Sharing Plate – Your Cooking Coach |

Have the right lipids in your pantry is extremely important. The list below are the ones I have in my kitchen and I use each one for different purposes. I realize not everyone has the space nor the inclination to keep so many different oils but they do all have their own uses.

If you want to have just a few- extra virgin olive oil , extra light olive oil and one really good extra olive oil for drizzling on top.

Have a look at my list and let me know if I am missing anything. One oil I usually have on hand but was out when I was doing this list is walnut oil. I love having it on hand for making salad dressings. Another one I have heard a lot about is avocado oil- it is supposed to be very healthy to cook with. I will definitely buy it and get back to you on it.

Here is my list…

1. Extra light olive oil- I do all my cooking with this oil. Most Indians are very surprised since I use this lipid for cooking Indian food as well. It has no flavor and has the goodness of olive oil. It is great for frying as well.
2. Extra virgin olive oil- What can I say about this oil. I love having it around all the time. It sits right next to my cook top. I use it for Italian dishes and a quick salad dressing.
3. Sesame oil- All my chinese stir fries, etc get a drizzle of this oil while cooking. It provides a great nuttiness to the dish. Store it in the fridge to avoid rancidity.
4. Peanut oil- This oil has a very high cooking point. I don’t fry very often, but when I do, I use peanut oil.
5. Truffle oil- Great to drizzle on top of pastas and other Italian dishes. It has a delicious, earthy flavor. I love having it on hand.
6. Mustard oil- Mustard oil is very popular in Indian cooking. It has a very distinct mustardy flavor.
7. Meyer lemon olive oil- It is nice to have some super fancy olive oil on had for salad dressings or for drizzling on top of pasta dishes.
8. Grapeseed oil- I use this oil for making homemade granola. It is high in antioxidants and vitamin E.
9. Sportoletti extra virgin olive oil- I got this from Spello, Italy this past summer. I have not opened it as yet. I would use it purely for drizzling. It is super fresh and I can’t wait.
10. Altomena extra virgin olive oil- Another fancy oil in my pantry. I love having a variety of these lipids to choose from.

I love collecting vinegars. They are relatively inexpensive and last a long time. Well, I guess depends how often you use them. I do end up making salad dressing at home but also have a bunch of store bought salad dressings in my fridge. So, the point of this list is not to make you feel guilty if you don’t make your own dressing. Although it is the most easy thing you could do. It takes all of 5 minutes to whip up a yummy dressing. Especially if you have the necessary ingredients- hence the vinegar list.

I recently bought the muscat orange champagne vinegar from Trader Joes. It is delicious. I made a blood orange salad and used this vinegar and it was unbelievable. I paired it with extra virgin olive oil and a bit of honey. The vinegar is very soft and subtle, yet very flavorful.

I would love to know which vinegars you have in your pantry…

1. All purpose white vinegar- it really is an all-purpose vinegar. It can be used for cooking and cleaning. If you ever run out of a particular vinegar- use this one.
2. White wine vinegar- delicious in any salad dressing and/or a sauce.
3. Balsamic vinegar- I use this for everything, mostly an everyday salad dressing. A bit of balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper – just drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and you are done…
4. Rice vinegar- Great for stir fry sauces, etc.
5. Red wine vinegar- I consider this an all-purpose vinegar as well. Good have.
6. Sherry vinegar- Special vinegar- for spanish dishes and to give a kick to your usual salad dressings.
7. Malt vinegar- I used it for some Indian recipes.
8. Raspberry vinegar- Same as sherry vinegar. Great to have. This goes fabulously well with walnut oil and makes a great salad dressing.
9. Champagne vinegar-Special occasion vinegar- love it.
10. Apple Cider vinegar- Any time I add apples to a salad, I use this vinegar to make the salad dressing.

I am a big believer in a well stocked pantry. Since I cook all the time and thing about food 24/7, I make sure my fridge and pantry are full with the right ingredients. I love to be able to conjure something up in my mind and make it happen in the kitchen without going to the store.

Many people ask me constantly what I have in my pantry and fridge, and what they should have in theirs. I feel you need to think about your cooking repertoire and what kind of cuisines you  make. Once you have a handle on the kinds of dishes you normally make- you can make a list of all the ingredients you need.

When I go grocery shopping- which I am ashamed (not really) to admit is almost every day- I go through the isles to remind me if I need anything to replenish my pantry.

Since I am doing top ten lists- yes I feel like David Letterman once again, I decided to start with listing the top ten Asian ingredients.

