- chickpeas
- chopped tomatoes
- whole tomatoes
- red beans
- corn
- green peas
- tuna,
- olives
- coconut milk
- tomato puree
- tomato paste
- gherkins
- duck ( for those special occasions)
- peaches
- pineapple
- cherries
- nutella
- baked bell peppers
- jalapenos
- asparagus ( for tarts, or salads)
- coffee ground ( Illy coffee is supposed to be the best)
Showing posts with label article. Show all posts
Showing posts with label article. Show all posts
11/07/2012
Kitchen essentials: canned and jar-ed food
All the cans you need in the world :)
Kitchen essential: tools
Stuff you should have in your kitchen if you plan on cooking on a daily basis.
- veggie peeler
- pestle and mortar ( get this if you really are going to cook a lot of curries)
- tongs
- set of 3 knives
- kettle
- baking tray ( I use the one from my oven, but I also have 2 smaller ones for cakes or bread)
- cooling rack ( can use the rack in your oven)
- baking dish- 2 sizes medium and large
- casserole dish (oval)
- blender, or hand mixer with all the attachements (- mine is a Bosch, I've had it for 8 years, I'm still happy)
- a big pot with lid
- a medium pot with lid
- a small saucepan with lid
- Frying pans- 3 sizes
- grill pan ( for those cute grill marks and barbecue like food)
- grater or a mandolin
- Set of 3 or more nesting bowls
- Chopping board
- scale
- sieve and collander
- measuring cup/jug
- measuring spoon ( but usually a tablespoon and teaspoon will be perfect)
- wooden spatula
- wooden spoon
- set of salad spoons
- whisk
- slotted spoon
- plastic spatula
- can opener
- garlic crusher
- bottle opener and corkscrew :)
- laddle
- potato masher
- rolling pin ( although for a few years I managed with a wine bottle- very smart of me)
- silpat or any other silicon mat for baking
- deep fry skimmer ( I don't know what I would do withour it)
- tin foil
- cling wrap
- parchement paper
- salad spinner ( or you can go outside with the salad wrapped in a clean cloth and swing it aroynd your head for a minute. Works too)
- toaster
- oven
- clean kitchen cloths
Kitchen essentials: dry goods, liquids and herbs
This is a list of dry goods you should have in your kitchen to make like a ton of things ;)
You can buy this over time, but the sauces for asian cuisine are expensive, so it's good to look around for some good deals on asian- themed weeks at store.
And they last a long time.
Dried goods:
Stock cubes:
Basic Spices:
You can buy this over time, but the sauces for asian cuisine are expensive, so it's good to look around for some good deals on asian- themed weeks at store.
And they last a long time.
Dried goods:
- pasta ( penne, spaghetti, tagliatelle, lasagne)
- glass noodles
- basmati rice
- plain white rice
- risotto rice ( arborio)
- couscous
- lentils
- breadcrumbs
- plain flour
- sugar
- confectioners sugar
- cocoa powder
- dried yeast
- rolled oats
- baking powder
- baking soda
- vanilla sugar
- palm sugar
- olive oil, regular and extra virgin
- vegetable oil ( palm oil, sesame oil, or sunflower oil)
- rice vinegar
- white vinegar
- red wine vinegar
- balsamic vinegar from Modena
- honey
- vanilla essence
- soy sauce ( light or dark)
- worcestershire sauce
- fish sauce
- ketchup
- mustard dijon
- mayonaise
- lime juice ( when it's hard to get limes, this does the trick, but it's best to buy a ton of limes and freeze the juice)
- chili sauce
- tabasco/habanero sauce ( depends how far you can go without burning)
Stock cubes:
- chicken stock
- beef stock
- vegetable stock
- fish stock
Basic Spices:
- sea salt ( coarse and regular)
- table salt
- black pepper
- cayenne pepper
- lemon pepper
- red pepper
- green pepper
- dried red chili flakes
- cinamon ( sticks and ground)
- nutmeg (whole for grating)
- oregano
- basil
- dried groung ginger
- lemongrass
- thyme
- tarragon
- marjoram
- tumeric
- coconut cream powder
- sweet paprika
- granulated garlic
- parsley
- dill
- garlic salt
- corainder seeds
- mustard seeds
- laurel/bay leaves
- cumin seeds
- curry powder
10/10/2012
Piccolo Italia
Last thursday we went with T for a walk on Francuska street to search for the french butcher which, suprise- suprise, we didn't find. Turns out he moved his business to a different place but nobody knows where. SPOOKY.
