Essential Refrigerator Ingredients
There is an essential set of ingredients all home cooks should keep on hand when preparing meals "on the fly." These are ingredients and foods that keep a long time in the fridge or cupboard, but make excellent additives for bringing more flavor as a needed ingredient to a recipe. Here is a list of ingredients that I am working on.
Whenever I go shopping I always grab an extra amount of these items, because I know these will last, and they always come in handy. Plus, you never know when that killer snow storm is going to hit and you can't make it to the supermarket.
Since I cook mostly Italian foods, there is a bit of an emphasis on ingredients needed in that type of cooking. My wife has her own set of essentials for Chinese dishes. This list is by no means complete. If you have any ideas items to add to this list feel free to drop me a line and I will include them with credit. Here is my list so far:Pantry
Chicken Broth (low sodium)
Ketchup
Soy Sauce
Mustard (Dijon is my Preference)
Garlic cloves
Onions
Potatoes
Ginger
Tomato Paste
Canned Tomatoes
Tomato Sauce
Any kind of Pasta (lots of it!)
Red and White Wine
Canned vegetables. We prefer fresh ones, wherever possible.
Refrigerator/Freezer
Worchestire Sauce
Chili Garlic Sauce
Chop Meat
Bag of frozen chicken breasts
Pork Chops
Spice Rack
Red and Black Pepper
Oregano
Basil
Chinese Five Spice
Rosemary
Thyme
Just about any other spice that will keep for a while will be a good addition.
