What to do with "special" ingredients?

corblimey

Ok, here's an issue I'm having currently. I've got a recipe for say Chicken Cacciatore, sounds nice, never had it. However, the recipe calls for, amongst other things

1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp tomato puree

Now, I don't have any of those ingredients in my cupboards. The puree pops up from time to time (bolognese and goulash, for example), but I've never noticed the lack of it when I leave it out.

I'd have to buy a whole pound of caster sugar to get 1 tsp out of it. And then I have 99% of a pound of sugar with no use for it. Even if I end up loving the cacciatore, I might make it once or twice a year - I have no idea how long a pound of sugar would last when you're using 2 tsp a year

So how do you other chefs deal with things like this? Just swallow the expense and throw things away as they inevitable go past their use-by? Try to find more recipes that use puree, caster sugar and white vinegar? Leave them out, they're only 1 tsp each so probably not a big deal?

Dolbert

Tbh, most people would consider sugar, vinegar and tomato puree to be 'the basics', always useful to have them in your cupboard! None of those ingredients are expensive or will spoil in a hurry so I don't see the harm in having them. You could probably replace caster sugar with regular white sugar in a lot of recipes without much consequence.

The Hill Billy

I'd always have tomato purée at home. I'd use it in curries, chilli, bolognese, etc. It keeps quite well, so I wouldn't worry about that & just buy some. It adds depth of flavour to dishes. I'd certainly find a bolognese lacking if it wasn't included.

I also have a couple of vinegars - usually red wine, cider, malt & white. If you have any vinegar at all just add a tsp of that.

As for caster sugar - just use granulated if you have some.

Faith

Dolbert wrote: »

Tbh, most people would consider sugar, vinegar and tomato puree to be 'the basics', always useful to have them in your cupboard! .

This x100!

Johnny_Fontane

corblimey wrote: »

Ok, here's an issue I'm having currently. I've got a recipe for say Chicken Cacciatore, sounds nice, never had it. However, the recipe calls for, amongst other things

Now, I don't have any of those ingredients in my cupboards. The puree pops up from time to time (bolognese and goulash, for example), but I've never noticed the lack of it when I leave it out.

I'd have to buy a whole pound of caster sugar to get 1 tsp out of it. And then I have 99% of a pound of sugar with no use for it. Even if I end up loving the cacciatore, I might make it once or twice a year - I have no idea how long a pound of sugar would last when you're using 2 tsp a year

So how do you other chefs deal with things like this? Just swallow the expense and throw things away as they inevitable go past their use-by? Try to find more recipes that use puree, caster sugar and white vinegar? Leave them out, they're only 1 tsp each so probably not a big deal?

wind up, surely. they are remarkably cheap ingredients. most supermarkets have white wine vinegar for about €1.50. you can get really cheap tomato paste (which is muck) for 50c in aldi and caster sugar, a 500g bag for less than a euro.

I've worked out that you never eat salad (vinegar), bake anything (sugar) or have pasta (puree). The above account for about 60% of my life.

corblimey

Yeah, I think that 'the basics' thing is the mindset to get into, but considering I've been cooking regularly for about 10 years and so far have never bought a bag of sugar or bottle of vinegar says one of 2 things - 1. I'll never use these items again once I've cooked this recipe or 2. I need to get better recipes

ETA:

I've worked out that you never eat salad (vinegar), bake anything (sugar) or have pasta (puree). The above account for about 60% of my life.

Not a wind-up at all. I don't put vinegar on my salads (bit of lemon juice is about as far as I go) and have plenty of pasta with my bolognese, meatballs, etc etc - like I said I've never missed puree when I've left it out, but it sounds like I'm not doing it right. You're right though, I don't bake, don't see the point (except if I'm baking these)

Surely 'muck' puree would be worse than none at all!

The Hill Billy

'Muck' purée would be better than nothing.

