What's in our cupboards?

"To market to market to buy a fat pig home again home again jig-a-de-jig"

Since Addie, my just like a daughter girl, asked if everyone has clam juice in their cupboard maybe we need to have that conversation as to just what one needs in their larder You know for as long as I remember I have been in the business of collecting food. I am not sure if it goes back to the fact that my grandmother had a pantry to die for, of which I spent a great deal of time in, with its floor to ceiling old wood cupboards and a lanoleum counter for pies. Even as a young teen I was bringing home food. I do not have a normal persons cupboard. My neighborhood often uses me as their place to shop. I love that. Poems have been written about my larder. I am of the mind that when I or someone else might need something I want it there. However, there are differing ideas as to just what and how much one needs in their pantries. It does go without saying that yes it depends as to how much storage or where you live. I certainly understand that. As foreign as it is to me when I talk to my very urban daughters and they expound on their busy life styles and what they have to consider before buying or collecting as well as just what they must go through to procure and carry home items it is mind boggling. I think the first place to start is to determine what you like and how you like to cook. Do you tend to be a Italian or Indian, comfort, baking, meat or vegetarian etc. or broad based cook. How: are you a dump cook like myself (you don't measure and make up as you go) or a precise cook (follow a recipe) or how much you tend to eat out or order in and last but not least how often do you shop ie. daily or weekly. Without starting to sound like Rachel Ray I am a firm believer that it is better, less expensive, and a better value to cook at home. It also takes just as much time and energy. Also we all have heard over and over it is better to make weekly menus. However I make that happen when I go to the market to see just what is there and on sale or looks good.

In thinking about this we all know that there are the basics: flour, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, oils, vinegars, herbs, can soups etc. etc.. What I think is most important is that one answer the above questions for them selves; to be a thinking cook. this reminds me of what I use to tell my middle school reading students to do to be better readers is to be thinkers about their reading. Determine what kind of learner one is and what one wants to do to improve or in this case change. So not to masticate this to death however there are certain items that a cook should not be without. For instance cornstarch used as a thickening agent or cookie base, and tapioca for the pies or puddings, dried and fresh herbs thyme, oregano the most used herbs in any kind of cooking. Do invest in some good dried herbs from a good place such as Pendzey's, cilantro fresh and dried(unless you are not a lover of it), root veggies carrots onions , garlic (not jared) my preference, ginger( fresh keep it in the freezer), cabbage any kind, baby spinach a quick green, can tomatoes always need these for one reason or another, frozen green beans until summer and they are better fresh. Vegetables and fruits should make up most of your fridge space. I say this so easily because I have a total of three refrigerators and have a hard time in the summer when we move to camp living with just one. You should have canned beans such as black, kidney red and white, garbanzo, if you wish to do dry by all means but cans are just fine and make for quick use. Cheese different types parmesan, goat, blue/ gorganzola, cheddar. Grains you should have are oatmeal, cornmeal, barley not used enough, and rice brown all colors and types. These are just a few I can list and will continue to add to and as you start this cooking thing you will begin to add to your collection of food. Addie, you may want to get some clam juice or seafood base which is more easily stored and last longer. What we have to remember is that everything has a shelf life. Now with that being said here is my latest love.

Preserved lemons. Thanks to Nancy Jenkins who turned me on to them, I made them and now I can not live without them. I use them in many recipes such as sauteed greens,or any vegetables, baked chicken, salads they are wonderful. I gave them as Christmas presents.

You will need 8 or more organic if possible lemons

You need a quart jar or larger washed and sterilized in a hot water bath. Keep in the bath until ready to fill. It is best if the jar does not leek when turned upside down, but I have yet to find one; once the salt hits the lids it sometimes will leek, but will stop once the salt hardens. Sit them in a dish or container during curing time.

Wash lemons with a brush in warm water . Cut the lemons into quarters not going all the way through to the end, so they open like a tulip, and take as many pits out that you can see. Juice 2 lemons for the quart size more for larger jar. Kosher salt. Take the jar from bath and fill bottom with salt about a quarter of an inch. Fill the center and all sides of the lemon with salt and place in the jar continue with lemons pushing as hard as you can to fill the jar.I used a wooden tamper to squish them down. The quart jar will take about six to eight depending on how large they are. In the middle and at the top add a little layer of lemon juice and salt. The top layer of salt fill to about quarter of an inch left to the top and top with boiling water. Put the lid on and leave on counter or shelf in dark area of kitchen. Turn upside down every couple of days for four weeks. Mark it on your calendar. Then keep refrigerated after that and use. They will get all thick and gooey. If they have a white layer on them just rinse off. When using them extract from the jar with a fork because you don't want to add your finger germs to jar. Take the pulp part out and use the just the rind. You can use the pulp, but it may taste bitter. You will probably not use more that a quarter at a time unless you are baking a large chicken etc. I am telling you once you have these you will not know how you lived with out them!