So we went shopping for lasagne products to carrefour express. I don't really like shopping there because the stuff isn't good, or cheap. But sometimes you just don't get to choose.
So we bought out products there and decided to walk to Plac Waszyngtona for the bus. On the way there, we saw Piccolo Italia and thought maybe they have ricotta cheese? So in we went.
I was shocked. And suprised. Plesantly. But they didn't have ricotta cheese anymore.
First of all, you see a few tables in front of Piccolo Italia. Becase they're the bigger ones, you think it's a restaurant. But you go inside. And you think that it's not a restaurant. In front, there's a bar, where you can get coffee. On the right, there's the passage to the actual shop, plus a display of wines sold by the glass. It looks nice. Expensive, italianish and not shoppish at all.
So let's wander in more. We pass the cashdesk which also serves as the bar, and see a display of knives, cutlery, biscotti, more wine ( not only italian, but also french and spanish. Prices vary.), sweets, chocolates, the typical stuff you get at checkout. But let's see what else they have.
Next aisle, olive oils, olives and sauces galore! Everything to make your mouth water. And the amount of olives was devastating. And the sauces- mmmmmm.... I wanted all of them. Just to look in my cupboard, but also to try. I never buy ready sauces because they never hit my taste and I'm fully convinced they have so many preservatives and other E stuff that I'll glow from eating it. But not in this case.
Coming up next, pasta. OMG, it was HEAVEN! Many kinds, ( but not as many as in Rome, but still a lot), many types, few brands. Lot's of options. For example: I bought in CE lasagne pasta ( the kind you have to cook before you use it) for 9,8zl. In PI, I found a package of precooked lasagne noodles, with 2 handy tins for making the lasagne in. For 8,6zl. SCORE!
Typically, pasta was cheaper and better than in CE.
So guess what did I buy?
Going on, I came upon the fresh produce aisle where there were 2 very nice ladies behind a fridge display of coldmeat and cheese. On the fridge there are some things displayed to try. I had a teaspoon of tomato paste and tomato- soup vegetables paste. The latter was really good, and can be used as a paste for canapes, or sandwiches, or to give taste to a sauce or soup. The former can be used for soups, sauces. Eat your heart out, for if you don't know what you want, but want something good, the ladies will propose you some ham, or salami, or cheese. They will even let you try a slice to see if you like it. This way we purchase some very delicate non colorized ham, some cured ham that had a wonderful flavour, and some peperoni that really got us fighting for our breath arter we finished munching on it. It was really spicy! And we loved it, as nothing usualy gives us that kick anymore. So hello sausage!
Oh, and one lady also spoke italian, so go italian your heart out!
Then I drifted further to the tall fridges with the cheese. It was calling me in from the very beginning: come over and bring us home....
So I decided to check out a cheese I didn't hear about before, cow's milk cheese, looked like a goat cheese, has a slightly metalic taste and is a tiny bit bitter. A little on the crumbly side, this is great for a small apero with garlic bread. Or any baguette, with salad and maybe some delicate ham. But not in a omelett, sorry. That was a no-no.
I still need to check out more, and behind the freezer was another aisle, with bunches of dried herbs,
( a guy came in and bought 5 bunches of herbs, said they make great bouquets for cooking women:p), and generaly all I saw was herbs. I'm sure that there was more, but T. was anxious to pay and go home eat the stuff we bought. So back to step 2, to the cashier, where plesantly we didn't pay a fortune, and were very satisfied with our findings.
We have a good reason to come back, and hopefully, they sell also fresh fruit and veggies. And make panini's:) I would love that.
Currently, there are a few shops in Warsaw of Piccolo Italia, one in al. KEN, one next to Zlote Tarasy in the center, another one on Polna street ( probably in the Polna mall, with the goodies), and a new one in Hoża street. And the one on Francuska street.
I'm very happy to find this store, and I'm very unhappy that nobody told me about it before:)
This is going to be a place to shop for all they have, for sure.
