The Perfect Pantry's top 10 pantry ingredients of 2009
I'm a compulsive list maker.
Always have been, always will be.
You know that whole thing about making a list and checking it twice? I don't do that. I just make two lists.
Here's one list I hope you'll enjoy: my top ten ingredients of the past year, and the recipes I've made with them (all with printer-friendly versions). And because each post about these ingredients contains links to recipes on other food blogs, there are lots of good ideas here.
Some of these favorite ingredients are old friends, some are new arrivals. Two are Pantry Specials, ingredients that find their way into my pantry sometimes, but not all the time.
If these ten ingredients aren't in your pantry already, I hope you'll try cooking with them in 2010.
1. I'm late to the Greek yogurt party, and I've only just started to explore the possibilities for how to use it in baking and desserts. I love how it adds moisture to turkey meatballs.
Recipes: lemon walnut yogurt dessert (in the photo above), turkey, cranberry and basil meatballs, Greektown turkey meatballs, green chile turkey meatballs.
2. If it weren't for last season's Top Chef, which introduced many of us to vadouvan, I probably wouldn't have tried this wonderfully complex French curry powder. My traditional butternut squash soup will never be the same. I'll be using this spice blend a lot more next year.
Recipe: butternut squash, apple and vadouvan soup (photo).
3. I first learned about Dreamfields low-carb pasta on Kalyns Kitchen, and I'm so glad I did. After a few years of not eating pasta at all, I can enjoy pasta again. This one tastes like the real thing, too; it has body and bite, and flavor. In fact, all it's missing are the carbs. Most often I'll use rotini, because I eat many meals with chopsticks and the corkscrew shape is easiest to pick up.
Recipes: broccoli salad with basil, olives and feta (photo), Tex-Mex penne, turkey-chile rotini, pasta with clams and vegetable sauce.
4. It's been a few years since I roasted a turkey, but I cook with ground turkey at least once a week. A great substitute for pork in many Asian dishes, ground turkey's mild flavor absorbs a variety of spices and flavorings, great for meatballs, meat loaf or chili.
Recipes: turkey-escarole soup (photo), "turkey taco" salad, turkey meatloaf with fig gravy, curried turkey meatballs.
5. The New York Times recently anointed Sriracha the hot new condiment, or new hot condiment, but chefs and Asian cooks have used it for years. For me, Sriracha is an essential, one of several ways I add heat to everything from noodles to scrambled eggs.
Recipes: Asparagus, pepper and peanut soba (photo), nasi goreng, Asian broccoli slaw.
6. Both dried and canned black beans have permanent resident status in my pantry; of all the many beans I cook, black beans are my favorite. They're good for you, and economical, and a perfect starting point for improvisational soups or stews.
Recipes: South End Deep Root Chili, moros y cristianos, black bean and peach soup, corn, bean and two-tomato salad (photo).
7. In my freezer, there are always a couple of packages of Goya discos -- rounds of dough all ready to be turned into empanadas or samosas or giant potstickers. Fill them with anything you have on hand: leftover bits of cheese, cooked vegetables tossed with shredded rotisserie chicken, or chili. The ultimate convenience food.
Recipes: goat cheese and olive empanadas, empanadas filled with chicken picadillo (photo), potato and broccoli samosas.
8. In the past year, Ro*Tel found its way to markets within just a few miles of my house. I couldn't be happier; this mix of chopped tomatoes and green chiles won a place in my heart the first time I tasted it. I haven't tried it with melted Velveeta yet, but I will.
Recipes: Tex-Mex turkey lasagne (photo), Mexicali meatloaf.
9. I love discovering new ingredients, so when Aimee of Under the High Chair sent me some tonka beans, I had lots of fun experimenting with them. A Pantry Special, tonka beans lend a wonderful, vanilla-like flavor to baked goods. I have a few beans left to use later this winter.
Recipe: spice snap cookies (photo).
10. As new as tonka beans were to me in 2009, that's how familiar black pepper is. I go through more black pepper every year than any other spice on the spice rack. This year I used it in cupcakes, too -- a reminder of how good the bite of fresh pepper can be in sweets as well as savory dishes.
Recipes: chocolate double ginger cupcakes, Laurie Colwin's roasted pepper chicken, three-mushroom risotto, oven-barbecued brisket (photo).
What were your favorite pantry ingredients in 2009? Did you discover anything new, or fall in love all over again with a long-time pantry staple?
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I love the array of ingredients you have put together. I have yet to hop on to the sriacha bandwagon... now i've heard the word yet again and my curiosity has been piqued again.
I've loved learning about your top 10 and more --- thanks for all the ideas. Sriracha definitely entered my pantry because of your suggestion.
Great list. I'd certainly like to try some of these. Perhaps, they'll go on my 2010 top 10 ingredients list. ;-)
Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!
Paz
I definitely introduced Sriacha into my pantry as well. I can't handle much heat so that bottle will probably last me 10 years, but I love the flavor of it! Since finding food blogs about a year or so ago it's changed the way I cook. More things come from scratch that I once didn't think I could do. For me, my pantry is constantly evolving from the knowledge I gain from wonderful blogs such as yours. Thank you!
Good list! I too like year-end lists, working on my "wines of the year" posts. If I were making a favorite ingredient list, black beans might be the only overlap with yours. Perhaps top on my list, already-peeled garlic cloves, a huge time saver I've gotten into using this year.
Thanks for a year of scrumptious cooking, great ingredients and this roundup of your top ten!
Thanks so much for the great list. Even though I live part-time in Paris, I've never heard of vadouvan, but you can be sure I'm going to look for it this week. Happy holidays!
Yay for Greek yogurt! It also comes in handy if you want to replace cream in a sauce.
Another ingredient? Still loving smoked paprika.
