Hey, $25 gift card contest extended!!!!

Hey, win a gift card!

Due to the ABSOLUTELY OVERWHELMING RESPONSE ( zero), I’m extending the contest dates to Midnight, May 24th. You have until then to tell me how you make your meals a gourmet experience in thee hard economic times. There will be two winners, each receiving a $25 Shop-Rite gift card.

Contest Rules:

1) No substitutions will be given in lieu of gift cards.

2) Shop-Rite gift cards can only be used at Shop-Rite stores.

3) Contest entries must be in by midnight, May 24.   The winners  will be announced on May 27, 2009.

4) All posts must be limited to 50 words or less.

5) All entries must have a valid e-mail address

6) Only one entry per valid e-mail address

7) Please refrain from using racist, sexist or pornographic comments. Entries which contain theses elements will be disqualified.

Have Fun!

Win a $25 gift card from Shop-Rite

Culinary Chick and the kind folks from Shop-Rite grocery stores are giving away $25  Shop-Rite gift cards to two lucky readers of this blog. All you have to do is post an answer to this question:

In these lean times, how do you maintain a gourmet touch in the meals you prepare for yourself, or your family?

A gourmet touch could be anything from using a simple garnish like a parsley sprig,  to breaking out that extra virgin olive oil, to splurging on seafood or a special cut of meat. I will choose the  best five entries; and you, the readers will choose the best two.  The two winners will receive the $25 gift card, courtesy of Shop-Rite.

Contest entries must be in by midnight, May 10.  Voting will end on midnight, May 17. The winner will be announced on May 19, 2009.

Contest Rules:

1) No substitutions will be given in lieu of gift cards.

2) Shop-Rite gift cards can only be used at Shop-Rite stores.

3) Contest entries must be in by midnight, May 10.  Voting will end on midnight, May 17. The winner will be announced on May 19, 2009.

4) All posts must be limited to 50 words or less.

5) All entries must have a valid e-mail address

6) Only one entry per valid e-mail address

7) Please refrain from using racist, sexist or pornographic comments. Entries which contain theses elements will be disqualified.

Have Fun!

Pantry List 101

Okay kids!

If you are going to be following any of the recipes that I post in this website, you have got to have a proper pantry. It is imperative that you keep certain things handy so that you can readily prepare any and all of the dishes I will present to you. In the last couple of days, I’ve have compiled a working list of the essentials. This list isn’t exclusive; that is, if you have things that you like to cook with that I haven’t included, by all means have them. I didn’t include certain items like tuna, canned string beans and the like, I assumed one would already have these things in there. But, if you like chilies in adobo, or chipotle hot sauce, then have at it.

Pantry List : The Basics

Oils

Canola Oil
Olive oil 100%
Vegetable spray

These oils are good for all around cooking. Olive oil has a low smoke point, just get regular olive oil. Extra Virgin Olive oil isn’t necessary for our purposes here. Canola oil is best for all other purposes; it has a high smoke point, and is a good all purpose oil.

Seasonings

Regular salt
Sea salt/Kosher salt
Black Pepper
Coarse Black Pepper
white Pepper
Italian seasonings
dried basil
dried oregano
dried thyme
Bay leaves
Cinnamon
nutmeg
Paprika
Onion powder
garlic powder
dried parsley
dried tarragon
dried rosemary
cayenne pepper
red pepper flakes
chili powder
cumin

Pasta/ Rice/ Beans

Ribbon pasta ( ex. spaghetti, angel hair, ect,)
tubular pasta (ex. penne rigate, ziti, macaroni)
Flat pasta (ex. fettucine, linguine)

Different pastas lend themselves to different utilizations. For example, tubular pastas are great for baking, ribbon pastas are good for light to medium bodied sauces (marinara, white clam), and flat pastas can take more substantial sauces (meat, red clam, meatballs). A  good rule of thumb is: the thinner/ smaller the pasta, the lighter the sauce, and the thicker/larger or ribbed the pasta, the heavier the sauce.

egg noodles
canned or dried beans of your choice (canned beans are good for a quick addition to soups)
Arborio or short-grained rice
Rice of your choice
( i keep a jasmine rice and brown rice on hand)

Veggies

1  can Veg-All
1 ea.Tomato paste in a tube (keeps longer)
1 can tomato puree
1 can diced tomatoes in Juice
2 cans Whole tomatoes w/ seasonings  in juice ( Suns of Italy)
1 jar whole roasted peppers
1 jar artichokes hearts

Miscellaneous

Unsalted top saltines
unseasoned bread crumbs
parmesan cheese
cornmeal
fresh flour
baking powder
baking soda
red wine vinegar
white wine vinegar
balsamic vinegar
dijon/brown mustard
canned beef stock*
canned chicken stock*
canned vegetable stock*
( Or, you can make your own)
evaporated milk
Dry brown gravy mix ( for bootleg demi-glace)
1 bottle each (optional)*
red and white wine
marsala
brandy
*a lot of my recipes require alcohol. Now, it is a small amount, and is necessary for dishes like Chicken Marsala and Coq Au Vin; otherwise, it is a moot point to prepare these dishes without it. If you are squeamish about cooking with alcohol; cut the amount, but you must use it to get optimum flavor.

Now with these basic ingredients, you will be able to whip out any of my recipes anytime. In the upcoming weeks, I will have recipes for some basic spice blends that you can make that are lower in salt that commercial blends, a 20-minute marinara,  some soups, homemade dressings, even some meatless options for all you vegetarians out there.

This blog will also go through some changes as I decide the direction i want to go in. I will keep the commentary on all things food along with recipes and anything else that is food related.  I would love some feedback on what you all think, as any suggestions on improvements.

Shalom, Y’all