If you ask me about my favourite Culinary hero whom I admire, I will say his name for sure.... I like his attitude towards cooking. He knows it so he flaunts it. I have a recipe book of Ramsay & there I found a small note on Store cupboard basics. I find it to be very handy & wanted to share it with you all. Gordon's tips for a good stocked up pantry will be very helpful for those ardent cooking fans like me who love to experiment new & different World Class Recipes....:)
OILS: Pure Olive oil for cooking, extra virgin olive for drizzling, groundnut for deep frying, plus flavouring oils, such as sesame, walnut & truffle infused olive oil.
VINEGARS: White & red wine, aged balsamic, cider, sherry & malt vinegars.
SEASONINGS & SAUCES: Sea salt, black peppercorns, green, white & pink peppercorns for occasional use, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, Dijon mustard, tomato ketchup.
SPICES: Allspice powder, cardamom pods, chilli powder, cinnamon sticks, chinese five spice powder, cloves, coriander (seeds/ground), cumin (seeds/ground), fennel seeds, garam masala, ground ginger, mustard seeds, nutmeg, paprika, saffron strands, star anise, turmeric, vanilla pods.
ASIAN INGREDIENTS: Light & dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sweet chilli sauce, tamarind paste, fish sauce, mirin (rice wine), coconut milk.
MEDITERRANEAN BASICS: Anchovies in oil, black & green olives, capers, artichoke hearts, ready roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes in oil, tinned tomatoes.
PASTA, GRAINS, NOODLES & PULSES: Dried spaghetti, penne, fusili etc; Chinese egg noodles; basmati, jasmine, paella & risotto rice, couscous, bulghar wheat, rice noodles. Lentils, chickpeas, black beans.
BAKING ESSENTIALS: Flours (plain & self-raising) sugars (caster, granulated, icing, light brown & demerara), dried apricots, sultanas, cocoa powder, vanilla extract.
SWEET EXTRAS: Amaretti biscuits, runny honey, dark chocolate, white chocolate, desiccated coconut, leaf gelatine, sponge fingers (savoiardi).
SPIRITS & LIQUEURS: Brandy, Port, Calvados, Rum, Marsala or Madeira, Grabd Marnier, Tia Maria, Amaretto Liqueur.
