Comments on: The Basics for Raw Food Recipes http://www.paul4congress.org/food-recipes/the-basics-for-raw-food-recipes Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:18:59 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Robert M http://www.paul4congress.org/food-recipes/the-basics-for-raw-food-recipes/comment-page-1#comment-354 Robert M Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:24:59 +0000 http://www.paul4congress.org/food-recipes/the-basics-for-raw-food-recipes#comment-354 It depends on the types of recipes you cook and whether you're doing mostly cooking, baking, or both. A good starting set of ingredients might include: * Flour (I prefer whole wheat because it's healthier and only keep a little white on hand; you can normally substitute even when the recipe doesn't say so); * Sugar (white and--if you do a lot of baking--brown, although you can substitute white + molasses for brown if you need to); * Salt and pepper; * Baking soda and baking powder (although if you're out of baking powder you can substitute with a mixture of baking powder plus cream of tartar); * Oil (canola, soybean, and corn are examples of mild-tasting oils; olive oil is nice to have for cooking, but you'll probably want something else for baking or if olive-oil flavor doesn't mesh well with some particular dish). I also like to keep some butter on hand but usually substitute oil for butter to make recipes healthier (but not if the recipe really needs a solid fat). Shortening is cheaper but usually made with hydrogenated oils, which I try to avoid for health reasons; same with margarine. You can get whatever you like. * Vanilla, if you do a lot of baking; * Any seasonings you regularly use; common ones include cinnamon, Italian seasoning (or individual herb such as oregano, basil, and thyme), garlic powder, onion powder, and any other ones you like or that your recipes frequently call for. Beyond that, it depends on what types of things you like to cook. I make a lot of Italian (well, Americanized Italian) food, so I always keep lots of flour and Italian seasoning on hand in addition to these items: * Tomatoes or tomato products (tomato sauce and pasta sauce, although you can make the latter from the former if you want), * Fresh and frozen vegetables (onions, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, and whatever is available or in season), * Pasta noodles (especially spaghetti and lasagna) * Olives * Mushrooms * Cheese * Nuts I also like rice, so I stock that as well. (It's easy to cook--even the "real" non-instant kind--and throw in some vegetables for a quick lunch or dinner.) I'm vegetarian, so I don't eat meat, but if you do, you may want to have some on hand, as well. There are also some other things that are nice to have, like corn starch (useful for thickening up runny sauces), vinegar (useful for dressings or for combining with milk to make fake buttermilk, if you don't have that, for baking), cocoa powder (if you do a lot of baking and like this flavor), and perhaps more I am forgetting. But mostly, it depends on what types of food you're making. Take note of what ingredients you're frequently lacking, and make sure to get them for next time--or find a substitute if you happen to have one lying around in your kitchen. (For example: no nutmeg? Try cinnamon. There are a lot of tricks like this you can use in a pinch; the front pages of many cookbooks have this information, or you can try a Web search...or a Yahoo! Answers question. :)) Good luck! Hope this helps.<br><b>References : </b><br>I am an avid home cook and baker. It depends on the types of recipes you cook and whether you’re doing mostly cooking, baking, or both. A good starting set of ingredients might include:
* Flour (I prefer whole wheat because it’s healthier and only keep a little white on hand; you can normally substitute even when the recipe doesn’t say so);
* Sugar (white and–if you do a lot of baking–brown, although you can substitute white + molasses for brown if you need to);
* Salt and pepper;
* Baking soda and baking powder (although if you’re out of baking powder you can substitute with a mixture of baking powder plus cream of tartar);
* Oil (canola, soybean, and corn are examples of mild-tasting oils; olive oil is nice to have for cooking, but you’ll probably want something else for baking or if olive-oil flavor doesn’t mesh well with some particular dish). I also like to keep some butter on hand but usually substitute oil for butter to make recipes healthier (but not if the recipe really needs a solid fat). Shortening is cheaper but usually made with hydrogenated oils, which I try to avoid for health reasons; same with margarine. You can get whatever you like.
* Vanilla, if you do a lot of baking;
* Any seasonings you regularly use; common ones include cinnamon, Italian seasoning (or individual herb such as oregano, basil, and thyme), garlic powder, onion powder, and any other ones you like or that your recipes frequently call for.

Beyond that, it depends on what types of things you like to cook. I make a lot of Italian (well, Americanized Italian) food, so I always keep lots of flour and Italian seasoning on hand in addition to these items:
* Tomatoes or tomato products (tomato sauce and pasta sauce, although you can make the latter from the former if you want),
* Fresh and frozen vegetables (onions, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, and whatever is available or in season),
* Pasta noodles (especially spaghetti and lasagna)
* Olives
* Mushrooms
* Cheese
* Nuts

I also like rice, so I stock that as well. (It’s easy to cook–even the "real" non-instant kind–and throw in some vegetables for a quick lunch or dinner.) I’m vegetarian, so I don’t eat meat, but if you do, you may want to have some on hand, as well.

