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Kitchen Survival: Shopping for Ingredients
You've read your recipe. Now it's time to go shopping for all
the ingredients to create your culinary masterpiece.
Make a list of what you need.
Do you have any
ingredients in stock? Do you have enough for your recipe? Are
the ingredients still fresh or have they spoiled? List what
you're missing and how much you need. If you're just cooking for
one or two, don't get the family packages of perishables unless
you can freeze the extra and use it up before it gets freezer
burn. Most dry spices keep quite a while, but can lose potency
if stored in warm, damp areas.
Check the food ads.
See what's on sale. There's no sense in paying more than you
have to. Consider how many people you're cooking for and how
much refrigerator and freezer space you have. Nothing is a
bargain if you can't store it long enough to cook and eat it. A
large roast, for example, can be chopped into meal-sized pieces
and frozen, or you can cook the whole thing, eat what you want,
and save the rest for sandwiches, stews, casseroles, and
snacks--if you have the refrigerator or freezer space to store
it.
Using coupons: Coupons can save you money or cost
you.
If the coupon is for something you would have bought
anyway, it's worth using. If it's just a different brand, the
coupon makes it cheaper than your regular brand, and you can't
taste the difference, use it. If the only reason you're buying
the product is to use the coupon, forget it! If it's something
new that you'd like to try, and you don't have to buy a large
quantity, look at the price and decide if it's worth the money
to you. Go ahead and treat yourself occasionally. Little treats
make it easier to stick to a healthy routine the rest of the
time.
How much should you buy?
Most supermarkets
have the prices marked on the shelves, and show a unit price on
the ticket. Sometimes the larger package costs less per pound,
or ounce, or whatever unit is used. Sometimes the smaller
package is actually the better buy. Small calculators are so
inexpensive nowadays that getting one to take shopping with you
can save you money, especially when one brand, for example,
lists the price per pound and another shows the per ounce price.
With foods that have to be frozen or refrigerated, or
fresh fruits and vegetables that spoil quickly (known as
"perishables") only buy as much as you can use before they
perish. The fresher it is, the better the flavor and nutrition,
so, even though you can
Photo: Anthony Braxton
A Blog Supreme is on vacation. Until we return, we are periodically leaving you with some shots from The NPR Jazz Photography Pool on Flickr. Here, Tom Wiebe writes about capturing the great composer on film last winter.
keep a lot of stuff in the freezer for
long periods, it's better not to keep it for more than a few
weeks. (Keep track of what's in the freezer--date everything as
it goes in--so that nothing gets buried in the back or bottom
for years at a time.)
It's real easy to overbuy when
things are on sale. Then you risk either having to eat so much
of it that you can't stand the thought of it for a long time
afterward, or being forced to throw out some of it when it
spoils.
Are national brands worth the price? Are house
or generic brands just as good as the national brands?
All of the major chain supermarkets have house brands or
plainly packaged generic products. Some chains have both. Check
out your local chains, try the house products, and decide for
yourself when (or if) you want to spend a little more for the
national brand. If you really prefer a national brand,
especially in non-perishables, watch the ads, and when it goes
on sale, stock up. Many of the house brands are made by the same
companies that make the national brands. The only difference is
that the supermarket chain buys in quantity, and the
manufacturer has no advertising expense.
Staple supplies
that every kitchen needs.
All-purpose flour, cornstarch (for
thickening gravy), assorted noodles and pasta, rice, oils
(vegetable, olive, peanut), vinegar (white wine, red wine, apple
cider, plain distilled), canned soups (beef broth, chicken
broth, tomato, cream of mushroom), assorted spices and
flavorings (dried minced onion, oregano for Italian dishes,
salt, pepper, any others you like.)Buy small quantities on new
items and taste test before stocking up.
Other good
things to keep on hand.
Canned meats and vegetables,
mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, favorite salad dressings,
horseradish sauce, ready-to-eat cereal, quick cooking oatmeal,
Cream of Wheat, Cream of Rice, grits, gravy mixes, drink mixes,
any other favorite foods.
With these basic pointers you
should be well on your way to having a well stocked kitchen and
great cooking experience.
Visit: www.cookbookonline.net
About the author:
I love the creative aspect of cooking - that you can make
anything you want - living it out in the creative caverns of
your mind and then finally putting into something for others to
share the experience. Go to www.cookbookonline.net and try some
of the free recipes, or publish your own!
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