Monday, February 29, 2016

What's going on in my kitchen

Dinner tonight: roast chicken glazed with soy sauce and garlic; salad dressed with a mixture of Asian fish sauce, oil,
and lemon juice; enoki mushrooms briefly sautéed in oil, with soy sauce. Always lots of cooking in my kitchen!

Above are some new and old condiments and ingredients that I find especially useful to have in my kitchen:
  • First, a new ingredient, Asian fish sauce. I used this new item in my salad dressing tonight. It's actually pretty fishy! Made in Vietnam, mostly made out of fish. No sugar! I plan to try more recipes that call for this product.
  • Tomato paste in a tube. I use a squeeze of tomato paste in many, many sauces to add richness of flavor and color. It's one of my most important ingredients, though rarely used in quantity.
  • Balsamic vinegar. Lots of uses! When browning onions, I use a dash of balsamic to make them brown faster, and to add a touch of sweet-sour flavor. When heating ready-made frozen Chinese dumplings, I add a bit of balsamic along with the water that is called for in the package directions. Of course it also goes into salads and occasionally a drizzle on fruits.
  • Peanut sauce. A nice condiment with many foods. We dipped our roast chicken in it tonight. I know you can make your own by blending peanut butter with Sriracha (another good ingredient to have on hand), but I buy it anyway.
  • "Better than Bouillon." A really good instant stock for soups and sauces.
What else has been going on in my kitchen lately?

Just after we returned from Florida, Len did some of his bird editing and
identification at the kitchen counter, but later moved upstairs.
And I have new magnets from the Everglades, the wildlife refuge on Sanibel Island,
and the Ringling Circus Museum, along with older magnets.
Cookbook shelves are next to my refrigerator.
I've been back from my trip to Panama and Florida for almost a week, and I'm still really happy to be cooking in my own kitchen again.



15 comments:

  1. Hi Mae:)
    WOW, your kitchen is well stocked for someone who was away on vaca, lol...

    I've just added Asian Fish Sauce to the pantry but, I haven't found just the right recipe that Marion and I can agree on, lol...

    LOVE, love, love the magnet wall!!!

    You know, as I read this post, I remember Johanna having a sort of linky party at her blog that shares posts from kitchens...It's something like What's in my Kitchen? You might want to check into it. I think this post fits perfectly:)

    Thanks for sharing, Mae...

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  2. That chicken looks marvelous and I'm in love with your magnets! They are so cool!

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  3. What fun your fridge magnets are. We collect them too!

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  4. Doesn't it finally feel good to be back in your own space after traveling? Especially the kitchen!

    I've always been a little afraid of fish sauce but balsamic and tomato paste in a tube are essentials at my house. I'll have to try that stock/bouillon. Sounds useful!

    Love seeing peeks into your world like the fridge and desk! Stay cozy today!

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  5. Condiments and sauces are so important. I feel like I can whip up any meal if I'm well stocked! I find I don't use fish sauce much, I need to explore with it a little more. Love the magnets, such a fun and small item to bring home from vacation,

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  6. I love my condiments and sauces too - I had a tomato paste that came as granules some years ago and loved it as I could use it as much or as little as I wanted but they stopped making it and I went to sachets but sometimes I feel I used it so much I could buy it in bigger packages. And I love fridge magnets too but we have so many I have to slow down on buying them. Love peeking at yours. Enjoy getting back into your kitchen.

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  7. We collect fridge magnets too from holidays. Love the look of your chicken as well.

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  8. We collect fridge magnets too from holidays. Love the look of your chicken as well.

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  9. I have problems with sauces and condiments - they seem to breed in my pantry. You have a lovely selection.

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  10. Looks like lots of delicious things going on in your kitchen. All those condiments makes putting a meal together that much easier.

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  11. Yum. I love condiments, you've got a good range of them there! I haven't seen a squeezy tube of tomato paste but that's a great way to keep it fresh if you're only using a little bit here and there. I have never been a fan of the smell of fish sauce but it's got a great flavour ;)
    Love seeing your travel 'story' through the magnets too!

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  12. Love having asian flavor in my kitchen too. It's always nice to get back into your kitchen after time spent away. We collect fridge magnets too :)

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  13. Love having Asian flavors in my kitchen too. It's always lovely getting back into your kitchen after time spent away. We collect fridge magnets too :)

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  14. your roast chicken looks fabulous. i love the glaze on it. i am intrigued that you say no sugar in the asian fish sauce - would you normally expect that to be in it? :) isn't it great to get home and cooking again? i really miss garlic and vegies when i am away oh and olive oil.

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  15. I use a lot of fish sauce in my Asian dishes I make - come check out my Asian chicken patties with Asian slaw Mae, the whole family will love it! http://missfoodfairy.com/2016/02/04/asian-chicken-patties-with-asian-slaw/
    Great seeing you for #IMK x

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