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The Kitchen Pantry |
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Cooking
Basics |
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Herbs |
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Essentials |
Cooking Tips
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Trips |
Cheese |
Cooking Conversions |
Clarified Butter Sauces
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Butter Compounds
French Crèmes
| Classic Stocks |
Vegetable Preparation |
Meats - different types |
Cooking Methods and more
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The 'Kitchen Pantry'
is every bit as important as kitchen
essential needs, and an important part of the overall kitchen set-up.
In this section you'll find the basic necessities needed for setting-up your
kitchen pantry, the staples to keep on hand, and information about those categories. These are the
basic and necessary items to start with --
additional items may be added to the kitchen pantry as needed.
Dry Baking Ingredients
1. Flour types are: all purpose, self-rising, wheat, rye and specialty
flours
2. Sugar types: cane or beet [all have the same basic properties]
3. Cornstarch or Arrow Root are thickening agents [besides flour and
roués]
4. Salt edible types: table salt [mined], sea salt [various sources] and
kosher salt
5. Baking Powder and Baking Soda - both are rising agents and lighten the
weight
7. Yeast kinds are active dry yeast granules, fresh yeast and instant
yeast
8. Cocoa Powder for Baking [not the cocoa used as drink mixes]. |
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Extracts and Flavorings
The most used extract [or food
flavoring] is vanilla. It is used in numerous food groups and in
baking in particular. There is a big difference in the two
however, where as the extracts are pure flavors, but the flavorings of
these extracts are alcoholic chemical compositions with flavors to taste
similar to the extracts.
There are numerous other extracts and literally dozens of flavorings,
some rather exotic, but for best results in cooking, always use the
extracts, the taste will bear that out.
1. Vanilla Extract
2. Almond Extract
3. Maple Extract
4. Lemon or Orange Extract |
Odd & End Canned and Dry Staples
[non-refrigerated]
Other widely used kitchen staples
are vinegars, oils [particularly olive oil], sauces, canned goods as
noted, breadcrumbs, nuts and dried fruits.
1. Olive oil is the best oil nutritionally, others to have on hand
vegetable or peanut
2. Vinegars to have on hand - balsamic, apple cider and white wine [small
bottles]
3. Sauces include a hot sauce, soy sauce and Worcestershire
4. Canned goods include tomatoes, different bean varieties, soups and
pasta sauce
5. Dried fruits to include raisins, dried cranberries and mixed fruits
6. Nut varieties to keep on hand are almonds, pecans and walnuts
7. Coffee and/or tea if you drink them
8. Dry breakfast cereal and/or oatmeal
9. Pasta and Rice
10. Saltines or other cracker
11. Canned meats [for emergency]
12. Peanut Butter
13. Bouillon Cubes different flavors
14. Dried soup mixes
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Seasonings - Herbs - Spices
Seasonings, herbs and spices are
a necessity, and most important in cooking. This section is broken down
by the following categories:
Seasonings [always use fresh garlic,
onion, Celery if
you have it]
1. Salt & Pepper
2. Dried Chopped Garlic
3. Dried Onion Flakes
4. Dried Celery Seed
5. Dried Parmesan Cheese
Herbs [always use fresh if possible, and triple the amount that a
recipe calls for of a dried herb]. The basics essential herbs are
listed here, and please note our section on 'Cooking
with Fresh Herbs', with information on the most used herbs, and
how to use them in cooking, to grow them and more.
For more information on specific herbs and their uses:
Basil |
Bay Leaf |
Chives | Cilantro |
Lavender |
Marjoram | Mint |
Oregano |
Parsley |
Rosemary |
Sage | Tarragon |
Thyme
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Spices
Basic spices for your kitchen pantry should include the following.
These items of course are always dried, and the basics are listed,
and you can always add to your spice collection as you need to. |
Allspice | Cinnamon | Clove |
Cumin | Ginger | Nutmeg | Pumpkin Pie Spice
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Wrap It or Store It
This section notes the basic
wraps to use in cooking and storage.Aluminum Foil - always use heavy duty
Plastic Bags either in Pint, Quart or Gallon sizes
Plastic stretch and seal wraps
Plastic Freezer Bags and/or Plastic Throw-away dishes for freezing
leftovers
Parchment Paper for baking - both for baking sheets and to cook food in
Wax Paper |
The AeroGarden™ - Grow
Herbs Indoors 365 Days a Year!
