A Pantry Upgrade
There are a handful
of items that you should have in your pantry at all times that can upgrade a
meal from average to upscale. I’ll start with 5 of the best:
Oil Cured Olives
Found in the Italian
section of almost all grocery stores oil cured olives add zip to anything and
everything from salads to pasta sauces. They need to be pitted most of the
time, but it’s a fairly simple process – just squeeze the pit out and chop.
Capers
Capers come in a wide
variety of sizes these days so experiment and see which ones work best for you.
They have a delicious salty, briny flavor and are great in sauces and pasta
dishes.
Wok Oil (Flavored with ginger and garlic)
This stuff is
amazing! And it can be used for so much more than stir-fries. Toss broccoli flowerets and red pepper strips with
wok oil and roast at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Use wok oil instead of
olive oil in a salad dressing. Sautee mushrooms in wok oil and serve with won
ton crisps.
Grainy Mustard
Grainy mustard had a
less powerful taste than Dijon mustard and can be used as a substitute for any
mustard. Mixed with mayo and a little milk it serves as a hollandaise like
sauce or heated with apricot preserves it can be a tasty glaze for pork chops
or roast.
Artichoke Hearts
Artichoke hearts (marinated
or not) are a delicious addition to almost any dish and have an almost
universal appeal. A jar of marinated artichoke hearts, thin sliced lemon and a
few tablespoons of capers and you have a great sauce for chicken or pasta.