Ps. This article is not sponsored by Piccolo Italia.
So we went shopping for lasagne products to carrefour express. I don't really like shopping there because the stuff isn't good, or cheap. But sometimes you just don't get to choose.
So we bought out products there and decided to walk to Plac Waszyngtona for the bus. On the way there, we saw Piccolo Italia and thought maybe they have ricotta cheese? So in we went.
I was shocked. And suprised. Plesantly. But they didn't have ricotta cheese anymore.
First of all, you see a few tables in front of Piccolo Italia. Becase they're the bigger ones, you think it's a restaurant. But you go inside. And you think that it's not a restaurant. In front, there's a bar, where you can get coffee. On the right, there's the passage to the actual shop, plus a display of wines sold by the glass. It looks nice. Expensive, italianish and not shoppish at all.
So let's wander in more. We pass the cashdesk which also serves as the bar, and see a display of knives, cutlery, biscotti, more wine ( not only italian, but also french and spanish. Prices vary.), sweets, chocolates, the typical stuff you get at checkout. But let's see what else they have.
Next aisle, olive oils, olives and sauces galore! Everything to make your mouth water. And the amount of olives was devastating. And the sauces- mmmmmm.... I wanted all of them. Just to look in my cupboard, but also to try. I never buy ready sauces because they never hit my taste and I'm fully convinced they have so many preservatives and other E stuff that I'll glow from eating it. But not in this case.
Coming up next, pasta. OMG, it was HEAVEN! Many kinds, ( but not as many as in Rome, but still a lot), many types, few brands. Lot's of options. For example: I bought in CE lasagne pasta ( the kind you have to cook before you use it) for 9,8zl. In PI, I found a package of precooked lasagne noodles, with 2 handy tins for making the lasagne in. For 8,6zl. SCORE!
Typically, pasta was cheaper and better than in CE.
So guess what did I buy?
Going on, I came upon the fresh produce aisle where there were 2 very nice ladies behind a fridge display of coldmeat and cheese. On the fridge there are some things displayed to try. I had a teaspoon of tomato paste and tomato- soup vegetables paste. The latter was really good, and can be used as a paste for canapes, or sandwiches, or to give taste to a sauce or soup. The former can be used for soups, sauces. Eat your heart out, for if you don't know what you want, but want something good, the ladies will propose you some ham, or salami, or cheese. They will even let you try a slice to see if you like it. This way we purchase some very delicate non colorized ham, some cured ham that had a wonderful flavour, and some peperoni that really got us fighting for our breath arter we finished munching on it. It was really spicy! And we loved it, as nothing usualy gives us that kick anymore. So hello sausage!
Oh, and one lady also spoke italian, so go italian your heart out!
Then I drifted further to the tall fridges with the cheese. It was calling me in from the very beginning: come over and bring us home....
So I decided to check out a cheese I didn't hear about before, cow's milk cheese, looked like a goat cheese, has a slightly metalic taste and is a tiny bit bitter. A little on the crumbly side, this is great for a small apero with garlic bread. Or any baguette, with salad and maybe some delicate ham. But not in a omelett, sorry. That was a no-no.
I still need to check out more, and behind the freezer was another aisle, with bunches of dried herbs,
( a guy came in and bought 5 bunches of herbs, said they make great bouquets for cooking women:p), and generaly all I saw was herbs. I'm sure that there was more, but T. was anxious to pay and go home eat the stuff we bought. So back to step 2, to the cashier, where plesantly we didn't pay a fortune, and were very satisfied with our findings.
We have a good reason to come back, and hopefully, they sell also fresh fruit and veggies. And make panini's:) I would love that.
Currently, there are a few shops in Warsaw of Piccolo Italia, one in al. KEN, one next to Zlote Tarasy in the center, another one on Polna street ( probably in the Polna mall, with the goodies), and a new one in Hoża street. And the one on Francuska street.
I'm very happy to find this store, and I'm very unhappy that nobody told me about it before:)
This is going to be a place to shop for all they have, for sure.
Ps. This article is not sponsored by Piccolo Italia.
