The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [1]
pantry
STAPLES
ANCHOVIES These tiny salt-cured fish are a staple of the cuisines of France, Spain, and Italy, where they are used to impart depth of flavor to sauces, such as salsa verde and bagna cauda, as well as to many meat, poultry, and vegetable dishes. When possible, buy anchovies that are salt-packed and sold in jars rather than those packed in oil and sold in tins. To tame their saltiness, rinse anchovies briefly under cold running water before using. Avoid overcooking, or cooking in oil that is too hot, as they will fry and harden instead of dissolving; mashing them first helps them blend quickly. Keep unopened tins at room temperature; once opened, transfer the fillets to an airtight container, cover with oil, and refrigerate for up to a month. Salt-packed anchovies have a much longer shelf life, and will keep for up to a year at room temperature (even after opening).
BEANS Black beans, cannellini beans, and chickpeas are versatile—add them to salads or combine them with rice or pasta for hearty side dishes or meatless main courses. Before using, rinse canned beans under cold running water and allow them to drain thoroughly. Once opened, transfer beans to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.
CANNED MILK (EVAPORATED MILK AND SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK) Both products are made by removing about half the water from fresh milk, but sweetened condensed milk has sugar added while evaporated milk does not. They are not interchangeable. Evaporated milk lends creaminess to sauces and desserts; it can be mixed with an equal amount of water and used in place of fresh milk in a pinch. Sweetened condensed milk has a very sweet, distinctive flavor, and is used in pies, candies, and other desserts; it is the only milk used in dulce de leche, a creamy Spanish sauce with a caramel flavor, and one of three milks in Pastel Tres Leches, a classic Mexican cake. Canned milk can be kept in the pantry for months; once opened, the milk should be refrigerated in an airtight container and used within several days.
CANNED TOMATOES You can find tomatoes in many forms (diced, crushed, seasoned, and so on), but whole tomatoes (in juice, not puree) are the most versatile. The tomatoes will break down over long, slow cooking, making them ideal for stews, braises, and meat sauces. They can also be cut with kitchen scissors or crushed with your hands for use in quick-cooking sauces and dishes or pureed for a smooth consistency (instead of using canned tomato sauce).
CANNED TUNA Oil-packed tuna from Italy, particularly Sicily, has the best flavor. The cans will keep, unopened, for up to a year; after opening, transfer the tuna to a tightly sealed container and use within a few days.
CAPERS Capers are the salt-processed, unopened flower buds of a trailing shrub that thrives in the arid climate along the shores of the Mediterranean. Tangy and pungent, with a slight astringency, capers are an essential ingredient in many well-known dishes such as caponata, pasta puttanesca, and salad Niçoise, as well as classic sauces such as rémoulade. Nonpareils, the tiniest capers, are the most expensive but have the most delicate flavor. Capers are either packed in brine or salt; since they are rinsed and drained before using, the salt-packed type actually have a less salty taste. Capers keep indefinitely in unopened jars. Once opened, they are best used within a year; refrigerate brine-packed capers and keep salt-packed capers at room temperature