Most people agree that freshness makes all the difference in the taste of any food.  However, as Mark Bittman points out in a recent New York Times article, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to purchase fresh ingredients in the cold months.  He offers a number of simple alternatives to typical pantry stand-bys that will enhance both the taste and quality of your daily fare.  For example, Bittman advises choosing freshly squeezed lemons over bottled lemon juice, preparing real whole grains instead of the boil-in-a-bag variety, and discarding any ersatz staples lurking in your pantry (such as Pam and imitation maple syrup).  Bittman starts by saying:

“Perhaps, like me, you have this romantic notion of shopping daily — maybe even a mental vision of yourself making the rounds, wicker basket in hand, of your little Shropshire or Provençal or Tuscan village. The reality, of course, is that few of us provision our kitchens or cook exclusively with ultra-fresh ingredients, especially in winter, when there simply are no ultra-fresh ingredients . . .”

The rest of Bittman’s useful pantry list can be found online here.

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Uncategorized by Wendy Van Wagner