A Well Stocked Pantry

I received a request to write about helping the novice cook. I thought about that request and it would have been easy to write about different techniques or simple recipes. But, then I thought about what I wish someone had told me when I first got the cooking bug.

 Once you get bitten by the cooking bug, you’re going to want to become the best you can be and eat the best you can make a soon as possible. If you buy yourself a piece of fish, beef, chicken or pork, you can take it to Italy, Ireland, China or Marrakesh just by using certain herbs or spices from your pantry. That is what I find exciting about cooking.


But to be able to do that, one needs a well stocked pantry. It is the most important things to have. However, when I started I wondered what went into this pantry. Over time and plenty of trial and error, I have created a list that I consider is a requirement for a well stock pantry. Everything that is on this list is in my pantry. With these Items I can create any meal that I want and if I am pressed for time, I can make a fast, delicious, and nutritious meal that my children love.


I know that this list seems large but I say go and buy everything on it. It will not cost you an arm and a leg and it lasts for months. These items sit in your pantry waiting for you to use. Having these basic items allow you to do anything you want to your food. The rule that I live by is there should be enough in your stores to feed you and your family if you get snowed in….so stock up!


One thing I want you to remember that there is nothing low quality about canned tomatoes, canned tuna, or frozen vegetables and fruits. I use frozen vegetables as much as I can because you can now by them already diced. In fact Kroger® now carries frozen vegetables mixtures of onion, celery, and carrots, the classic mire piox of French cooking and the mixture of onion, green peppers, and celery, the holy trinity of Cajun cooking, that makes preparation time a breeze.


Let’s take a look at the list:

Basic Spices:	Frozen Stuff:	Canned Stuff:
Sea Salt	Peas	Crushed Tomatoes
Table Salt	Green Beans	Diced Tomatoes
Black Peppercorns	Sweet Corn	Tomato Paste
Dried Chilies	Fruits	Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas)
Nutmeg	Shrimp	Cannellini Beans
Ground Cinnamon	Ready Made Pie Crusts	Black Beans
Dried Oregano	Filo Pastry	Kidney Beans
Fennel Seeds	Puff Pastry	Black Beans
Coriander Seeds		Tuna (Oil or Water)
Cumin (Ground or seed)		Coconut Milk
Chili Powder		Olives
Five Spice Powder		Anchovies
Paprika (Sweet and Smoked)
Oils and Vinegars:	Baking Stuff:	Other Stuff:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil	All-purpose Flour	Dijon Mustard
Olive Oil	Self-rising Flour	Whole Grain Mustard
Canola or Vegetable	Bread Flour	Yellow Mustard
Sesame Seed Oil	Whole Wheat Flour	Dried Pasta
Peanut Oil	Cornstarch	Egg Noodles
Red Wine Vinegar	Baking Powder	Quick-cook Couscous
White Wine Vinegar	Dried Yeast	Basmati Rice
Balsamic Vinegar	Superfine Sugar	Brown Rice
	Brown Sugar	Nuts (Your preference)
	Powdered Sugar	Mixed Seeds
	Unsweetened Cocoa	Saltine Crackers
	Oatmeal	Broth (Chicken, Beef, and Vegetable)
	Maple Syrup	Jarred Pesto
		Curry Paste
		Soy Sauce
		Ketchup
		Tabasco Sauce
		Steak Sauce
		Mayonnaise

I feel this list will allow you to create any type of dish that you wish.  There are spices for Mediterranean, Chinese and Indian cuisines, there are basic ingredients to bake bread, create a wonderful marinara sauce which to serve over pasta, or create a wonderful soup.  Once you know what is in your pantry, your refrigerator, and freezer, you will never again wonder if you have anything for dinner.  Your problem now will be with all these choices what should I make for dinner?

A Suprising Find

Two weeks ago, on a Saturday, my girlfriend and I went to the Indianapolis Winter Farmers Market to see what was being offered.  I had been to farmers markets during the summer and fall months and I was interested in seeing what was being offered during the winter months.

I was pleasantly surprised by the wares being sold.  There were locally produced honey, free range eggs, organic herbs, organic free range beef and pork.  There were local caterers and restaurants selling their dishes.  I found some of them pleasantly delicious but I wasn't there to sample them.  I was interested in some of the fresh pasta for sale (chipolte flavored pasta).  I also purchased a well crafted large wooden cutting board that I now use all the time.

