Creating The Perfect Pantry

What makes a perfect pantry? Is it canned goods like soup and beans? Dry goods such as flour and baking soda? Jars of this? Containers of that? Not surprisingly it is a manageable blend of  variety of different foods, Have the right amount and you'll never go through a shortage.

Canned goods are always important, especially now in the cold weather. Homemade soup is good but it pays to have several cans of prepared soup. They make a quick lunch or supper and can also be used in a variety of casseroles too. Always have everyone's favorite , from tomato to chicken and stars. Take advantage of sales at the local grocery too. If they have a twofer sale, then definitely get more of them, Packets of soup mixes are a pantry plus. They have the flavor of homemade soup without all the work.  Another pantry must are bouillion cubes. Get all three kinds, chicken, beef and vegetable, to make a variety of different soups and sauces.Sauce packets such as chili and Hollandaise are also worth having along with instant meat sauces for roasts. Jarred sauces can also be put into the pantry too.Canned veggies and fruits are a must too. The canned veggies come in handy if there's a blizzard and you can't get to the store. They can also be added to soups and soup mixes. The fruits are perfect for making pies and turnovers.

Tomato sauce and paste should be prominent on any pantry's shelf. These always come in handy for when you're making homemade sauce for pasta. The same goes for pasta, itself. Have a variety to suit all tastes. Spaghetti is the most popular and easiest to cook so have a few boxes of it at hand. Also on the shelves should be the versatile pastina and orzo style. These are excellent in both soup and sauces. Slip in a box of the drinking straw like bucatini and thicker fettucini. If you have kids or still hold on to those childhood faves, then have a few cans of Spaghetti-os too. The pantry should  have plant based oils . Olive and vegetable are the ones of choice, especially the last because it can be used for everything from cooking to salads to even baking. Cake mixes along with flour and baking powder should also be included as well as decorating items such as sanding sugar, food coloring and various types of sprinkles. Sweet sauces such as chocolate and caramel along with  jams and jellies need to  stored there in addition,.


A good pantry is a well stocked one, Make sure there are the basics to help you get through everyday eating. It'll make cooking and baking that much easier.it'll also cut down on how many times you go food shopping in a week.

Epiphany Treats

Yesterday, January 6th was Epiphany, the day the Three Wisemen visited the Christ Child with gifts. The day and the treats that go with it can be extended for more celebrating. There are a variety of different dishes that celebrate this joyous day.

Different sects of Christianity celebrate the day with unique and diverse customs. Roman Catholics and Episcopalians celebrate with a King cake. This also makes appearance at Mardi Gras too, it's more of a cinnamon bread rich with cinnamon , nutmeg and butter. Raisins are also added too for color and added sweetness. There is usually a charm or even just a simple bean added  and the person who finds it is crowned king or queen. The Episcopalians have their version of this, namely any kind of cake but a light colored cake enables eaters to see the trinkets. Tiny plastic babies, representing Baby Jesus are added as well as dimes, symbolizing money, toy rings that symbolize the church's blessing, thimbles for increased industry, buttons for increased spiritual knowledge, shoes for waking in Jesus' path and fruit to reap the fruit of Christian living.One or all can be added. Germany and Mexico also serve similar cakes. Again the German version is more of a lemon and orange infused sweet bread with an almond hidden inside. Mexicans put candied fruit such as figs , raisins and citron in theirs.

Italy has the tradition of La Befana, the witch who visits with gifts.Mostly these are sweets being put into a stocking (sound familiar?) and the occassional lump of charcoal (again - sound familair) There is a savory dish made, namely a rich lasagna made with seafood and Cognac, whiskey and white wine. The seafood is shrimp and clams  enrobed in a rich bechamel sauce. The Greeks too have put their spin on this time honored and ancient holiday. Young men  dive into whatever body of water is nearby to retrieve a cross their priest has thrown in. Afterwards, they eat a dish made with wheat and peas called fotokoliva to ensure good health and fortune in their homes. They also fed their livestock this too, for  a prosperous and fertile year, The Northern Greeks make a giant bean and onion casserole that consists of fava or cannellini beans and baby onions. Fresh and canned crushed tomatoes are added for more flavor and color along with paprika and sugar. Bay leaves give the stew a nice earthy kick. The Greeks also serve several sweet breads such as Saint Basil's bread, all with a hidden coin tucked inside for luck.


