Foodie's Guide to a Plentiful Pantry - 02-25-2005

(as published on www.outinamerica.com)

The Foodie's Guide to a Plentiful Pantry
Rodney Smiley
February 25, 2005

As we all know, the key to successful entertaining is preparedness. You set a date for your party, plan the guest list and menu, do the shopping, and with a little work, voila! You've thrown a great party or dinner to add to your growing resume as a culinary queen.

But what happens when you don’t have time to plan, when guests arrive unannounced or unexpected? Do you order out? Do you leave your guests and rush out to the nearest market?

Or do you calmly open your pantry and, unlike Old Mother Hubbard with her hungry dog, whip up a great, quick selection of nibbles for your guests?

With a well-stocked, versatile pantry, you can do just that … and more. The pantry need not be a room or a closet; some of us just don’t have the kitchen space for it. It can be a cabinet or even a stainless steel restaurant shelving unit against an unused wall. As long as you have enough storage for what to put in your pantry, any space will do.

Below is a list of items that any ready-to-entertain pantry might contain. Add or subtract from this list to suit your own tastes and flavors, but use it to serve as a great starting point.

With a well-stocked pantry, some staple items from your refrigerator and a little quick thinking, you’ll never be at a loss for something to serve your guests – and you might just find that poor dog of yours a bone!

The Liquids

Almond Extract – for adding a little extra flavor to desserts, pie crusts, vegetables, and other dishes
Applesauce – for snacking, cooking, baking, and an easy dessert
Balsamic Vinegar – for flavoring dishes and making salad dressings
Barbecue Sauce – for cooking and flavoring
Canned Cream Soup – for a quick lunch, or to add to side dishes, soups, casseroles, and other dishes
Fruit Juice – for poaching poultry and fish, roasting meats, baking, cooking, and making beverages
Honey – for seasoning, cooking, or eating on biscuits or cereal
Hot Sauce – for adding a touch of spice to dishes
Ketchup
Liquid Smoke – for adding a barbecue flavor to sauces, cheese, appetizers, poultry, fish, and meats
Mayonnaise – for salads, sandwiches, salad dressings, and many other dishes
Olive Oil – for cooking, greasing pans, or making salad dressings
Orange Extract – for flavoring sauces, marinades, and desserts
Prepared Mustard – for sandwiches, mayonnaise-based salads, salad dressings, and marinades Real Maple Syrup – for cooking, flavoring, pancakes, waffles, and French toast
Red Wine – for cooking and seasoning (and drinking!)
Soy Sauce – for flavoring and quick stir frying
Tomato Paste – for making pasta sauces, stews, soups, and casseroles
Vanilla – for flavoring many dishes, especially desserts; only use the real flavoring or vanilla beans
Vegetable Oil
White Wine Vinegar – for salads, flavoring, and cleaning coffee pots
White wine – for cooking (and also drinking!)
Worcestershire Sauce – for seasoning and adding color

