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Ask Bittman
10 Things Bittman Keeps in His Pantry
And more from our Facebook Q&A
We’re well into cooking at home in our second edition of “Ask Bittman,” over on Facebook: Thank you for the robust turnout; we will let you know when we’ll host the next one. Here’s a sampling from the conversation.
Elizabeth Parisoli: What are your 5 to 10 picks for pantry staples right now? Crazy shopping situations across the country must be presenting people with many challenges.
Mark Bittman: I think it’s worth doing an inventory of what you have and what you’ll need in a week and order online or do curbside pickup if you’re on the cautious side: canned tomatoes, rice, beans, pasta, vinegar, olive oil, nuts and seeds, dried herbs, flour if it’s available, coconut milk, and peanut butter if that’s your thing.
Heidi ZigWes: What’s a good (and easy) way to make meals from all the “stuff” in our cabinets?
Mark Bittman: That’s a good question and one that seems to be on a lot of people’s minds these days. Of course, it depends on what kind of “stuff” is in your cabinets, but I’ll just make some general assumptions here. If you have dried beans and or/grains (a gold mine), think about starting there. At the beginning of the week, I like to cook a large-ish batch of those things, and season them pretty neutrally (salt and pepper) so that you can take them in any direction that you like. With those on hand in the fridge, you can quickly prepare any number of meals (from soups and stews to stir-fries and casseroles) by incorporating some of the other “stuff” you have lying around in the pantry, fridge, or freezer.
If you have things like canned or frozen vegetables on hand, it’s nice to combine those things with something fresh, if possible. Like a little minced fresh onion or ginger or fresh fruit, especially citrus, or if you’re lucky enough to have access to some spring herbs or garden greens that’s ideal — though celery leaves are an excellent choice for adding freshness, too.
And, of course, dried pasta is the perfect vehicle for simple, easy dishes that require very few ingredients and don’t compromise on flavor. For instance: canned crushed tomatoes simmered with butter and onions makes a pretty perfect…