What a nifty idea, and now you can grow herbs all year long with this unique
herb grower. View details
►
AeroGarden Herb Grower
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Homegrown, garden-fresh
herbs can liven up the taste, smell and visual appeal of
almost any meal. The revolutionary AeroGarden grows a
variety of vegetables, flowers and herbs simply, easily
and naturally—right on your kitchen counter without
dirt, weeds or mess.
NASA-tested aeroponic technology grows plants in water ,
nutrients and air (from seeds) —so simply and easily
that anyone can succeed. Plug’n Grow Bio-dome Seed
System™ pods are enclosed in mini greenhouses for ultra
fast germination—often within 24 hours. Built-in plant
lighting system lets you grow and harvest plants
anywhere in your home, any time of year. Fully automated
appliance removes all the guesswork—‘smart’ garden
micro-processor automatically adjusts nutrient delivery,
light cycles and water flow for specific plant types.
Guaranteed harvest in 28 days.
- Includes one free Gourmet
Herb Seed Kit.
- No gardening experience
needed.
- Some assembly required.
- Available through the
catalog, website and select stores.
Seed kits include everything
needed for a full season’s growth and harvest, including
pre-seeded grow pods and organic-based nutrients.
Additional seed kits coming soon, including Salsa,
Strawberries and Asian Herbs. |
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Great Cooking Tips, Food
Safety, Storage and Emergencies
You'll find great cooking tips
for everything here, as well as information regarding food safety in
food handling and cooking the food, as well as the safe storage of
foods. Unfortunately today we need to be prepared for emergency
situations, and have basic supplies on hand, in case of weather
emergencies or possible terrorists attacks.
-How to Basic Cooking Methods
-How
to Be Prepared for an Emergency
-How
to Boil and/or Poach an Egg
-How to
Bone a Whole Chicken
-How
to Braise
- What is Braising?
-How
to Butterfly a Leg of Lamb
-How
to Cook Beef Tenderloin
-How to Cooking Measurements &
Conversions
-How
to Cook Prime Rib
- How to Cook With Fresh Herbs
-How to De-bone Fish
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How to Eat Lobster the Easy Way
-How
to Grill Perfectly for Beginners
-How
to Knead Dough
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How to Know Fruit is Ripe
-How
to Know Your Salmon - there's a difference!
-How
to Methods of Cooking Pork
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How to Peel Tomatoes
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How to Produce Substitution
-How
to Repair a Sauce
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How to Roast and Peel Sweet Peppers
-How to Select Fresh Fish
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How to Substitute Baking Ingredients
-How
to Substitute Cooking Liquids
-How
to Substitutes for Dairy Products
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How to Technique for Folding in Ingredients
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How to Thicken Sauces
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How to
Turkey Roasting Basics
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How to Properly Use a Mandoline for Slicing
-How
to Work with Hot Peppers
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Tips for Cooking, Food Handling &
Storage
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All
About the Bean Family
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All About Cookies & Packaging for Shipment
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All About Flour & Choosing the Right Flour
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All About Flour Basics
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All About Gluten
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All About
Grains
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All About Honey
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All About Lamb & Seasoning It
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All About
Oils
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All About Marinating
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All About Pasta
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All About Safe Food Handling
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All
About Salt Types & Uses
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All About Spice Seeds - very good!
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All
About Sugar Types
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All About
Sweeteners
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All About Vanilla
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All About Vegetables
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All About Whipped Cream
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Avoid Overcooking Fish
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Baking Tips
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Cooking Strategies
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Duck and Goose Preparation & Safe Handling
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Egg Products Preparation & Safety
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Egg Substitute
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Foods That Don't Freeze Well
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High Altitude Cooking
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How to Prepare Artichokes
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How to take care of your
Cutlery
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Meat & farm raised game, preparation & food safety
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Poultry Preparation and food safety
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Safeguarding Food
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Secrets to Making Better Cookies
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Stir-Fry Tips
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Time Saving Cooking Tips
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