Top 20 Pantry Must Haves!!!!

So I had a friend who recently moved into her new apartment. I went over one night to hang out and ended up making some fried rice. I had to improvise some things because the pantry, or lack there of, was missing some critical things. So whether your a college student or Gordon Ramsay, these are some staple items any kitchen needs so you'll be prepared to make a great meal on the fly.

1. Kosher salt
2. Black pepper (a hand grinder is best)
3. Fresh garlic
4. Fresh ginger
5. Red onions
6. Herbs de Provence
7. Extra virgin olive oil
8. Soy Sauce
9. Worcetershire sauce
10. Sambal Oelek chili sauce
11. Canned crushed tomatoes
12. Dried pasta
13. All purpose flour
14. Honey
15. Vinegar (Red wine, balsamic or rice wine)
16. Canned broth
17. Bay leaves
18. Shaoxin rice cooking wine
19. Dijon mustard
20. Sugar

Some other things that you should grab: ketchup, peanut butter, oyster sauce, bread crumbs, seasame oil, canola oil, cornstarch,  capers, olives, brown sugar, hot sauce

My Top 10 Kitchen Must Haves!!!!!!

1. Microplane. I use this all the time to zest lemons, mince ginger, grate cheese. Endless uses.
2. Food Processor. Sauces. Soups. Doughs. Ravioli fillings. This is a must for any serious home cook.  I have a Kitchen Aid and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
3. Chinese Cleaver. I'm not the one to have a set of 12 fancy German knives that cost a fortune so I can show them off in a block on the counter. I own 3 knives: a cleaver, a boning knife, and a paring knife. My all purpose knife is a Dexter Chinese cleaver. Not all cleavers are the same. I prefer Dexter. Great blade, balance, and durability. Smash garlic, chop, and scoop all with the same knife!
4. Spice Grinder. I'm all about big, bold flavors. Ever since I read Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook, I've been a big fan of spice rubs and seasonings. I like to toast my spices and grind them myself b/c the flavor is ten times better and saves a lot of $$$. I recently made a Citrus Salt w/ Szechuan Peppercorns. It was incredible, but more on that in a later post!
5. Le Creuset. This is a 8 quart coated cast iron pot. This is perfect for braising, soups, stews, stocks, whatever. I know they're a little pricing, but definitely well worth it. In the winter, I like to do a lot of braising with inexpensive cuts of meat and this is the pot to do it in. The nuts!!!!!!!!!!!!
6. Blender. In the summer, it's not always about the food, but about the drinks! You know what I mean!! That's why you must have a good, powerful blender to mix up smoothies, margaritas, any everything else with a splash of rum! Oh yea, it works great for sauces too....
7. Grill Pan. I'm always making steaks, chicken, fish, and pork with this pan. A heavy anoldized aluminum pan conducts heat great, oven safe, and is easy to clean. If you plan on doing any pan roasting, this is the pan to have.
8. Wine Key. I cook with wine a lot. Not to mention I love to drink it...So a basic wine key is a must. Not to mention, if you know what you're doing, it's a great way to impress the ladies ;-)
9. Salad Spinner. Want to eat healthy by eating more salads? Nothing can run a salad like having a pool of water at the bottom of the plate to ruin the taste. By removing all the water from your greens, your dressings will taste better on the salad. A bunch of other uses too....
10. Spatula. Okay, maybe you don't need to pay $30, but don't buy a wimpy spatula that can barely hold the weight of the piece of meat you're trying to turn. You'll be thanking me later when you try to turn a piece a fish and it falls and crumbles in to a mess of canned tuna in your pan. Fail!
11. Wisk. I know I said ten, but this is just as important. Get a good sturdy wisk that has multiple wires that incorporates a lot of air into whatever your mixing. Bechamel sauces, whipping cream, batters, pan sauces, etc....a must have....

Carrabba's At Home...