This is a weekend to continue with holiday feasting and gift giving. Celebrate Epiphany with different dishes and sweet, along with lsitening to the story of the Magi.It's a nice extension of Christmas and New Year's.

Baking Fever

With the cold weather and new stove I've been gripped by baking fever - and cooking fever as well.It's the baking though, and visions of  cupccakes wth a buttercream puff and loaded pizzas that are doing me in I now know I'm happiest by a hot oven, with mouthwatering aromas swirling about me.

Today it was the Stop and Shop brand cinnamon bums.

I like the  in house brands. To me they're much more flavorful than the national ones and these were no exception. There were a few glitches. It was impossible to get the dough out of the cannister. Unlike the Pilsbury version where you just thwack the canister against the sink, the Stop & Shop ones require peeling the wrapping and twisting the  paper tube  underneath. .It proved to be just a tad messy with the icing packet flying out  and the dough almost falling out. Then the buns themselves were stuck together in a long continuous spiral. They had to be cut and then wrapped in tight circles in a greased cake pan. Another problem was the baking time. The directions said twelve to sixteen minutes or until they're  golden brown. in a 400 degree oven F. It took twenty minutes for them to bake, eight minutes more than recommended. Icing them was easy. It was a small  

bag, no bigger than a turnover and quite easy to handle. The end result was a nice gooey, manageable roll, definitely better than the Cinnebon kind. - without all that gooey cream cheese icing and overdose of cinnamon.

I am not stopping there. It's on to cakes , pizza and cupcakes. I do have to stock up and refill my baking arsenal.Thanks to my previous one that was slightly younger than me agewise, the oven was on the fritz. The days of baking were over. Pans rusted, Gadgets were lost or tossed out. I just ordered an all important cake tester which I don;t have. I had to use a barbecue skewer to see if the buns were baked. Not good. Another package from Amazon will be the Wilton cake decorating kit.. This I am really excited about.  there's nothing more fun that creating buttercream roses and swirls on cakes and cupcakes.My one goal is making a snowball cake. Basically, it's like the Hostess Snoballs, with a devil's food cake coated with marshmallow and coconut.The marshmallow may be too  sweet so maybe a whipped cream icing followed by a coating of coconut flakes.Of course I am also longing to make cupcakes with a Magnolia bakery icing(I even bought all natural food coloring to create pretty Easter egg colored toppings)  and a pizza with all the works, from soy pepperoni , extra sauce, and a crisp , crust.

Baking fever has gripped me.I'm on the verge of creating all sorts of goodies and good stuff. Will it ever end? Hopefully before I hit the next jeans's size .

Winter Stews

One of the easiest and best dishes to make during a snowy day is a good stew. It can be a simple or fancy , depending on your tastes. One thing to remember - make it rib-sticking. A hearty meal is needed to help in shoveling all that white stuff along with managing a sled or snowball fight.

Even the most novice of home chefs can whip up a stew. Stick to the most basic of recipes. Most beginners try a beef one before they move on to the more complex ones. It's two pounds of stew meat, cut into chunks along with beef bouillon and simple vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. Celery stalks and chopped onion are added to the mix to give it more flavor along with rosemary and dried parsley. Cornstarch is a must. Two tablespoons of it binds the stew together and gives it a rich thick gravy. Chicken stew is another easy and basic recipe. It's really the same as the beef save for the addition of mushrooms and poultry seasoning. Dumplings are always a treat and they're easy to make.They just cook right on top of the stew. You could also use those frozen biscuits too. Pork isn't
necessarily thought of as a stew meat yet it can be the star of a particularly tasty one. Surprisingly it needs beef bouillon as a  base  and needs stronger tasting veggies such as bell peppers and corn to compete with the meat's unique taste. Lamb stew is the all time classic.It is usually made with tomatoes, Thyme and bay leave along with carrots and potatoes give it that classic taste . Serve with a crusty bread  and a good Irish beer..

