Once a month I like to share five interesting tidbits I have collected while working on the blog. Hope you find this month’s “sage” interesting, informative, and amusing.
We’ve been doing a lot of freshening up and cleaning around here in the hopes that spring will arrive soon. To get enthusiastic about cleaning, a song could help raise the mood. Let’s try “A pantry we will go, a pantry we will go, we’ll make some space or find a place, a pantry we will go.”
Well, maybe your favorite tunes wafting softly in the background will boost your enthusiasm to tackle this task. Whatever it takes, let’s get started!
5 Pastas You Should Always Have In Your Pantry. An interesting blog from former Top Chef contestant and chef Fabio Viviani who shares the five pastas that are always in his pantry. Agree or disagree with his choices, they seemed basic for any Italian household. Good to know I stock them all!
Pantry Splurges. Most of us cook on a budget. This blog has rounded up a few investment ingredients for your pantry. One that I have added to my pantry in recent years is coconut oil. Some on the list may already be standards in your kitchen.
Shelf Life of a Pantry. A well-stocked pantry is a good thing, but may also mean that you’ve picked up out-of-the-ordinary ingredients and kept them in the back of the cupboard for an obscure recipe in the future. (I’m not confessing to anything!) This blog may surprise you with 10 pantry items that have expiration dates.
5 Natural Sugars You Should Have In Your Pantry. Another entry from Food52, a resource I’ve found invaluable for many blog topics, tools, recipes, and cookbooks. They suggest making natural sugars a flavorful, exciting part of your pantry. I’m not sure I agree with all their choices. In fact, I would make Saba (sweet balsamic vinegar) top my list of natural sugars, but that’s just me. “Saba: Regarded as the ancestor of balsamic vinegar, and popular in Roman times, saba is a sweet syrup of slow-cooked concentrated grape musk.” Here’s a website with an abundance of information about balsamic vinegars.
And to finish up this “fiver” post…. I think we need a little wine, right? We’ve labored over cleaning, purging, organizing, etc. and now to enjoy a little refreshment. Well, depending on what time of day you are cleaning and organizing the pantry, an espresso or cappuccino may be more appropriate or check out wine-infused coffee.
If it’s too early to drink it….
Recipes With Wine. From Better Homes & Gardens, these recipes give “enjoy a glass of wine with dinner” a whole new meaning. Each recipe features red, white, or pink wine as one of its key ingredients. Okay! Now that’s something to drink to!
BONUS: Play-by-play guide to deep cleaning your pantry from Food52. Worth the read!