Great list. I'm a list maker and have been working on my list of favorite things from 2009 - smoky paprika is at the top of my new taste sensations for the year. Can't wait to try vadouvan - love curry.
Great list! I bet narrowing down to 10 favorites was mind numbing.
Love this list... love many of the ingredients on this list... and can't wait to see what finds its way to your 2010 list! Happy Holidays, Lydia!
What a great list! A couple of my own very favorite ingredients are on your list too!
Intriguing list. Finding your blog was one of the best things of 2009 for me! What a wonderful teacher you are. Thank you.
What a great list, Lydia! I just might give some thought to the 'new' ingredients for me in 2009, none comes to mind, unless you count the 'burn' I've learned to put on everything from meat to fruit to vegetables.
A great joy of blogging is the chance to meet 'real' people and 'real' cooks ... please count yourself among that number.
We put Greek yogurt on our baked potatoes last night! Like really tangy sour cream.
As to favorite for 2009, I've gotta say bread flour. No-knead bread is now our staple bread and bread flour guarantees great gluten development no matter what other flours (whole wheat, rye, oat, etc.) I cut it with.
My New Year's resolution? To get my pantry organized enough to take pictures!
Perfect Pantry is a Perfect Blog! Thank you so much!!
nice list....thanks
Thanks so much for the great list! There are several items I hadn't heard of before. My interest is most piqued by the Goya Discos.
Great list! I want to try your tex-mex turkey lasagna, yum!
I think I have lots of pantry ingredients yet to be discovered in 2010 with Penzeys and the Spice House in my backyard!
Purple Foodie, don't be afraid of sriracha. It's spicy, but if you start with a drop here and there, I'm sure you'll fall in love with it.
Mae, I'm so glad you've had fun here.
Paz, I'd love to know what else will be on your 2010 list!
April, thank you so much. My pantry is definitely a work in progress, too, and my tastes change often enough that the pantry has to change to keep up.
Cooking Chat, I'd love to know what else is on your list. I like to buy the pre-peeled garlic cloves when I'm doing a lot of cooking at one time.
Momgateway, so glad you've had fun with this list. I had fun making it (and there are more lists to come....).
Dorie, I can't wait to see what you make with this spice blend. I'm just getting started with it and always looking for new ideas.
Peter, Lynn: smoked paprika might be #11 on my Top 10 list. I do love it.
Jessica, it was not easy!
Michelle, I'm already thinking about new ingredients to try for 2010, but I'll go where my taste buds take me.
Kalyn, I've had such fun with all of these. What else is on your favorites list?
Peggy, how lovely! I'm so glad you found your way here.
Alanna, now the secret is out. Blogging opens doors to friendships all around the world. Thanks for your kind words.
Heidi, bread flour is always in my pantry, too, though I can't eat bread as often as I'd like to. Greek yogurt is one of my new passion foods.
Milton, thank you.
Cookbook Apprentice, look for discos in the frozen food aisle of your supermarket, and have fun with them!
Maris, living in a city with both of those great spice stores is a real treat. You're going to have a wonderful pantry!
2009 was the year of harissa for me. I now make big jars of it and use it in lots of things or as a sub for fresh chilies in the winter.
I haven't seen all of your finds here, but they do seem like good ones!
I love lists too - it's a genetic thing in my family. I was thinking of you as I wandered through Dean & DeLuca yesterday - this is a great list to keep in my wallet. And, you've reminded me that I really have to sample the low carb pasta. Happy New Year!
Thanks for sharing your list. It is always good to learn from other cooks. I agree the black beans and rotel!
I like this list, Lydia. Vadouvan and tonka beans are two that I knew nothing about but will now add to my list.
Happy Holidays!
Lydia - Another great post. Like Treehouse Chef, I'm unfamiliar with tonka beans and vadouvan but I'm right there with you on the other 8. P.S. I've ground black pepper on vanilla ice cream. Delicious!
Happy New Year!
Well, I've certainly learned a thing...or 6. Great list. Those beans, especially, have me intrigued. I've never seen Dreamfields pasta, but will ask about it. I can't abide whole wheat pasta. Love your blog.
CUMIN! love it!
great list - thanks for getting me to use and enjoy greek yogurt!
I love cooking with ground turkey. I've basically got rid of cooking with ground beef entirely. I just made a turkey meatloaf this week and it was positively amazing! The best meatloaf I've ever had!
You couldn't get Ro*Tel in Rhode island? Well, I can get it right here in Oz!
Love black beans too. I invited some Mexican friends over a while back who'd pretty much stopped making their native dishes and they nearly cried when I served them black beans with rice. Your recipe looks nicer though.
Natashya, yes, harissa! I adore it.
TW, Arlene: I can't recommend Dreamfields highly enough. It's the only low-carb (well, low effective carb) pasta I've tried that has taste and texture.
Treehouse Chef, black beans and Ro*Tel together are even better!
Christine, Joan: At the beginning of the year, I promised myself I would find vadouvan. And the surprise of the year was the tonka beans. Can't wait to see what 2010 brings into the pantry!
Carol, Greek yogurt has opened so many possibilities in my cooking.
Good Taste, I've been making tons of meatballs with ground turkey this year. I love it.
Neil, yes, until this year I lived in a Ro*Tel-free zone. Life has improved significantly now that I can dump cans of Ro*Tel into all of my sauces.
I love lists. I even bought a list app for my Blackberry so that I could make even better lists. Lists are good.
Oh my goodness, Ro*tel. It was quite common in the Midwest during my formative years, and yes I've eaten more Velveeta and Ro*tel than can possibly be good for any human. It's bad, in a good way. ;-)
Happy New Year, Lydia!
Thanks for this list of ingredients. You have motivated me to try some of them.