Stock cubes. Probably the most boring thing in the pantry, but equally the most useful. Seriously, how many animal carcasses do you have lying around your house waiting to be boiled down for stock? None? Really? Me neither. Hence, little crumbly squares of genius.
However, they’re not without their faults....
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This is a no-brainer; it’s healthy, gives you sustained energy, isn’t fattening and is cheap. That’s a whole lotta boxes ticked in my book. Of course I always go for the brown rice, but it’s completely a personal choice – long grain and basmati are relatively healthy too, as...
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In the early days of 'us', Mr Gastronomics once freaked out upon coming home to a snivelling, crying, bleary-eyed mess of a girlfriend. He now realises that if this happens and he can't think of anything horrific he's done wrong, I'm chopping onions. Yes, I know there are five...
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Yes, you can of course make your own curry paste. But in these recessionary times it can sometimes make a lot more financial sense to buy the little pot of potent paste (howdyalikethatforalliteration) than schelp across the city to specialist food shops looking for the detailed hard-to-find ingredients.
I find...
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Ok, so it’s not quite a larder staple, more of a fridge-filler but my Mum doesn’t really eat cheese so probably won’t read this and realise I’m shoe-horning posts into blog categories. Ho-hum. Anyway, this is a great ingredient which can lift a dish or provide an interesting...
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This little power-pantry-product is my best find of 2010. I’ve love to tell you that I’m an epicurean connoisseur and I discover little nuggets of world cuisine all the time. However, the real story is decidedly less glamorous. I wanted Subway sauce.
Yes, in truth, I just wanted to recreate...
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My jury is a little out on this. I use them in a lot of recipes because I see them in a lot of recipes, but I’m not entirely convinced they’re doing that different a job to onions, although they do definitely have a milder taste.
What I'm saying (rather...
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I’m a fairly new convert to coconut milk, because I largely dismissed it before a being too calorie-laden. However, lately there is a reduced fat version on the market now and this one I’ve been buying rather a lot recently.
There really is no point trying to concoct any authentic...
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No fear of Dracula visiting our house any time soon, garlic goes in everything. And I mean,
everything, from omelettes to lasagne, even added to butter and smeared on toast for a decadent carb-laden addition to an Italian recipe. It’s cheap, good for you, and can transform a dish....
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This one is all about taste. If you like chunky tomato sauces, then stick with the cans of chopped tomatoes, or, if you’re a hardcore cook, lovely fresh juicy tomatoes. However, if you’re like me and prefer the sauce smoothish and can’t be bothered blending, Passata is one gift...
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Tags: Cheap, Larder Musts, Sauces, Soups, Stew, Stock