Back when I was working at Fleming's Steakhouse, that was when I really began to understand quality ingredients and cooking techniques. They used the best meats and the freshest produce. You don't need 30 different ingredients to make a delicious dish. Just use the best stuff you can find.

First: Caprese Salad w/ Balsamic Reduction
Main 1 : Breaded Chicken Cutlets w/ Sun dried Tomato & Caper Sauce
Side: Jalapeno & Cheddar Potato Gratin
Side: Sauteed Spinach

Caprese Salad w/ Balsamic Reduction
Difficulty: 2/10
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min

• 4 large, vine ripened tomatoes, sliced into half-inch slices
• Fresh, whole milk mozzarella in water, sliced into half-inch slices
• 3 cups good quality balsamic vinegar
• EVOO
• Fresh basil leaves
• Kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper

1. In a sauce pot, bring the balsamic vinegar to a simmer and reduce to a third of its original volume. The end product should coat the back of a spoon. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Arrange the mozzarella and tomatoes on a plate in an alternating pattern. Season w/ SnP. Drizzle w/ EVOO and balsamic reduction.
   
3. Add fresh basil leaf and serve.

Jalapeno & Cheddar Potato Gratin
Difficulty: 4/10
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 1 hr

• 3 pounds of Russet Idaho potatoes (about 4-5 large potatoes)
• 1 qt heavy cream
• half red onion, quartered
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 5 jalapeno peppers
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 spring of fresh rosemary
• 5 fresh sage leaves
  
• 2 cups aged cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tspn fresh nutmeg
• 2 green onions
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• EVOO

1. Cut slits into 4 jalapeno peppers deep enough to penetrate the seeds, but do not cut in half. For the last pepper, remove the seeds and membrane and slice into super thin slices. Slice the green onions into very thin slices as well. Only use the white ends for this recipe.
   
2. In a sauce pot, add the heavy cream, red onion, garlic, bay leaves, 4 jalapenos, rosemary, sage leaves, and nutmeg. Place on med-low heat and steep the cream for about 20 min. Don't bring the cream to a boil!! What this does is infuse the cream with all these awesome flavors.
3. Let the infused cream come to room temp and strain into a separate bowl.
   
4. Peel all the potatoes and slice into 1/8" slices using a mandolin slicer or by hand.
   
5. Rinse the potato slices with water and dry using a clean dish towel. Dry them well so you don't have a water mess at the end.
6. Coat the bottom of a 9"x9" oven safe dish with EVOO. Layer potatoes and cream into the dish. Season every other layer with SnP. When you're halfway up the pan, add the sliced jalapeno peppers, green onions, and 1 cup of cheese.
7. Continue layering with potatoes and cream until 1 inch from the top of the pan.
8. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and then with foil. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 min or until cream is absorbed by the potatoes and you can insert a knife into the layers.
9. Remove the plastic wrap and foil. Add the remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 15 min until cheese is melted on top.
10. Finished w/ chopped parsley and serve.

Sun Dried Tomato-Caper Sauce
Difficulty: 4/10
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20 min

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• half red onion, chopped
• 3 tbspn capers, drained
• 3 tbspn sun dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white wine, Chardonnay
• 3 anchovies
• 3 tblsn butter
• juice from half a lemon
• 1/2 tspn sugar
  
• Kosher salt
• Black Pepper
• EVOO

1. In a large sauce pan under med-high heat, add EVOO and saute onions and garlic for 2 min.
2. Add anchovies, capers, and sun dried tomatoes. Saute for another 4 min until the anchovies have dissolved into the mixture.
   
3. Add white wine and reduce until there is barely any liquid remaining.
   
4. Add lemon juice and sugar.
   
5. Reduce heat to low and add butter. Stir butter in well to incorporate into sauce.
6. Season w/ SnP.
   

Back to My Roots....