Once the basic recipe has been tackled you can move onto the more complex stews. One is the time-honored beef bourguignon. This is a rich melange of  beef, tomato paste,  red wine and bacon.Onions give it that sweet flavor as garlic zips it up. Unlike the simpler stews, this one needs butter , usually four to five tablespoons for richness. A hot crusty loaf  French bread is always served with it to sop up the gravy along with a good red wine. The French also give us cassoulet, a delicious blend of tasty duck meat, salt pork or sausage, and cannellini beans. A confit or duck fat is added too. Thyme, bay leaf and garlic accentuate the variety of meats' flavors. Another dish that's sort of stew like and still fancy is beef daube. This is a boozy mix of  Cognac, bacon and cubed beef roast with the fat and sinews removed. Garlic, shallots and a bouquet garni, a blend of dried thyme, rosemary, parsley and celery leaves.Veggies are carrots and parsnips which give the stew more flavor. Another almost stew again belongs to the French. It's coq 'au vin, chicken pieces heightened  again by Cognac and lardons along celery and pearl onions, the last giving it some sweetness.

Stews are the best dish to eat on a winter's day. Whether simple or complex one, they are rib sticking and hearty, perfecting for thawing out. Make one and enjoy their comforting flavor and cozy warmth,

Culinary Iconoclast Ruby Tandoh

Cooks, bakers, and even food bloggers tend to be sheep. They follow and write about what's trending, trying to keep up with the culinary hipsters who make our eating rules. Luckily, there is a rebel, the famed British chef, baker and blogger Ruby Tandoh to break the rules. She believes in eating what mothers and grans have said for centuries  -eat what you like. The heck with what everyone else tries to tell you.

Ruby Tandoh's name may sound familiar to fans of The Great British Baking Show.Times contributor, Tejal Rao, a regular contributor and food blogger herself., wrote about this phenomenon in today's New York Times  Food section. She was one of the final contestant on the Season Four competition. This former art and philosophy major turned to cooking and baking as not only a passion but as a way of life. She has written food centered essays for The Guardian, British Elle, and other magazines along with two cookbooks. Her latest book, "Flavour: Eat What You Love" is due out here in the States next month. It was first published in the UK last August  It's a celebration of a skilled home cooking enthusiast. The book also touches upon on the feminist concept of "shine theory"  which values female friendship over competition. She eschews diets and wrote a lament in an essay  that food writers have gone from feasting and flavor to cleanness and lightness. Chef Tandoh has created a dialogue and somewhat of a revolution in Britain. She also has misgivings about the benefits of some diets and their promises too.

What does she cook and bake? She has been exploring her Ghanian roots. Her grandfather had immigrated from there, bringing a wealth of recipes.There is ground nut  or peanut soup spiked with chiles along with tilapia in a garlicky marinade. Fried plaintains round it out this a meal full of memories and flavor Her blog is full of yummy recipes for cakes , doughnuts and creme brules.made with raspberries. She has recipes for rye rolls and a mouth watering banana upside down cake. The new cookbook is a reflection of this as well. There's a creamy English fish pie, made with smoked haddock and peas topped with a thick layer of mashed potatoes.Lentil soup is sparked with lime . She includes an opulent meringue, rolled up with cherries and cream. As we all saw on The Great British Baking show, she is an excellent baker. She relies on everyday sweeteners such as honey, sugar, dark brown sugar, golden syrup and treacle or molasses to create amazing sweets such as a marbled chocolate almond Bundt cake and steamed panettone.


Cooking and baking need rebels to keep it fresh . Ruby Tandoh is just that iconoclast to make us break the bonds of all these  diet recipes and fads. She setting us free in a very delicious way.

Lose That Holiday Fat

The worst thing about January is dealing with all that post-holiday fat and bloat.The best thing is making a resolution to eat better and healthier. It's just  matter of adjusting and making wise choices.

