What's In Your Food Sur-Thrival Kit?
Everyone has their own version of a Food Sur-Thrival Kit, a small group of reasonably priced go-to foods that we try to keep around at all times, so that no matter how bedraggled we feel when we get home, we can whip up a pleasure-inducing, satisfying meal in 20 minutes or less at any time on any day of the year. You not only survive on these foods, you thrive on them. Hence the name.
Here's my Food Sur-Thrival Kit.
- Kossar's bialys: (fresh or sliced and frozen) A toasted bialy is just one of life's greatest and simplest eating pleasures. It supplies my daily requirement of crispness and crunchiness. Once the bialy is toasted, I melt a slice of Kraft Deli Deluxe American cheese (see below) on each half—perfecto!
- Kraft Deli Deluxe American slices: They're tangy, they taste like cheese (not cheese food), they're already sliced, and they don't have that shine that suggests they were made in a factory on another planet
- Pre-cooked Penne or Fusilli: If they pre- or par-cook pasta in good Italian restaurants we can, too. I prefer Barilla, but I sometimes have difficulty finding its penne and fusilli.
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano: I know the food police are going to arrest me for not grating my own, but so be it. I can live with that
- Nueske's bacon: It's smoky, it's sweet, it's porky. What more could you want out of a food? Makes anything you do with the rest of the kit better
- Allan Benton's bacon: It's in the same class as Nueske's and is a little cheaper, but it's mostly available by mail
- Patsy's or Rao's marinara sauce: I know these two brands cost a couple of bucks more than Prego, but they actually taste like sauce you would make yourself if you had the time
- Häagen-Dazs Raspberry Sorbet and Vanilla Yogurt Bar: 100 calories of fruity, sweet, creamy deliciousness
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23 Comments:
Bagel with gaspe thinly sliced from Russ and daughters
Dried fruit from Russ and daughters (especially the split apricots)
Pastrami Sandwich from Katz's
Schwarma from Bereket (one glorious block of food - Bereket, R&D and Katz's)
Baba ganoush and stuffed grape leaves from Waterfalls on Atlantic ave in the heights.
Anything from Jaques Torres
Temple in the village macrobiotic buffet (to clean you out after all that).
A good cosmo not too sweet, not too dry
A good glass of Montepulciano
Mischiefdish at 8:52AM on 07/17/07
In no particular order: Cinnamon raisin bagels, Romaine lettuce, a chunk of parmesan, slivered almonds or pecans for the salad, cranberry juice, celery and cream cheese, a baguette or sliced peasant bread, a jar of Taromosalata and a box of Stoned Wheat Thins, a box of fusilli and Citarella's Vodka sauce, Nutella for emergencies.
vickyb at 9:31AM on 07/17/07
Whole wheat tortillas
Shredded mozz
Canned black beans
Steamed broccoli
avocadoes
granola (homemade)
good-quality yogurt: plain or maple, Greek or cream-top
eggs
garlic
various Trader Joe's pasta sauces
frozen vegetables (mostly TJ's): artichoke hearts, roasted corn, peas, haricots verts
Arina goat gouda
hearts of romaine
emily20008 at 9:32AM on 07/17/07
We might have different idea on what constitues as reasonably priced foods, since I do live in the other hemisphere. However, I seem to always have apples in the fridge. Pita, olive oil, vinegar, black pepper (there was this one time where we ran out of black pepper, you would not believe the tantrum I had thrown). lately I've been stocking on romaine or butter lettuce as well.
Of course, cornflakes and milk too.
winny at 10:01AM on 07/17/07
I can always count on having lots of fruit in the kitchen (now it's mostly cherries, grapes and peaches), but other foods may vary. Right now I've got:
English muffins
Eggs
Buckwheat soba
Leeks
Lettuce
Kettle chips
Chocolate chip cookies
But some of that will be gone soon and just a few days ago I didn't have half the stuff on that list. Our freezer and pantry are pretty empty. In a real emergency we'd probably DIIIEE.
@Mischiefdish: I love Temple in the Village! Mmmm!
roboppy at 10:25AM on 07/17/07
My go-to quick meal is a fried egg or two (sunnyside up) over sushi rice and shredded nori, drizzled with rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and soy sauce. Mmmm.
curdnerd at 10:38AM on 07/17/07
Adam Kuban at 11:04AM on 07/17/07
Allways have plenty of fresh friut , vegtables and eggs on hand. You can find good canned tomatos and pasta in the pantry at all times. Consistently friends and family have beer and wine available.
Colorado Jim at 11:05AM on 07/17/07
My staple meal is pasta (any kind), tossed with butter, grated parmesan or romano and lots of peas.