My father is Chinese and my mother is from Ethiopian. It's a very unique mix and I wouldn't have it any other way. Food is a really big deal in our family. If you show up on a random day at our house, you would think it's Christmas or Thanksgiving when you see what's going on in the kitchen. So this menu is homage to my father.

First: Hot N Sour Soup
Main 1: Sauteed Water Spinach w/ Garlic
Main 2: Shrimp w/ Tomato-Ginger Sauce
Main 3: Mussels w/ Black Bean-Garlic Sauce

Shrimp w/ Tomato-Ginger Sauce
Difficulty: 5/10
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 10 min

• 2 lbs of large shrimp, ckeaned and peeled with tails on, 26-30 or larger
  
• 1 tblspn cornstarch
• 2 tbspn shaoxin cooking wine
• 2 tbspn dry white wine, Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio
  
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tbspn minced ginger
• 1 tspn sugar
• 1 tspn seasame oil
• cilantro for garnish
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• EVOO

Note: This dish cooks very quickly. Keep the pan under high heat.

1. In a bowl, combine shrimp, cooking wine, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
2. Heat a saute pan under high heat and add EVOO. Add shrimp and saute for about 1 min.
3. Add minced ginger and cook until fragrant (1 min).
4. Add white wine and cook until evaporated.
   
5. Add ketchup and sugar. Toss and mix well.
   
6. Season w/ SnP and finish w/ seasame oil.
7. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Mussels w/ Black Bean-Garlic Sauce
Difficulty: 6/10
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 10 min

So many times, I see mussels cooked the same way. White wine, saffron, herbs, butter, yadda yadda....Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz....So here's a recipe with some bold, deep flavors that you're gonna love...

• 2 lbs New Zealand Mussels, cleaned with beards removed
• 3 tbspn white wine
• 1 tspn minced ginger
• 3 green onions, cut into 1" segments
• Black pepper
• EVOO
• 3 tbspn Black Bean-Garlic Sauce, recipe below

1. Rinse, clean, and drain the mussels and set them to the side.
2. Heat a large wok under high heat. Add the ginger and cook for 30 sec until fragrant.
3. Add the mussels to the wok. Toss and bring them up to temperature.
4. Add the white wine. Make sure the heat is left on high. You want the white wine to evaporate off quickly and steam the mussels. You don't want any liquid to gather at the bottom of the wok.
5. Add the black bean sauce and green onions. Toss for about 2 minutes to evenly coat the mussels and bring the sauce up to temperature.
6. Plate, garnish, and serve.

Master Sauce: Black Bean & Garlic Sauce
Difficulty: 4/10
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min

• 1/3 cup of fermented black beans, rinsed, drained, and roughly chopped
• 1 cup EVOO
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped ginger
• 3 green onions, cut into 1'' segments
• half a red onion, chopped
• 1 tblspn sambal oelek chili sauce
• 10 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 4 tblspn Shaoxing cooking wine
• 1/2 tspn sugar
• kosher salt 
• black pepper

This is a universal sauce that can be used in many stir fry dishes. This recipe makes about 2 cups of sauce which you can keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

1. Heat a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add 1/4 cup of EVOO.
2. Once the oil is hot, add the black beans, ginger, garlic, scallions, and red onion. Cook this down  under med heat until the beans are soft and the aromatics become fragrant, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the chili sauce and wine. Cook down until reduced and most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Season w/ SnP. Be careful not to overdo it with the salt since black beans are naturally salty.
5. After the mixture has come to room temp, transfer the mixture from the pan to a food processor. Puree the mixture while slowly adding the remaining EVOO. 
6. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.  

Italian Anyone???

