My 5 Favorite Things: Pantry Edition

There is still Halloween candy left, the carved jack-o-lanterns are still on the front steps, and we’re just a few days into November but it’s not too early to start planning for the holidays. Let me rephrase that…it’s never too early to start planning for the holidays!

One piece of holiday planning advice that I firmly believe in is that a well-stocked pantry will set the tone for your entire kitchen. Get your pantry set for the holidays and beyond by keeping several ultimate pantry items in stock and you will be ready for a delicious holiday spread at a moment’s notice

I’ve said this before and it bears repeating: buy the best quality ingredients you can and your recipes will turn out better than you could have ever imagined. It just makes good culinary sense.

There are a few ingredients that I absolutely insist upon, and I will not compromise. I’ve spent years finding just the right product and I believe that every cook feels the same way. I am sharing five pantry staples that I always have on hand –especially during the holiday season.

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

One of the most basic lessons in cooking is that salt is the key component to creating a flavorful dish. You want your recipe to pop, add a dash of salt. Your dish is missing something but you cannot figure out what, add a dash of salt…but not just any kind of salt. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is remarkably different. It’s authentic kosher salt and is popular because of its simplicity. It’s coarse but, unlike other kosher salts, you can pick it up and crush it between your fingers for perfect seasoning. I keep a small bowl of it right beside my stove so I can grab a pinch and season often. The size and shape of the salt crystal are perfect. Each salt crystal adheres to the food and dissolves for that burst of flavor. It has a mild flavor and it does not overpower a dish. It has less sodium than regular table salt and it has a fresh, pure taste–-probably because it is made without additives.

It’s widely available and I even have it delivered to the house. I’ve used it for years after I discovered it during one of my first cooking classes at Tablespoon Cooking Company. I really tasted the difference.

Bellemille Olive Oil

Italian markets and grocery store shelves are full of olive oils, and there are plenty of quality olive oils out there. But for me, Bellamille Olive Oil is simply the best. When I tried it, I tasted the difference immediately. It’s fresher and has a pure taste, and for good reason.

Bellemille olives are sourced from one single farm in Tuscany. The same family has been producing olives for generations and generations. The olives go from the trees to the on-site mill, to the bottle, and then to your doorstep. They never see the inside of a factory, there’s no time for the olives to lose any flavor or freshness, and they are packaged without preservatives, additives, or any other fillers Just pure olive goodness.

There’s a downside, though. The farm produces as much as the land and the weather will allow so if there’s an “off” season, less olives are produced, and less olive oil makes it to your doorstep. And once it’s sold out for the year, it’s gone. That’s why I keep it stocked. I order it online and It may be a bit more expensivethan other olive oils, but it is worth every precious drop.

Olive oil is a precious commodity in my kitchen. I use it for all my salad dressings and I cook with it frequently. I have really noticed the difference since I started using Bellemille. I met the owner at a conference in Charleston a few years back and one tiny drop had me convinced it was the best I have ever tasted.

Maille Dijon Mustard

I do like condiments but in recent years I have been trying to pare down my collection to the best of the best. So when it comes to Dijon mustard, I only use Maille–and I use it quite often. I love Dijon mustard on most of my sandwiches, and both Steve and I use it as a marinade for pork and chicken. We’ve even used it on beef. Dijon mustard and red meat are a perfect flavor combiation.

I have always preferred a full-flavored mustard and I discovered Maille Dijon Mustard through the years from reading cooking articles, and cookbooks, and watching all of my cooking shows featuring the best chefs worldwide. It was such a wonderful coincidence and convenience that the hotel we stayed at in Paris was located right next door to a Maille store.

It’s a whole-grain mustard, made from the whole mustard seed, and it’s the perfect blend of boldness and sass. It makes all the difference in dressings, too. There are a lot of copycats and wanna-be mustards on the market but there’s only one Maille. Once you try it, you will never use anything else.

Vinegars

Keep the highest quality vinegars, and a wide variety of choices, nearby when you’re cooking. It is amazing the difference in flavor when you add just a dash of vinegar to your flavor profile. I try to keep a plethora of vinegar in the pantry: red wine, white wine, rice wine, champagne, balsamic, apple cider, and even regular distilled white vinegar. Each one serves a purpose, has its unique flavor profile, and can instantly enhance your recipe. Vinegar brightens the flavor.

Of course, they are the perfect addition to my salad dressings but I also use vinegar a lot in my day-to-day cooking. Experiment with your favorite one. Vinegars can cut through the fattiness and can add a refreshing quality to your dish.

Like cooking with wine (which I suggest, often,) you want to use the best quality. If you wouldn’t drink a wine, don’t cook with it. It’s similar with vinegar–except you don’t drink it. Each type of vinegar has a different flavor profile and is used a different way. White wine, red wine, and champagne vinegar is used for marinades and salad dressings quite often. Balsamic vinegar has an almost sweet characteristic and I use it a lot to boost the flavor in a recipe–it is especially tasty with Brussels sprouts.

Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract is another flavor enhancer that I always have on hand–especially during my busiest baking season. One of the first observations I made when I started taking cooking classes years ago is that each chef exclusively used Neilsen-Massey vanilla products. So I immediately bought some vanilla extract and started using it, too. Wow, did it make a difference. I would never have believed it if I had not tasted it for myself. I do use vanilla quite a bit in my sweet and savory dishes. It’s so simple to use and so flavorful.

I also started experimenting with Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste. It was something that I was completely unfamiliar with but I was going to find out what all the fuss was about–and I did. The vanilla bean paste has seeds and each one imparts a little burst of vanilla flavor. I had to do some research to incorporate vanilla paste into my recipes but it was well worth the effort. It is the closest thing to using a vanilla pod.

You can find Nielson-Massey products online, and at specialty stores like Williams-Sonoma or Sur La Table. While this brand does cost a bit more, it is worth every penny. In addition to enhancing any flavor profile, the products are non-GMO, all-natural, gluten-free, and kosher.

What are some of your go-to products in the kitchen? What do you always have in your pantry? What is a must in your holiday baking? I’ve shared some of my secrets…what are yours?

Getting my pantry in order is just the beginning of my prep for this busy holiday season. Stay tuned for more tips, recipes, cocktail ideas, and stories from In the Curious Kitchen!

Cheers!

MK

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