Pantry Essentials

Ingredients for a Well-Stocked Pantry
Elegant Survival Kitchen Essentials

• Frozen Apple Juice Concentrate or Bottled Apple Juice

• Cornstarch

• Unbleached White Flour

• Rye Flour

• Yeast

• Gelatine

• Almond Extract

• Vanilla, Imitation or Pure Extract

• Rum Extract or Flavoring

• Aluminum-Free Baking Powder

• Baking Soda

• Hershey’s Cocoa Powder

• Chocolate Chips

• Cinnamon

• Salt

• Peppercorns

• Dried Red Chiles

• Dehydrated Mixed Vegetables

• Brown Rice

• White or Basmati Rice

• Corn Meal or Grits

• Dried Pasta

• Alfalfa Seeds

• Wheat Berries

• Dried Parsley

• Dried Chives

• Dehydrated Onion

• Dehydrated Garlic or Garlic Powder

• Soy Sauce

• Powdered Ginger

• Toasted Sesame Oil

• Sesame Tahini Paste, Joyva brand of Brooklyn is best
• Almond Butter
  

• Popcorn, loose: Jolly Time Organic is better than Orville Redenbacher, at one-third the cost
• Peanut or Corn Oil

• Olive Oil

• Mustard Powder, Colman’s English

• Spanish or Hungarian Paprika

• Capers

• Green Peppercorns in Brine

• Rose’s Lime Juice

• Maggi or another brand of Chicken Bouillon Powder

• Canned Tomato Paste: store brand

• Canned Whole Tomatoes: store brand

• Canned Beets: store brand or generic

• Canned Small, Peeled Potatoes: store brand or generic

• Canned Green Chiles, whole or chopped

• Coconut Milk, Canned

• Whole Water Chestnuts, Canned

• Canned Ham

• Canned Vienna Sausage

• Canned Beef (usually from Argentina)

• Canned Pineapple, No Sugar Added

• Peanut Butter

• Raw Walnuts

• Almonds

• Powdered Sugar

• Brown Sugar

• White Sugar

• Molasses

• Honey

• Apple Cider Vinegar

• White Vinegar

• Boxed Red Wine, and a Cube of White Wine, both for Cooking

• Frozen Peas

• Dried Split Peas, Green or Yellow

• Freeze-Dried Coffee

• Coffee Creamer (not Coffee-Mate, which contains aluminum–check ingredients)

• Coffee Beans

• Tea Bags

• Non-Fat Dry Milk

• Powdered Buttermilk

• Powdered Eggs for Emergencies

• Bottled Lemon Juice
• Herbes de Provence (a combination of marjoram, thyme, rosemary and savory, available at Costco)
  

To Be Continued….

Compiled by M-J de Mesterton, 2008

Copyright M-J de Mesterton

What to Do with Overcooked Pasta

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Photo copyright M-J de Mesterton 2008: click to enlarge
How to Salvage Overcooked Pasta

Instead of dumping your overcooked pasta–the result of an emergency elsewhere while you should be watching the pot–drain it well and sauté it in butter, then add grated cheese if you wish. It will have a toasted flavor and stiffen up a bit if you brown it as shown. Sautéed in butter or olive oil, overcooked spaghetti or pasta can have a nice texture. You may even add the sauce of your choice after it is browned. A little butter won’t kill you, but an Italian, faced with mushy pasta, might!

Copyright M-J de Mesterton

Addendum, February 6th, 2009

Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta with Beans) is another thing you can make with overcooked pasta. There are hundreds of recipes for it on the internet (in New York City, it’s known as “pasta fazool”). Also, something many mothers have cooked since time immemorial is soup with noodles, tomatoes and ground beef. Overcooked pasta can be incorporated into this soup with great success, in place of  the usual egg noodles.

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Quinoa Casserole

Quinoa, an Ancient Incan Delicacy

Bring to a boil 2 1/2 cups of water.

Add 1 1/2 cup of quinoa, stir, cover and simmer for thirty minutes.

In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese,

One tablespoon of white flour,

One egg, and

One cup of milk.

Seasoning Salt and Pepper of your choice (Lawry’s, Plain or Himalayan Salt; Cayenne pepper, white or black pepper). Or, use a tablespoon of powdered chicken bouillon (Maggi or Knorr brands, for example).

Chop a fourth-cup of sun-dried tomatoes. Add it to the milk and egg mixture.

Mix all ingredients together and place in a greased or buttered 9″ round or square glass casserole dish.

Decorate the top with any grated cheese.

Bake for forty minutes.

Variation: Omit the sun-dried tomatoes and substitute chopped green chiles (El Paso or Hatch brands, for example). Substitute Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese for the Parmesan.

~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton, 2008
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