The Perfect Pantry®

Recipe for pumpkin spice oatmeal with raisins and pecans

Have you ever thought about why you like some foods and not others? Or why you like a food in one form and not in another? I ponder these questions a lot, but still can't explain why I love raw carrots and fresh strawberries, but not cooked ones, or why I love oatmeal cookies, but not boiled oatmeal in a bowl. My husband Ted does love oatmeal, especially the coarse steel cut (a.k.a. Irish) oats when they're still a little bit crunchy, so this pumpkin spice oatmeal with raisins and pecans is for him, and for you. Steel cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) that have been cut into two or three pieces; because they are minimally processed, they take longer to cook than rolled oats, and have a wonderful chewy texture. Store leftover oatmeal in the refrigerator in breakfast-sized containers, and reheat in the microwave at home or at work later in the week.

Recipe for farro and kale salad with white beans and slow-roasted (or sun-dried) tomato

Farro, I owe you an apology. I didn't mean to bury you in the back of the pantry cupboard and forget all about you for, oh, a couple of years, but I did. To make amends, I've created this salad to showcase your nutty wheat taste and texture. You have great company: white beans, slow-roasted tomatoes, pecans and kale, and a mustardy balsamic vinaigrette drizzled over everything adds a bit of glamor. One of the ancient grains, you are easy to prepare (especially pearled farro, which has the outer husk removed and cooks more quickly) and versatile, pairing well with savory vegetables and spices, or with honey and fruit. This salad makes a great vegetarian main dish -- add some crumbled feta cheese if you wish -- and a perfect picnic take-along. Farro, everyone will love this salad, so I hope you forgive me for neglecting you.

Harissa (Recipe: vegan squash or pumpkin stew with chickpeas and carrots)

First published in November 2007, this updated pantry ingredient post features new photos, links, and a few tweaks to the recipe. Spicy harissa gives this stew a smoky kick; use more or less, to your taste. If you have a tagine, a Moroccan cooking or serving pot with a conical top, serve this in traditional North African style.

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.

Ilsa didn't go to Rick's Café Americain for the food. In fact, nobody went to Rick's for the food. Drinking, yes. Smoking, of course. Gambling and trading? You betcha. A rousing chorus of La Marseillaise? Absolutely!

But food? Not a bite, and what a shame, because Rick's, the place to see and be seen in the classic film, Casablanca, surely might have had wonderful food, including couscous and tagines with spicy homemade harissa.

Recipe for slow cooker vegan spicy pinto bean chili with corn and kale

If there were a beauty contest for chili, this rather odd-colored spicy pinto bean chili with corn and kale wouldn't make it to the swimsuit round. Don't be fooled by its rather modest looks, however. Hiding in this vegan chili are three -- yes, three -- types of chile pepper (fresh, dried and canned), and a whole six cups of antioxidant-rich kale. If that isn't sexy, I don't know what is! As with all chili, you can spice the recipe up even more, or tone it down, to your own taste. My non-vegan husband absolutely loved this chili, which would be a perfect main dish for Meatless Monday, and I'm confident you will love it, too. Make a pot today, and eat it or freeze it.