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Jeff
Robinson, chef/owner of Cedarburg Bistro, always keeps a can
of Stanislaus Al Dente Ultra Premium Pasta Sauce on hand.
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Sometimes even the most inspired home
cook can feel like Old Mother Hubbard. Your cupboard may be full, but
at the same time it can feel quite bare.
The problem is not in having a full
pantry, but rather a stocked and functional pantry. With the right
ingredients and just a hair of creative inspiration, it’s easy to
create a well-stocked kitchen from as few as five ingredients.
Brian Zarletti, chef and co-owner of
Zarletti’s in downtown Milwaukee, begins his shopping list with
Arborio rice and chicken stock, two basic staples and also the basis
for risotto, a great dish to make in a pinch.
"I always have Arborio rice on
hand in my own kitchen," he says. "Risotto is a great dish
to make as a meal or a side dish."
He would include dried porcini
mushrooms (or a handful of fresh mushrooms) and Parmesan Reggiano,
both of which can be used in mushroom risotto. Given the choice of a
sixth ingredient, he would suggest fresh herbs, specifically sage.
Jason Logan, executive chef at the
Delafield Inn, focuses on five multipurpose ingredients based on a
commercial kitchen.
"My first staple would be chicken
base," he says. "You can use it in soups and sauces and as
an overall seasoning."
For example, he says that chicken base
can be added to the water used in cooking rice or pasta to pump up the
flavor. Chicken base is used in many soups, stews and other dishes.
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Brian
Zarletti, chef/co-owner of Zarletti’s on Milwaukee Street,
stocks up on Arborio rice, dried porcini mushrooms and
Parmesan Reggiano for his home kitchen.
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"There’s a reason why everything
tastes like chicken," he laughs.
His second ingredient is heavy whipping
cream. "This is an ingredient that can be used throughout an
entire meal, from the beginning to dessert, either as a recipe
ingredient or whipped as a topping," he notes.
A quick dessert idea: Fresh fruit with
a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
The third item on his list is the
humble potato. "It’s such a versatile item," he notes.
"You can mash it, twice bake it, french fry it, scallop it —
none of which is terribly difficult to do."
He follows this up with another humble,
yet far more pungent ingredient. "You got to have garlic,"
he says. "Like the potato, it can be used in so many ways."
Roasted cloves of garlic can be spread
on a fresh baguette for an appetizer and is a staple ingredient in
many main dishes.
Finally, he suggests having Kosher salt
on hand. "We use it on everything," he notes. "The only
thing we use on our house vegetables is clarified butter and Kosher
salt and people think they are out of this world."
Jeff Robinson, chef-owner of Cedarburg
Bistro (the former Camille’s) begins his list with a can of
Stanislaus Al Dente Ultra Premium Pasta Sauce.
"It’s the best ready-to-go pasta
sauce out there," he notes. "If you don’t have the fresh
ingredients to make a pasta sauce at home, this is the one to
get."
His next suggestion is a packet of
Provini Veal Demi Glace Sauce. "Add a little heavy cream and
garlic to it and it becomes the basis for a great meat sauce," he
notes.
As a side for the time challenged, he
suggests keeping a package of Instant Idahoan Potatoes. He also rounds
out his list with mushrooms.
And as a bonus, he suggests a sixth
item to round out any meal.
"Oh that’s an easy one," he
laughs. "I’d keep a Bananas Foster ice cream cake in the
freezer. You can get by any day with one of those."
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