The Dried Goods and Fruits

Apples
Baking Soda – for baking and cleaning
Baking Powder
Bouillon (Beef, Chicken, and Vegetable) – for soups, seasoning, casseroles, and marinades
Bread (good, bakery bread) – for quick toasts and bruscetta
Brown Rice (it is healthier than white)
Brown Sugar
Cake Mix – for a quick and easy dessert
Canned Frosting
Cayenne Pepper or Crushed Red Pepper – for a little heat
Cocoa Powder – for baking and making hot cocoa
Cold Cereal – for baking, topping casseroles, snacking, and breakfast
Cookies – for snacking or quick desserts
Cooking Sprays
Cornstarch – for thickening sauces, stews, and gravies
Crackers – for snacking, appetizers, and topping casseroles
Cream of Tartar – for whipping egg whites
Dried Beans – for savory soups, stews, and side dishes
Dried Bread Crumbs – for breading food and topping casseroles
Dried Fruit – for desserts, sauces, roasting meat and poultry, and snacking
Dry Mustard – for seasoning and color
Gelatin, Flavored and Unflavored
Ginger – fresh for mincing or grating and adding to dishes for a spark
Graham Cracker Pie Crusts – for quick pies
Jams or Jellies – for making sandwiches, desserts, or sauces
Lemons – for squeezing fresh juice or using for zest in cooking
Nuts – a selection of your favorite nuts for breads, muffins, desserts, casseroles, and side dishes Oatmeal – for baking, cooking, and as a breakfast cereal
Onions
Oranges – for snacking, desserts, flavoring, and juice
Pasta – for eating plain, with butter, or a sauce; also great for using in soups, stews, casseroles, or as a side dish
Peanut Butter
Peppercorns – for including whole in soups, stocks, marinades, and roasts and for grinding for cooking and table use
Powdered Sugar – for making frosting, cooking, baking, and decorating
Potatoes, RussetPotatoes, Small Red
Pudding Mixes – for quick and easy desserts, pies, and puddings
Semi-Sweet Chocolate – for desserts and snacking
Solid Shortening - for baking and greasing pans
Sugar
Tenderizer – for tenderizing meats
Tuna Fish
Unbleached White Flour – for cooking, baking, thickening
Unsweetened Chocolate – for baking and cooking
Yeast – for baking

Casual Dinner Planning - 02-02-2005

(as published on www.outinamerica.com)

Casual Dinner Planning
Rodney Smiley
February 2, 2005


If you’re like me, throwing a dinner party is not merely about the food, it’s about making your guests feel comfortable, well taken care of and happy. Sure there’s no better compliment to give a chef than “My, that was tasty” or “I’ve eaten so much I think I will explode”, but part of your guests truly enjoying a meal includes the behind the scenes details: table setting, service and presentation.

During the Holiday Season, formal dinner parties, cocktail soirees and get-togethers are the norm. However, there’s nothing that says we can’t throw a fantastic casual dinner party in the middle of winter, is there? Now that we’ve successfully navigated the Holiday Party season, and few weeks have passed, it’s the perfect time to have friends or family over for a simple dinner.

And no matter how simple the meal you are preparing, you and your guests will enjoy it all the more if you sit down to an invitingly set table and your dinner is attractively served.

But this does not mean that the table must be elaborate or fussy. Quite the reverse, for the trend today is toward simplicity.

It does mean, however, that everything must be bright and shining – silverware spotless, dinnerware sparkling and glass, clear. If you’re using a tablecloth, it should be pressed and clean and not too fancy: remember, simple is better.

The modern tendency in entertaining is toward greater freedom and simplicity, relaxing the elaborate affairs of many courses. Table decorations should be less formal, and service should be based on ease rather than regimen.

Don’t out-do yourself: never attempt more than you can handle, or more than your kitchen (and you) are prepared for.

Don’t have more guests than you can easily take care of: a big part of your guests enjoyment of a dinner party is the feeling that they are being taken care of, and over-inviting leaves you scrambling to serve everyone. Eventually, someone gets left out and doesn’t enjoy the evening.

Attempt only dishes that are within your culinary skill. If you wish to try something fancy, do it for yourself on an off night and save the tried and true dishes for your dinner guests. The most distinguished entrees are simple and done with ease.

Plan ahead – if you have portions of your meal that aren’t time sensitive, prepare them a few hours ahead. Spend the final minutes right before the meal preparing dishes that must be served fresh from the stove or oven.

Give your dinner party a bit of whimsy – if you have the capability, print up small menus to place at each table setting. Your guests will find this extra touch amusing, and it gives your dinner a personal touch.

Keep table decorations low, but keep candles high. Don’t feel confined to standard taper candles – use all different size pillars but place them on inverted vases or small pedestals. The intention is to draw your guests eyes up, away from the table and influence conversation.

Don’t be afraid of self-service: if your dinner guests are a close knit group of friends, serve the meal family style. Large bowls and platters filled with great food to share is a wonderful and familial way of eating. It reminds your guests of family meals when they were younger.

Keeping these few tips in mind will help you pull off a fantastic meal and an even more fantastic experience for your guests.