[0 - 2] Hey, guys. Welcome back to Basics With Babish,
[2 - 4] where this week, we're taking a look at pantry essentials.
[4 - 9] So many people have written in, asking, "What do I need to keep in my cabinets at all times?"
[9 - 16] And I wanted to show you a few culinary mainstays that'll help you to build dishes from scratch, and amp up dishes in progress.
[16 - 18] Let's get down to Basics.
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[52 - 55] Alright, guys, so let's start by taking a look at salt.
[55 - 58] As you hopefully know by know, I'm a big fan of Kosher Salt.
[58 - 61] I like Diamond Crystal, but Morton's is also just fine,
[61 - 65] But we want to have a variety of different kinds of salt in our pantry.
[65 - 69] Coarse Sea Salt can be useful for garnishing breads, or pretzels.
[69 - 74] And Maldon's giant, crispy sea salt flakes are great for finishing steaks,
[74 - 79] and anything you wanna add a little bit of crunch to, but not too much saltiness. They're really cool and very versatile.
[79 - 84] Now, let's talk baking ingredients. Obviously, you gotta have the essentials always on hand –
[84 - 87] All-Purpose Flour, Sugar, Baking Soda, Baking Powder.
[87 - 91] Next up, both for baking and for breakfast, we always wanna keep some Quaker Oats on hand.
[91 - 97] Make sure you pour them directly onto your countertop, as a sort of fruitless demonstration of what they look like.
[97 - 101] I always keep oats on hand for cookies, bread, or, obviously, oatmeal.
[101 - 102] Now, let's talk vinegars.
[102 - 107] These have a variety of different uses, and can being a wealth of different flavors to different dishes.
[107 - 112] There's a dizzying number of vinegars, but these are the basics that I like to keep on hand.
[112 - 116] Starting with Apple Cider Vinegar, which is slightly more mellow, and apparently very good for your GI Tract.
[116 - 118] Good ol' regular White Vinegar,
[118 - 119] of course, Balsamic Vinegar,
[119 - 121] and Red Wine Vinegar, for salads.
[121 - 124] Champagne Vinegar has an especially light and fresh taste,
[124 - 128] and, of course, Rice Wine Vinegar is essential for Asian cuisine.
[128 - 130] Altogether, you've got yourself a Vinegar powerhouse.
[130 - 133] How about Oil? These are the bare essentials in my mind.
[133 - 136] Olive oil, for when you need lots of flavor, but not very high heat.
[136 - 141] Don't cheap out on this stuff, but don't go crazy, either. Maybe $15-20 is a good range.
[141 - 146] Then there's Grapeseed Oil. This has a very, very high smoke point, so it's ideal for searing.
[146 - 150] And lastly, Canola (or vegetable) Oil for deep-frying and baking.
[150 - 154] I always keep a big jug of this stuff, because you need a *lot* to deep fry.
[154 - 158] This one has a great no-drip spout for when you want to pour it directly down your own gullet.
[158 - 160] I'm just kidding, obviously. Don't do that.
[160 - 162] Now, let's take a look at some noodles.
[162 - 167] I like to keep some good, straight Japanese Ramen Noodles around for soups and stir fries.
[167 - 170] And, of course, some Elbows for spontaneous Mac & Cheese.
[170 - 173] And whatever other pasta pleases your palate.
[173 - 177] You are, after all, the "Chef Jon" of your Lasagn....a. Sorry.
[177 - 183] Always keep a can of nonstick spray around, for baking, greasing skillets for pancakes, and pointlessly shaking around.
[183 - 185] Now, let us summon....Tomato Paste.
[185 - 192] Essential for cooking all manner of Italian dishes and stocks, Tomato Paste in a tube is way more convenient than the stuff in a can.
[192 - 194] But, cans aren't always bad. How about Canned Tomatoes?
[194 - 197] (One of the ways to cook with tomatoes when tomatoes are out of season).
[197 - 202] I always keep a few cans of 28-ounce (795 gram) D.O.P. San Marzano Tomatoes.
[202 - 204] Some other Can-Jams you always wanna keep on hand:
[204 - 208] Black Beans, of course, primarily for Chili. Or Pollo Ala Plancha.
[208 - 213] You can use dry beans if you want, but these are just a whole lot easier, and there's not much of a difference in quality.
[213 - 216] Another type of bean that I insist on keeping on hand are Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas).
[216 - 221] These guys are great roasted and salted as a snack, or whipped up into homemade Hummus.
[221 - 227] And, if the occasion calls for a Piña Colada, or a curry, for that matter, you want to keep some Coconut Milk on hand.
