Home Economics

[poliphilo]

Ourdert invited herself to lunch at short notice- but instead of panicking as I would once have done- or suggesting we race off to the chippie- I reached for a cook book and the store cupboard and- in about 40 minutes-  threw together a very interesting little stew containing chicken, potatoes, tomato and lots of coriander. Where I lacked ingredients I improvised, throwing in a couple of chillies instead of a splash of tabasco sauce. This was a test of my confidence and resilience- and I believe I passed it.

I've learned how important it is to have a well-stocked kitchen. There are certain things one should never be without. They include chicken, vegetables in season, fresh herbs and a wide range of sauces and seasonings. The challenge- and this is going to take some smarts- is to balance the need to have all this stuff to hand against waste. I despise waste.  I think it's immoral to throw food away. 

But it must be doable. Our mother's couldn't afford waste- and they managed without fridges or freezers. I'm just old enough to remember a time when perishables were stored in a cool room- a sort of walk-in cupboard- called the larder. I guess I must have eaten  a lot of rancid butter in my time. 

We went shopping yesterday afternoon. We spent more than usual because it was a store-cupboard shop. I bought a chicken because I need to have chicken in the freezer.  Also some lamb steaks and a piece of basa- also for the freezer. The basa (cheapest fish on the block) will go to make a fish curry or something along those lines. And I now own a bottle of tabasco.

Comments

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Except for the more or less durable vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots, celery), I tend to under-buy to keep things from going off if I can't use them as planned. I keep and inventory of frozen green vegetables -- green beans, broccoli, spinach --in the freezer for when I don't have fresh. Small cans of tomato paste for sauces. Flour and two kinds of oil and lots of pasta. Sunflower seeds and cashews. A range of spices. Oh, and I buy 12 oz bottles of Tabasco by the case and re-order when I'm down to my last two. Evaporated milk for when I'm caught short and need to make a cream sauce or a cornstarch pudding. (Butterscotch pudding is extremely tasty when made with evap. milk.)

I cook up brown rice and dry beans in bulk and then freeze them. A batch of brown rice here is 4 c of dry rice and a half gallon of water. Bring to a boil, simmer on lowest heat for 5 min or so, then turn off heat. The rice will cook in its own heat. I cook dry beans 2 lb at a time, with a similar strategy. Bring to a boil, let cook in own heat, strain, rinse, repeat until they're done.

Much meat in the freezer. I buy whatever's cheap and cut it down to portions that work for us, then freeze them.

My shopping patterns are heavily influenced by the need to buy heavy things in bulk on the infrequent occasions that we have rented a car. The nearest supermarket is a mile away and even on a bike a 60 pound run is taxing.

[(Anonymous)]

I saw a program the other day about central southern Italy. They said they had no concept of a supermarket. Everyone bought ingredients daily and fresh from the market. Buffalo mozzarella is made every morning. The quality of their ingredients is, of course, fantastic, and they make amazing food for pennies, just as their ancestors have time for centuries. If we wanted to eat as well as them we'd be paying vast sums at country delicatessens. Bugger.
Tom F

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Yes -- my husband lived in Italy for three years.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

On the other hand they have Berlusconi and the mafia :)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's a good tip about the rice. I cook fresh every time- mainly basmati. I'm not fond of frozen veg- I'm not sure why; it's probably just a prejudice- and I'd rather buy canned if I can't get fresh.

We try to buy meat when it's cheap, but we've got limited space. What we really need is one of those big chest freezers- though I'm not sure where we'd put it.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

I prefer frozen vegetables to canned, and fresh to both. Frozen vegetables come with less packaging, too.

We have two kitchens and, hence, two refrigerators.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to remember when frozen foods first apeared in Britain- probably not until I was an adolescent. This could explain my preference for cans.