9/20/2012
Knife time
As you can see a lot of the recipes involve a lot of chopping. Or mincing. When I got married we bought a cheapo Ikea knife that was good to use ( I still use it), but it's a little bit too light and the rubber handle tends to flake after some time. Here it is, my FIRST:
Then, after 6 years I finaly found a better knife- heavier, better in hold, with a wooden handle. A chef's knife. No picture though, sorry. I think that a knife is the same like a sword- it should be the extension of your arm, not too heavy and not too light, but just perfect. That's probably why I look like a crazy person in a store, waving around knives in an aisle, searching for the best balance and weight. Not too long and not too short. Basicly I use my knife for everything- chopping mincing, cuttig, meat, veggies, fruit, bread, the lot. I use it compleatly and don't bother with a million types of knives specially designed to do shit. Why wash up more later? A knife should most of all be sharp and sharpable(?) - I hate those knives that are pretty and shiny but you can't sharpen them for your life. I want to throw them out the window, but it's still dangerous so usually I try to "loose" them.
The cooks and chef's knife is pretty easy to use, good for chopping without the blade leaving the board with is supposed to make it easier to cut, but I got a little tired of it.
HaHA!
So, on Tuesday we went for a shopping trip to Ikea to buy a desk for T, and I got all samurai in the kitchen department and FOUND MY KNIFE:)
Look at it:)
Now this is a sick mathafaka. Sharp as hell, with a large straight blade which makes cutting bread and cold meats thin and evenly sooooo much easier. It's like a mercedes of my knives.
I really have to watch out with this one, bacause I already cut 2 fingers in the ridiculous process of cutting in hand ( STUPID!), plus 2 swiped fingernails. DRAMA. Aside from the injuries, this is the best knife I've ever had. Heavy enough and not too heavy that my hand hurts, the handle is plastic but grippy, has the grovels on both sides of the blade which makes the produce you're actually cutting fall away from the blade instead of sticking to it. But I still have to do the feta cheese test- to see how that one goes.
So far, so good. Easy to clean too, did I mention that?
So far- this is my best purchase in the best price- 40zl!
The chef's knife cost me 75zl on sale in Piaseczno Outlet, and the previous Ikea one cost 30zl.
What is your best knife?
 | |||||||
| Ikea 365+ Cooks knife |
Then, after 6 years I finaly found a better knife- heavier, better in hold, with a wooden handle. A chef's knife. No picture though, sorry. I think that a knife is the same like a sword- it should be the extension of your arm, not too heavy and not too light, but just perfect. That's probably why I look like a crazy person in a store, waving around knives in an aisle, searching for the best balance and weight. Not too long and not too short. Basicly I use my knife for everything- chopping mincing, cuttig, meat, veggies, fruit, bread, the lot. I use it compleatly and don't bother with a million types of knives specially designed to do shit. Why wash up more later? A knife should most of all be sharp and sharpable(?) - I hate those knives that are pretty and shiny but you can't sharpen them for your life. I want to throw them out the window, but it's still dangerous so usually I try to "loose" them.
The cooks and chef's knife is pretty easy to use, good for chopping without the blade leaving the board with is supposed to make it easier to cut, but I got a little tired of it.
HaHA!
So, on Tuesday we went for a shopping trip to Ikea to buy a desk for T, and I got all samurai in the kitchen department and FOUND MY KNIFE:)
Look at it:)
 | |
| My baby- Ikea 365+ Gnistra |
Now this is a sick mathafaka. Sharp as hell, with a large straight blade which makes cutting bread and cold meats thin and evenly sooooo much easier. It's like a mercedes of my knives.
I really have to watch out with this one, bacause I already cut 2 fingers in the ridiculous process of cutting in hand ( STUPID!), plus 2 swiped fingernails. DRAMA. Aside from the injuries, this is the best knife I've ever had. Heavy enough and not too heavy that my hand hurts, the handle is plastic but grippy, has the grovels on both sides of the blade which makes the produce you're actually cutting fall away from the blade instead of sticking to it. But I still have to do the feta cheese test- to see how that one goes.
So far, so good. Easy to clean too, did I mention that?
So far- this is my best purchase in the best price- 40zl!
The chef's knife cost me 75zl on sale in Piaseczno Outlet, and the previous Ikea one cost 30zl.
What is your best knife?
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