Other pantry staples include:
canned white beans
canned diced fire roasted tomatoes
peanut butter and really good jam
hearty sliced bread
wheat crackers
block of cheddar or havarti cheese
eggs
mixed salad greens
pre-cut butternut squash (steam or mash, serve hot or cold)
fruit (whatever is in season)
dark chocolate covered almonds
coffee beans
black pepper
SMDNY at 11:12AM on 07/17/07
HEB hickory smoked brisket
Salt Lick bbq sauce
Belgian bacon
dry pinto beans
cilantro
jalapenos
Ali Baba whole wheat pita
Costco hummus
raspberry kefir
Tres Generationes tequila
fresh limes
dksbook at 11:22AM on 07/17/07
These are the things I must always have in my kitchen or I go batty:
Packaged, pre-washed mixed salad greens (usually Central Market brand)
Sundried tomatoes
Garbanzo beans
Olive oil
Lemons
Garlic
Onions
Eggs
Bacon
Pasta (we have a variety, but always penne)
Parm-Reg
Feta cheese
Fresh herbs
Canned San Marzano tomatoes
With all that you've got an almost endless combination of salads and/or pasta dishes.
Jeana at 11:37AM on 07/17/07
There's usually an array of condiments in my fridge ranging from harissa to oyster sauce to Sweet Baby Ray's and Heinz to perk up a range of goods always on hand such as:
Ham
Flaxseed bread
Roasted red peppers
Brie or cheddar
Arugula
Chilies
Eggs
Dried Pasta
Yogurt
Fried eggs with chilies, scallions and oyster sauce has been a quick-meal for quite some time now. Otherwise Fairway makes an addictive eggplant rollatini.
JungMan at 11:45AM on 07/17/07
Good yogurt (cream top)
chunky peanut butter
good olive oil
cage free eggs
linguine
granola
walnuts or almonds
frozen peas
a jar of good olives or TJ's olive paste
some gouda or cheddar cheese
some sort of greens, generally spinach or chard
flour and some yeast (I love Mark Bittman's easy sourdough recipe, and make three variations at least once a week)
packaged cooked indian beans (madras lentils or something similar)
I always have these on hand, and regularly come up with
I could survive for at least a week on this, and often have...
hreisig at 11:50AM on 07/17/07
Canned organic, no/low salt chopped tomatoes (Muir Glen or other brand)
Canned tuna packed in water
Assorted olives
Pasta (spaghetti, linguini, rotini and penne - Barilla)
Long grain, brown and basmati rice (takes more than 20 minutes to cook -- but not much longer)
Parmesan, cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses
Tortillas (whole wheat and corn)
Canned, low-salt beans (pinto, black, garbanzo - Kuner's)
Canned chopped green chilies (Hatch)
Frozen poblano chilies (bought in the fall bulk from the chilie roaster, cleaned and frozen in zip-lock bags)
Jars of good salsa
Frozen peas
Home-made stock, frozen in small yogurt containers
Eggs from free range chickens (Horizon, Cyd's Farm Fresh or Land O'Lakes if I have a good coupon)
Good olive oil
Salt-free butter
Multi-grain bread
Claire @ http://culinary-colorado.blogspot.com
ClaireWalter at 12:00PM on 07/17/07
sushi, risotto, and Basmati rice
eggs, pref. duck
soy sauce
pesto
dried pasta
prosciutto cubes
grana padano
nori
m&ms
(second tier, but still important)
broccoli
cucumber
chicken stock
ramen noodles
fruit, dried or in season
annien at 12:12PM on 07/17/07
I like Ed’s list. It’s a lot more creative than mine. Of course he’s been at this a little longer than I have. I think he’s seen “The Producers” a few too many times based on how he’s maxxed out on his bialy stock …
Here’s my own Food Sur-Thrival Kit:
Chef Geno’s Spices - I keep four spices from the Alden Mill House in my pantry at all times: Farm Market Salad Seasoning: Great on salads, fish, pork, etc., I found out right away it’s also excellent on eggs; Pork & Poultry Seasoning: A nice rub for both pork and poultry, it’s good for these items when used in other dishes as well, such as chicken salad; Miracle Blend: I probably go through a full pound of this stuff every six months or so. A mix of Kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder and other niceties, this is my go-to spice for everything from fried or scrambled eggs, to mashed potatoes, steamed, blanched or fried vegetables, and countless other uses.; Malibar Island Pepper: A 50/50 mix of both Malibar Island and Tellicherry peppers, this stuff is so fresh, you can stick your nose in the jar, take a BIG whif, and not sneeze! Oh, and it tastes great, too!