So I'm all about food that has bold, rich flavors without adding a lot of fat and grease. So this was a little menu I put together for a weekly dinner we have at my place. So here we go:

Start: Mixed green salad w/ citrus vinaigrette and candied walnuts
Main 1: Herb roasted pork tenderloin
Main 2: Three cheese and wild mushroom stuffed manicotti w/ Parmesan cream sauce
Main 3: Whole wheat spaghetti w/ Puttanesca sauce

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Difficulty: 6/10
Prep Time: 2.5 hours
Cook Time: 25 min

• 2 pork tenderloins, about 4 pounds total, silverskin removed
• red onion, half
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
  
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, whole
• 3 tablespoons table sugar
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 4 quarts water
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs each of thyme and rosemary, stems removed, chopped
  
• 5 fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons EVOO

1. Start by making a brine for the pork by heating the water enough to dissolve equal parts salt and sugar into the water. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, red onion, thyme sprig, and garlic cloves into the water. Let this mixture come to room temperature.
   
2. Pour this brine into a ziploc bag and add the pork into the back into the bag. Be sure the brine solution is at room temperature before adding the pork! Seal the bag, place it into a bowl (just in case it leaks), and place it in the fridge for 2 hours.
3. Two hours later, remove the pork from the solution and pat dry with paper towels. Remove any peppercorns or bay leaves that might have stuck to the pork.
4. In a bowl, combine the chopped sage leaves, rosemary, thyme, dijon mustard, and EVOO and stir. Pour this mixture over the pork and massage it into the meat.
   
5. Season the pork thoroughly with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a hot pan under high heat, add the pork tenderloins to and cook to get a good sear and crust on each side.
   
7. Once the pork is brown and seared on all sides, place the pan in the oven for about 12 min or until interior temperature is 160 degrees F. Don't overcook it!!!
8. Once it's ready, remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for about 10 min before slicing. Slice in half inch slices and serve.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Puttanesca Sauce
Difficulty: 3/10
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30 min

• One 28oz can San Marzano diced tomatoes
• 3 anchovies
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 cup Kalamatta olives, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
  
• 1 package of whole wheat thin spaghetti
• 1/4 white wine, Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio
• 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar, optional
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese (green containers not allowed!!!)
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped flatleaf parsley
  
• Kosher salt and black pepper to season
• EVOO

1. In a hot pan under med-high heat, add about 2 tblspn EVOO to coat. Add chopped onions and garlic. Saute for 3 min.
2. Add anchovies, artichokes, olives, and capers and saute for another 4 min. Be sure to break up the anchovies in the pan. They will break down and cook into the sauce.
   
3. Add white wine and reduce until there is hardly any liquid remaining in the pan.
4. Add the canned tomatoes to the pan. Bring sauce to boil and season w/ SnP.
   
5. Reduce heat to med-low and let sauce simmer uncovered for about 20 min.
   
6. Bring pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. Add the spaghetti and cooked until al dente (around 8 min). Stir occasionally so noodles don't stick together.
   
7. Taste the sauce for seasoning and season w/ SnP if needed. If acidic, add sugar. Be sure not add too much salt since we already have the capers, olives, and anchovies in the sauce!!!
8. When the noodles are ready, drain and add directly into the puttanesca sauce. Stir to coat the spaghetti.
   
9. Top w/ fresh grated Parmesan cheese (not the green can stuff. that stuff is so foul.) and chopped parsley and serve.

Citrus Vinaigrette
Difficulty: 2/10
Prep Time: 10 min

• 1 orange
• 1 grapefruit
• 2 lemons
• 1 tbspn dijon mustard
• 1/2 tspn honey
  
• EVOO
• Kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper

1. Zest the orange and one lemon and place the zest into a bowl.
   
2. Juice the orange, grapefruit, and both lemons into the same bowl. No seeds please!!!!
3. Add the dijon mustard and honey.
4. Slowly wisk in about 1/2 cup of EVOO.
   
5. Season w/ SnP.

If the vinaigrette is too sour, you can add more honey to balance the grapefruit and lemon juice. I like to have equal parts oil to acid in my vinaigrettes. Some recipes have a 2:1 ratio of oil to acid, but I like mine to have a little more bite.