are my tips for stocking up:
Red wine - As I wouldn't buy this to drink I started off buying the cheap nasty stuff just to add to dishes. This really didn't work for me as I once remember trying to make a red wine jus with cheap wine and it tasted acrid! Wine is a popular gift so I always use these for cooking, otherwise I'd always invest in a good quality wine (don't ask me which type as I wouldn't know! I tend to buy whatever decent looking wine is on offer) I find that red wine doesn't last that long once you've opened it either so if you're not planning on drinking it I'd try the half bottles too, although these can be pretty expensive.
White wine - I usually cook with white wine more than red as it doesn't colour the dish and has a lighter flavour, I also find you can get away with using cheaper white wines and they last a bit longer once opened (keep them in the fridge). Now I know Heston wouldn't agree with me on using the cheap stuff for cooking, but if you're on a budget and don't drink it for pleasure then it'll probably work well for you as it does me.
Just a note on choosing the wines if you're not a connoisseur; I once heard that supermarkets will stock the popular items or offers at eye level, premium and expensive items on higher shelves, and value or cheaper items on the lower shelves. So when I'm scanning for my wines I pick from the bottom shelf for white (approx. £3.00 for a bottle will normally suffice) and the middle to high shelf for the red (approx. £6 should get you a decent bottle)
Cooking Oils and butter:
Olive oil is my staple cooking oil. I tend to get the virgin or extra virgin bottles, and use them for everything from cooking to dressings. I know technically its recommended you use extra virgin for dressing and normal olive oil for cooking, but I just find it easier to save on space and so far haven't had any problems!
I always try to keep some tasteless vegetable oil handy too; my preference would be rapeseed oil (which is very common). I use this for baking and any deep-frying as it doesn't carry such a strong taste as the olive oil.
Frozen veg:
I'm a lover of fresh veg! I love my organic fruit and veg deliveries, and recently have started up a good relationship (as a customer) with my local greengrocer. You really can't beat fresh, local, seasonal produce! However, there are some things that I keep stocked in my freezer for convenience:
Peas
Garlic - crushed garlic cubes are my favourite. I work in health care so garlic breath and hands is a no-no, but I don't see why I should stop eating it all together as I LOVE the stuff. My solution is frozen garlic cubes as they're perfectly tasty and I don't have to get my hands garlicky.
Ginger - again crushed and frozen, I just find it easier to use the cubes. I also find that I don't use ginger all that often so fresh ginger tends to dry out by the time I go to use it a second time. I don't find dried ginger powder quite right for savoury dishes so the cubes are a great go between.
Apart from the above I use fresh fruit and veg, I do occasionally freeze raspberries in the summer for desserts but that's about it. Some people love frozen veg as in some cases it can be fresher than what you get in the supermarkets, but I like my veg al dente which is difficult to get if it's frozen.
Although not frozen I thought it may be useful to mention in this section, that I find it handy to keep a supply of lemons and/or limes. They are so useful in desserts, dressings and in a variety of savoury recipes so I always keep them stocked up.
Flours
Plain flour
Wholemeal strong flour
Self rasing flour
Cornflour
Baking powder
Plain flour is a must; it can be used from thickening sauces to baking. It can also be used instead of self-raising flour by adding the right amount of baking powder so I always stock plain flour over self-raising. Strong wholemeal flour makes gorgeous bread, biscuits and crumble toppings so I try to keep this in supply too.
Other Items
White wine or cider vinegar- These are great in salad dressings and it’s also nice to add a splash to some sauces. I don't usually keep both at the same time, but I like to alternate for a bit of variety.
Balsamic vinegar - As mentioned above, it's great in dressings and sauces. It's also lovely with oil and bread so gets used up well.
Golden Caster sugar - This is my 'ticks all boxes' sugar. Some recipes call for brown sugar, some for caster and it's so frustrating when you're in the middle of baking and it turns out you don't have the correct one! I find if I keep Golden caster sugar in my cupboards then it can be used as an alternative in most recipes (if needs be) without affecting the end result too much.
Long-life double cream - Yes it's nasty but I LOVE the stuff! I'm a somewhat lazy and sporadic 'chef' and hate it when you buy fresh ingredients to make something special, but then don't get chance and the ingredients go off. This is why I love long-life cream. I keep a pot in my fridge at all times so if I ever get the craving for custard, or a creamy pasta I can pull out the long-life cream and it will still be good to use. I know that fresh cream is richer and tastier but can't stand the waste if it goes off before you can use it. I also prefer double cream as it’s more stable to cook with (it doesn't split so much).
Tinned chopped tomatoes and Pasata - An essential in so many of my favourite recipes. Keeping these stocked up goes without saying. I generally prefer chopped tomatoes, but when you're after a smoother texture and more intense flavour then pasata is the way to go.
So there it is! My list of essentials that I regularly use to enhance my cooking. I hope in some way this may have inspired you to look at your cupboards and shopping in a different way, or even just given you a starting point as a new cook. As I have said before, I’m not all that experienced at home cooking, and this blog is an avenue for sharing and learning myself. With this in mind I would welcome any of your tips and suggestions as to how you stock your cupboards, and chefs if you think I could be putting my ingredients to better use please let me know! If you have found this post useful I’d also love to hear from you too, let me know how you get on!