Breakfast Stuff - I could easily eat breakfast meals for every meal, every day. Mary and I are not discussing the possibility of actually having our own Bed & Breakfast someday as it just seems the right thing to do. I have the Wear-Ever Lincoln Foodservice non-stick skillets as the cook-up eggs better than any other I’ve tried. Of course, there also have to be eggs, olive oil, 2% milk, Italian bread for toast, Alden Mill House Miracle Blend, and unsalted butter to put it all together correctly.
Boneyard-brand Hot Sauces - From Aerosmith’s lead axe-man Joe Perry, these aren’t just any hot sauces. The Boneyard Brew has a rich tomato flavor, followed by a habañero pepper “kick”! The Mango Peach Tango sauce is sweet and mild, being excellent on omelets and such. I have my own batch of recipes for these sauces located here.
Chicken breasts, pork steaks, ground chuck - These are my mainstays for entrées for variety. The versatility from these three items is pretty strong.
Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ Sauce - People seem to picky about their BBQ sauce around this house. This is the one we’ve all agreed on. Chef Tad at the Frog Leg Inn in Erie mixes this with raspberry puree for one of his current pork rib specials. It’s that good.
Popsicles - Around here, the improptu dessert of choice!
p.s., There's now a copy of my list on my blog that contains all the links.
LunaPierCook at 1:01PM on 07/17/07
really good whole grain bread
sweet butter
French roast coffee
greek yogurt
fresh fruit
fresh veggies
pasta of assorted shapes
canned tomatoes
pecorino romano
extra virgin olive oil
lentils, quinoa, bulgur
chicken stock
fresh garlic
vidalia onions
pesto in my freezer--time to make a new batch
bacon
natural peanut butter
good sharp cheddar cheese
ride&cook at 1:03PM on 07/17/07
Never ever without:
thin spaghetti
butter
freshly grated parm
lemon juice (fresh is nice, but my fridge is never without RealLemon reconst. just in case)
frozen peas
cilantro
eggs
bacon (I like Bar-S)
Mahatma yellow rice
a can of black beans
a can of chipotles
red onion
packaged chicken broth
olive oil
very good balsamic vinegar.
That's a bunch of different meals, right there!
And I get very sad when I run out of Lizano's Sauce. It's the tastiest all-purpose condiment out there. I can live without it, but I'd rather not.
missbhavens at 1:08PM on 07/17/07
This is so funny!
My list includes:
penne from Gramagna
awhole guanciale (cured pig cheek)
Pecorino from sardegna
Parmigiano Reggiano NOT grated
tinned peeled tomatoes
skim milk
eggs
flour
yeast
garlic
onions
lemons
sugar
various dried beans
best olive oil I can find
I can whip up loads of food with that list. I can do much of it in 10-15 minutes. Yes, I have spices and herbs growing outside. There's not that much pre-prepared food available here and what there is isn't meant to store for long. Produce is so seasonal that you can't list things like broccoli, which isn't available from May to October.
I do usually have frozen peas, but for emergency ice packs rather than convenient eating.
Judith in Umbria at 1:46PM on 07/17/07
My absolute basics:
good sliced wholegrain bread (usually from Bread Alone)
cheese - we generally have at least 6 kinds on hand
dry pastas, soba and rice noodles, and Israeli couscous
canned beans (black, red, garbanzo, cannellini)
frozen veggies (corn, peas, green beans, edamame, snap peas, spinach)
flat-leaf parsley
carrots
celery
shallots
lemons
capers
olives
butter
Tello's eggs
extra virgin olive oil
sherry vinegar
dijon mustard
red miso paste
anchovies
jarred tuna in olive oil
Pomi chopped tomatoes and canned whole San Marzanos
a bottle of white vermouth
Jennifer Hess at 1:49PM on 07/17/07
This list is great! Can we get a peek into the Paupered Chefs list?
NYminknit at 2:59PM on 07/17/07
yogurt
peanut butter
rices (white and brown, long and short grain, some wild too)
at least one good cheese that I can bust out with some wine
white wine (recently got a wine fridge)
good bread
assorted olives and sundried tomatoes
sake
white miso paste
assorted vinegars
assorted dried chiles
assorted dried mushrooms
assorted canned beans (usually black and chickpea)
canned tomato
garlic
Amandarama at 6:12PM on 07/17/07
Fage yogurt
4% cottage cheese
Eggland's Best eggs
peanut butter
Kashi chewy granola bars
oatmeal
fresh veggies
bananas
JEP at 8:04PM on 07/17/07