[227 - 230] Not to mention, a little jar of Red or Green Curry Paste.
[230 - 233] With just these, some vegetables and rice, you've got yourself a meal- Whoa!
[233 - 238] Speaking of which, let's talk about rice. You gotta have rice on hand at all times.
[238 - 242] Jasmine is a great place to start, because it's very, very versatile, mildly aromatic,
[242 - 246] But there's a whole host of different kinds of rice you might want to keep on hand:
[246 - 250] Red Rice, Jasmine Rice, Basmati Rice, Wild Rice, Jade Pearl Rice.
[250 - 254] Or, the all-important Arborio Rice, which I'm fresh out of, because we just used it in a recipe.
[254 - 256] So, now lets talk about nuts.
[256 - 262] I like to keep nuts around, just for any old time you wanna throw some in cookies, or chicken salad, or just in your stupid big mouth.
[262 - 266] Cornmeal – Not so much for snacking, but as a very versatile tool.
[266 - 271] Whether you're dusting the bottom of pizzas, making cornbread, or polenta, you can't have enough Cornmeal.
[271 - 273] (Doing Joe Pesci impression) "And don't even get me stahted ahn Grits."
[273 - 275] That's my best Joe Pesci, and that's all your'e gonna get.
[275 - 277] Now, let's talk about the all-important Soy Sauce.
[277 - 284] From its obvious uses in Asian cuisine to amping up the umami of a Thanksgiving gravy, this is an endlessly useful condiment.
[284 - 288] Not unlike Woo-shuh-shuh Shau...Whoosh...Whoosh...Worcetershire Sauce
[288 - 292] Wait a minute, is this Low-Sodium Worcetershire? Let's get some real, full-sodium stuff in here.
[292 - 295] Screw this. *Glass shatters in distance* Unless, you know, you need it, for, like, medical reasons.
[295 - 299] But, for your next meatloaf, barbecue sauce, or stir fry, look no further than Lea & Perrin's.
[299 - 302] Just don't go being a dingus and mixing it into your burger meat.
[302 - 304] Now, how about some bottled Balsamic reduction?
[304 - 311] Sure, you could make this yourself, but this is really handy to have around, and wonderful to spread over soft cheeses and vegetables.
[312 - 319] It took me a long time to get a palate for this stuff, but Sesame Oil is really super useful in all different sorts of salads, noodles, and stir fries.
[319 - 322] Just make sure you don't over-do it – this stuff is *strong*
[322 - 325] Now to address the issue of pre-prepared stock.
[325 - 328] Skip the crap in the box and go for Better Than Bouillon in the jar.
[328 - 335] This stuff is actually made with real chicken and beef, and it smells like real chicken and beef, unlike the boxed stuff, which smells like cat piss.
[335 - 338] Amongst the other funky smells in our pantry today –
[338 - 344] should be a little jar of Marmite, which is just autolyzed yeast extract, so it is pure umami flavor.
[344 - 349] It's pretty gross on its own, but mixed into a stew, or, like, a turkey burger, it can do wonders.
[349 - 351] Look out, folks. It's Nutritional Yeast Flakes.
[351 - 357] It's very at home in mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs, and makes a great parmesan substitute for your Vegan friends!
[357 - 359] Flyin' in next, we got some Cock Sauce.
[359 - 366] A condiment deemed essential by the internet community, Sriracha has taken the world by storm over the past 5-10 years, and with good reason.
[366 - 373] It's tasty, it's got just the right amount of heat, you might say that Sriracha's really on a rolllllllllLLL....Fish Sauce!
[373 - 377] Fish Sauce is just made from anchovies, so, again, pure umami.
[377 - 383] Huge applications, and when poured directly onto your table, it smells...really, really, really bad, as we found out.
[383 - 386] On the subject...Hmm? What do we got in here? Anchovy Paste.
[386 - 388] Same deal – small amounts, lots of flavor.
[388 - 394] A handy little resealable tube you can keep in the fridge instead of having to crack open a tin of these every time you wanna use one.
[395 - 398] What would a pantry be without Honey?
[398 - 402] It's the only foodstuff in history that never goes bad, and its uses are endless.
[402 - 404] Don't let me come over and catch you without Honey in your home.
[404 - 406] Well, guys, those are some pantry essentials.
[406 - 411] I'm sure we're gonna make a Part 2 real soon, after I hear in the comments about everything I forgot.
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[439 - 444] Thanks for listening, guys. I really hope you like the new site, the new show, and I can't wait to cook with you next week.