There were merchants selling their cheeses.  Connie first tried a Mennonite company that produced a rather nice sharp white cheddar and a very good red chili infused cheddar.  They tasted creamy and the sharp cheddar was a good as any cheddar I have ever had.  But the highlight of the market was the artisan goat cheese made by Giovanni Capezzuto of Sapori d’Italia. 

Sapori d’Italia is artisan cheese company located in Lexington, KY.  Giovanni Capezzuto learned his craft in his native Napoli Italy.  I tried his most aged cheese, over 2 years and it tasted and crumbled just like parmesan cheese.  In fact, if Giovanni hadn't told me it was a goat cheese, I would have sworn that it was parmesan.  Giovanni makes seven different types of cheeses.  I taste tested all of these and they are out of this world.  He takes great pride in the cheeses he makes and they all are made in the traditional Italian style.

Let me describe each of the cheeses Giovanni makes:

• Caciotta Alpina (also available in 6 month, and 1 year aged)
  This is a wonderful goat cheese, which has origins in the Northeast Italian Alps. Giovanni’s interpretation is lightly sharp and still very easy on the palate.
• Caciotta alle Erbe Alpina
  Giovanni encrusts his Alpina in classic, spontaneous Italian herbs before aging begins. Its texture is semi-creamy, with a subtle bouquet of aroma.
• Caciotta Dolce Classica
  This is a traditional Southern Italian goat cheese. It has a very soft touch on the palate. Its aging process provides a sweetness that complements the mellow goat accents.
• Caciotta alle Noci
  Walnuts are a natural combination for Giovanni's Dolce style cheese. Once aged, the walnuts provide a unique consistency to the texture. This is the ultimate complement to salads, and desserts.
• Caciotta al Peperoncino
  This bold sibling of Dolce Classica provides a dual layer of flavor. When first eaten, you get the soothing texture of Dolce Classica. As your palate starts to clear, you feel the warmth of our red pepper infusion.
• Caciotta al Pepe Nero
  The subtle taste of cracked black pepper is Southern Italian classic. It also provides a dual layered flavor, leaving a beautiful aroma of cracked pepper.
• Toma di Capra
  The original goat cheese, handed down over centuries. It has the texture of an aged cheese, but still maintains a creamy flavor that borders on buttery.

If you are interested in trying some of his cheeses, you can buy them at Whole Foods Markets in Louisville, Lexington, Cincinnati and Mason Ohio or at the Indy Winter Farmers Market through April 24th.  You can also order cheese online here.  I believe once you try one of Mr. Capezzuto's cheeses, you will want to try them all! 

Welcome to my World of Food

Hello and welcome to my world of food.  I have decided to take on the challenge of writing a blog that will consist of my thoughts on the slow food movement, food preparation, equipment, and the dining scene of the Columbus, Indiana area.  It is my hope that the people who subscribe to this blog will find what I have to say informative and will inspire more people to the slow food movement.

A little background of myself.  I am a sole parent of a teenage boy and girl.  Their mother passed away two years ago and we have grown quite close.  I have always liked to cook but since the death of their mother, I have found I love to cook, create my own recipes, and enjoy food even more.  I have written a cookbook:  Remembered:  Our Life Through Food.  Currently, I am writing a second book that will out shortly. Through these experiences I have come into contact with the slow food movement.  For those who don't know what it is, it is a belief in cooking ones own food the traditional way and not using prepackaged ingredients.  That is using fresh vegetables, grass feed meats, make your own pasta and bread, and use organic food whenever possible. With the busy lifestyle I lead, I am not totally doing the slow food process, but I incorporate it as much as possible.  For those of you who wish to learn more go to http://www.slowfood.com/.

I am a firm believer in using locally produced ingredients as much as possible.I feel that one should support your local producers because, I feel, that the food tastes better than the mass produced ingredients found at the chain supermarkets.   I know that this type of food may cost a little more but the money is well spent and it remains in the local economy.  I love going to farmer's markets and I visit the local vegetable stands whenever I get the chance.  One can find wonderful produce for less than I can at the supermarkets, but it is seasonal and that is one of the drawbacks.  

I have also become more interested the type of cookware that I prepare my family's food in.  I have found the better the cookware, the easier it is to produce a wonderful dish.  I am interested in what goes into my family's stomach and what chemicals they eat that I may not want in them.  In a future blog I will blog about the type of cookware that I use.


Finally, I will blog about restaurants, diners, and small joints where I get my ingredients or eat in the Columbus area.  If I find a great place I want all of you to know about it.  If I find a place that is not so good, I want you to know about it too.  Because half the fun of cooking & eating is sharing it with friends.  Buon Appetito!