There are also some other things that are nice to have, like corn starch (useful for thickening up runny sauces), vinegar (useful for dressings or for combining with milk to make fake buttermilk, if you don’t have that, for baking), cocoa powder (if you do a lot of baking and like this flavor), and perhaps more I am forgetting.

But mostly, it depends on what types of food you’re making. Take note of what ingredients you’re frequently lacking, and make sure to get them for next time–or find a substitute if you happen to have one lying around in your kitchen. (For example: no nutmeg? Try cinnamon. There are a lot of tricks like this you can use in a pinch; the front pages of many cookbooks have this information, or you can try a Web search…or a Yahoo! Answers question. :) )

Good luck! Hope this helps.
References :
I am an avid home cook and baker.

]]> By: perfection http://www.paul4congress.org/food-recipes/the-basics-for-raw-food-recipes/comment-page-1#comment-353 perfection Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:22:59 +0000 http://www.paul4congress.org/food-recipes/the-basics-for-raw-food-recipes#comment-353 My basics are eggs, cheese, olive oil, garlic, onions, lemons, tinned tomatoes, tinned chickpeas, dried lentils, wholemeal flour, sea salt, potatoes. My herb and spice basics are ground cumin, chilli powder, paprika, dried thyme, dried basil. I also have fresh herbs in pots outside my kitchen and the ones I use most are spearmint, parsley and bay. It's easy to buy small pots of fresh herbs in the supermarks and just keep them on the kitchen windowsill or outside. I also snip leaves off and freeze them in plastic bags. Hope this helps :)<br><b>References : </b><br> My basics are eggs, cheese, olive oil, garlic, onions, lemons, tinned tomatoes, tinned chickpeas, dried lentils, wholemeal flour, sea salt, potatoes.

My herb and spice basics are ground cumin, chilli powder, paprika, dried thyme, dried basil.

I also have fresh herbs in pots outside my kitchen and the ones I use most are spearmint, parsley and bay. It’s easy to buy small pots of fresh herbs in the supermarks and just keep them on the kitchen windowsill or outside. I also snip leaves off and freeze them in plastic bags.

Hope this helps :)
References :

]]> By: Miz Lamb http://www.paul4congress.org/food-recipes/the-basics-for-raw-food-recipes/comment-page-1#comment-352 Miz Lamb Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:20:59 +0000 http://www.paul4congress.org/food-recipes/the-basics-for-raw-food-recipes#comment-352 My once every 6 months grocery replenishment list is: flour sugar powder sugar brown sugar shortening oil baking powder baking soda any herbs or spices I happen to be out of salt Canned milk powdered milk variety flours canned meats then there is my every 2 weeks shopping list: eggs fresh milk cream butter fresh veggies fresh fruits And my holiday shopping list: coconut cocoa marshmallow cream marshmallows cream cheese dried fruit bits nuts baking chocolate chocolate chips and other chips maraschino cherries chopped dates sweetened condensed milk cake flour<br><b>References : </b><br> My once every 6 months grocery replenishment list is:
flour
sugar
powder sugar
brown sugar
shortening
oil
baking powder
baking soda
any herbs or spices I happen to be out of
salt
Canned milk
powdered milk
variety flours
canned meats

then there is my every 2 weeks shopping list:
eggs
fresh milk
cream
butter
fresh veggies
fresh fruits

And my holiday shopping list:
coconut
cocoa
marshmallow cream
marshmallows
cream cheese
dried fruit bits
nuts
baking chocolate
chocolate chips and other chips
maraschino cherries
chopped dates
sweetened condensed milk
cake flour
References :

]]> By: smallbluepickles http://www.paul4congress.org/food-recipes/the-basics-for-raw-food-recipes/comment-page-1#comment-351 smallbluepickles Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:18:59 +0000 http://www.paul4congress.org/food-recipes/the-basics-for-raw-food-recipes#comment-351 I think I usually need butter, eggs, brown sugar, corn starch, salt, ground pepper (white & black), olive oil, dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, bay leaf), nuts, etc.<br><b>References : </b><br> I think I usually need butter, eggs, brown sugar, corn starch, salt, ground pepper (white & black), olive oil, dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, bay leaf), nuts, etc.
References :

]]> By: Sahara http://www.paul4congress.org/food-recipes/the-basics-for-raw-food-recipes/comment-page-1#comment-350 Sahara Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:16:23 +0000 http://www.paul4congress.org/food-recipes/the-basics-for-raw-food-recipes#comment-350 <b>What are some basic food ingredients that every recipe usually calls for?</b><br>Every time I want to cook something from recipes i find online it seems im always missing one of the ingredients. What are some basic food ingredients that alot of dishes need that I can buy at the grocer and keep stocked in my kitchen? Or what do you usually keep stocked in your house to make lunch and dinner or desserts? What are some basic food ingredients that every recipe usually calls for?
Every time I want to cook something from recipes i find online it seems im always missing one of the ingredients. What are some basic food ingredients that alot of dishes need that I can buy at the grocer and keep stocked in my kitchen? Or what do you usually keep stocked in your house to make lunch and dinner or desserts?

]]>