Johnny_Fontane

as with all things in my life, I try and get the best ingredients. Nowhere better than the Italian supermarket in Smithfield for all things italian. http://littleitalyltd.com/

Sadderday

Chicken Cacciatore is the business....

Mellor

I understand your point about special ingredients but the sugar, vinegar and tomato paste are absolute basic ingredients.

I yes paste any where I use tomato. Vinegar goes well in lots of dishes. I prob have 4or 5 kinds in the press (white, malt, balsamic, cider, rice).
And sugar ... Always handy to have. Baking, tea, asian dishes etc

mmg0305

Vinegar + sugar + tomato puree, hmmm, do you have any tomato ketchup in the house?

corblimey

mmg0305 wrote: »

Vinegar + sugar + tomato puree, hmmm, do you have any tomato ketchup in the house?

Nope. Is that what ketchup is made of???

dipdip

I think most people who enjoy cooking have what is called a 'dry store'. These are cupboard basics. For me they include:

Some oils - peanut, sesame, olive, as well as solid fats like butter and coconut oil
A wide range of dried herbs and spices (oregano, thyme, dried garlic, parsley, dill, turmeric, paprika, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, mace, black pepper, curry leaves, cardamom pods, star anise, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, chilli flakes, sea salt etc.)
Some fresh herbs on the windowsill
Stock cubes/jellies (vegetable, chicken and beef)
A range of vinegars - white, cider, malt, balsamic, rice
Canned fish
Canned tomatoes
Canned chickpeas/black beans/kidney beans
Tomato puree
Pasta, rice, noodles, quinoa, polenta
Dried lentils and some dried beans
Some sauces - ketchup, mayo, chutney, pickle, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce
A range of sugars - brown, white, honey, molasses
A range of flours - bread flour, wholewheat, plain, self-raising, corn

On top of this I'd always have eggs, onions and garlic, so even when there seems to be nothing much to eat I can make falafel, soup, rice, bread, scones and pasta sauces.

This stuff is ALWAYS in the cupboard. As I write this I am aware how privileged and lucky I am to have such a store! However I built it up very very cheaply over the years. Almost none of it goes off. The spices go stale but they get eaten quickly in my house!

Most people who can afford it and who enjoy cooking would have roughly the same, give or take a few items.

dipdip

corblimey wrote: »

Nope. Is that what ketchup is made of???

Yes.

ElleEm

corblimey wrote: »

Yeah, I think that 'the basics' thing is the mindset to get into, but considering I've been cooking regularly for about 10 years and so far have never bought a bag of sugar or bottle of vinegar says one of 2 things - 1. I'll never use these items again once I've cooked this recipe or 2. I need to get better recipes

ETA: Not a wind-up at all. I don't put vinegar on my salads (bit of lemon juice is about as far as I go) and have plenty of pasta with my bolognese, meatballs, etc etc - like I said I've never missed puree when I've left it out, but it sounds like I'm not doing it right. You're right though, I don't bake, don't see the point (except if I'm baking these)

Surely 'muck' puree would be worse than none at all!

Adding some tomato puree to your bolognaise will add a bit of depth. A tube of Tesco puree is probably €1! Next time you are in a cafe, take a couple of sachets of sugar with your tea/ coffee to keep in your store. Otherwise, you should splash out the €4 that it would cost and expand your cooking repertoire!

rubadub

You reaslise caster sugar is just more a finer version of granulated sugar. I know in another thread a guy thought they were different.

If you really need caster sugar you can liquidise up regular sugar to get it finer. It the sugar is not a topping and just dissolving then it won't matter, caster just dissolves a bit faster.

Caster sugar is usally a bit dearer as its got more processing, but tesco often have it cheaper than regular sugar, I was told this was to compete with lidl & aldi.

You can get puree in toothpaste type tubes, these keep very well in the fridge, as you squeeze it out and have not exposed it to air much at all, and not air gets into the container.

Vinegar keeps for years, and can be used for cleaning and other things.