We're probably all cookied and candied out. After all, our nibbling involves every kind of holiday cookie, from sweetly decorated sugar cookies to homemade chocolate chip with maybe a few shortbread and oatmeal types thrown in. It's tempting to continue this, for dessert or snacking. Resist. Thanks to the wonder of importing, we can buy all sorts of fresh fruit, from blueberries to pineapples. Finish a meal with some watermelon or cantaloupe chunks. Snack on some blackberries or grapes.If you don;t want to deepen your carbon footprint by buying any of these imports, then think about canned fruit in water or a light syrup. Also, a cup of hot cocoa,is only one hundred fifty calories. Have it with low fat whipped cream for a decadent dessert Better yet , consider yogurt as a nice alternative. Yoplait has those mousse like Whips which taste and feel like a more decadent dessert.Chobani has the fun flips, a mix of yogurt, nuts and chocolate or fruit. It's a way to indulge that sweet tooth without gaining a  pound.

Chobani also has saviory yogurt mixes, perfect for those of us who still crave holiday party chips and dip.Their new Meze style dip is a smart combo of veggies and Greek yogurt. Best of all they 're only twenty-five calories  and have only ten fat calories. The flavors range from roasted red pepper to chili lime to three peppers to Parmesan onion. Dip the ever low calorie Triscuit in them for some crunchy fun. Pretzels also make a good low-calorie snack too as does popcorn, During the holidays we tend to reach for sodas or mixed cocktails to celebrate. All that sugar will only add on an extra jeans size. Go back to water and seltzer. They 're also much more refreshing, even on a chilly day.Go for refreshing and calming herbal teas after a season of pumpkin spice or peppermint lattes. After three months of ingesting basically liquid cake,a soothing cup of chamomile or green peppermint is a nice way to end a busy day It's also a good time to go back to eating, healthier meals, Instead of continuing with gravy laden holiday roasts. Think a lower calorie ratatouille instead of roast beef or turkey with gravy. if you want still want roast, think of a chicken with rosemary and no gravy.

 The holidays were culinary  fun  but it's time to get back to decent eating again. This means better and wiser choices with nutritious foods and drinks. Not only will you feel better but lighter too,

New Year Challenges

A new year sometimes means a new diet. let's face it, After a season of feasting and excess maybe it's time to pare down the diet. There's a new sugar challenge out there where people cut out products that contain any type of sweetener  from honey to refined sugar. The theory can also be applied to cutting salt and fat.

The sugar challenge was the topic of an opinion piece in yesterday's New York Sunday Times. David Leonhardt, a Pulitzer prize winner and Times columnist penned  "A Month Without Sugar" after he did the challenge himself. It's not just giving up soda and doughnuts. Almost every food, he writes, save for pita bread and Triscuits have some kind of sugar in them.Our salad dressings, our breads, even our fruit juices and granola bars are loaded with unhealthy sugars. Going sugarless means enjoying more fresh veggies and scratch meals.it also means appreciating fruits and enjoying their natural sweet flavor, heightened by the lack of the processed stuff. Home chefs have to be diligent. Eschewing sugar means carefully reading ingredients and switching one brand for one that's healthier. Mr.Leonhardt  has found it to be helpful in a variety of ways, He lost his taste for sugar and all that goes with it as well as developing a keen appreciation of any kind of fruit's natural sweetness. It was hard at first but itsoonn became acceptable and then a part of his life.

Can salt and fat be given up for a month? It is possible. People have done such for both, Devin Ellsworth wrote about his seven day  foray on his vegan blog Plantiful. It's actually more healthful because a salty diet brings  about headaches, fatigue and headaches.it's also a crucial component in retaining water and bloating. Those disappear when the sodium intake goes down. He felt lighter and more clear-headed. Going saltless is good but there is a caveat. It's almost impossible to eat out. Mr. Ellsworth went to Chipotle, perfect for satisfying his vegetarian diet , however imperfect for finding salt free foods. The only fast food item that has almost trace amount of salt is a plain baked potato from Wendy's It only has twenty-five milligrams of salt and has to be eaten plain. The extras' such as sour cream and chives add on fifty milligrams. Fat is about the easiest to give up.If anything it's eating more fruits and vegetables and giving up dairy and sweets.Carbs can also be cut out too and more lean protein can be added in to for satiety.

Challenges can be a good thing, Doing ones that bring about a better life is definitely worth it. See if can be done , week at first, then a month  without sugar, salt and fat.