1. Rice Vinegar- I love having this in my pantry. Great for stir fries, salads and curries.
2. Tamari- I use this instead of soy sauce. This is a more concentrated version of it so a little goes a long way and it doesn’t make the dishes too watery.
3. Toasted Sesame Oil- This has a delicious nutty flavor. I start my stir fries with a teaspoon of this oil. It is also great for salad dressings. Store it in the fridge.
4. Fish Sauce- It has a wonderful underlying nutty, salty flavor. Don’t smell it while using it and you will love it.
5. Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce- It can be found in any grocery store in the Asian isle. Great as a dipping sauce or part of a stir fry sauce.
6. Honey- I love, love honey. I have all sorts in my pantry. It is great to sweeten anything from sauces, to salad dressings.
7. Fresh Ginger- What a versatile ingredient. Stays forever in your fridge. Great for curries, stir fries and desserts.
8. Garlic- I would be lost without garlic. I need to have lots of it in my vegetable basket. I put it in everything.
9. Green Onions- They have a great, light onion flavor AND they look pretty. Excellent as a garnish on top.
10. Light Coconut Meal- Great for Thai dishes and desserts. I use the light version since there is no difference in flavor. I always have a few cans in my pantry.

I would love to hear your top ten Asian ingredients….

I am hoping to start a weekly tradition of top ten lists. This week I begin with things to change or do to stay healthy. I am definitely not a doctor nor a dietician but I do have common sense and I know what works for me and my family. Especially as a woman in my late thirties (I can’t say that for too long- so I will milk it for what it is), I find it harder to stay on course in terms of losing weight or keeping it off. I find I have to eat far less than I used to and exercise a lot more than before.

I guess things change as you get older and have kids. I feel very responsible for teaching my daughter healthy eating and living habits. Things that will stay with her for a life time. I want her to know how to live a balanced and happy life- well that maybe a completely different post…

So- I ask all of my readers to go through the list and comment ‘on the blog’ what things are on your list that are missing from mine. I would love to get a conversation going and learn from all of you out there. If you all are interested, we can do this on a weekly basis.

Here is my top ten list- I feel like David Letterman…

1. Eat a good breakfast- consisting of fiber, protein and fruit- Whole-wheat toast with one egg and some strawberries on the side.
2. Eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolism high.
3. Snack on non-fat Greek yogurt, fruit with raw honey and walnuts.
4. Take all white flour and white bread out of the house. Eat whole wheat bread and substitute the regular flour for white whole-wheat flour.
5. For lunch- make a one-slice open sandwich with whole wheat bread, smoked salmon, fresh tomatoes, sprouts and cucumbers. Spread some hummus and sprinkle a dash of garlic powder on top.
6. Substitute evaporated cane juice for white sugar.
7. Cook with extra light olive oil and use extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings and topping pasta dishes.
8. Drink eight (8 ounces) glasses of water.
9. Have an ounce or two of dark chocolate.
10. Have a dinner consisting of fish, shrimp with lots of vegetables.

I am not sure if some of you recognize this particular chili. I made it last year for the big game and this year I will make another kind but thought I should give a recipe in advance if you are planning ahead.
It is a very busy week for me- my darling daughter turns seven on Thursday and initially I was planning to bake cupcakes for her class as well as her party on Saturday. As the week came upon me, I realized I will be baking 4 dozen cupcakes- somehow that didn’t sound very pleasant to me. I was initially very excited about baking all the cupcakes but the thought of 20 kids in her class eating just a bit of a cupcake and throwing the rest away was not a pleasant one. All that work and effort will go right in the garbage- so I decided to buy the cupcakes for the class instead- of course I talked to my daughter first and she was okay with it. A little less work for me this week- so it opens up some time for me to plan a meal for the Super Bowl.
I think if I had a bit more time I would come up with something very different. For now the plan is to make a chili verde- which is a Mexican stew made with pork shoulder in a tomatillo sauce. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? I can’t wait to make it and taste it- I think I will make it on Saturday because soups, stews taste better the next day. I will be using this recipe as an inspiration- so if you are so inclined- you can do the same.

I will also make some guacamole and corn bread. Although beer is the beverage of choice for the big day- I will stick to wine, thank you very much.

If I can get my act together- I will post the chili recipe at the end of the week. Now that I have shared what I will be making, I want to know what you will be making for the big game?? Please share and give everyone more ideas…. No matter what you do or eat- remember to enjoy the Super Bowl but do try to eat healthy.