Just add lemon juice

If you watch Food Network, Cooking Channel or PBS, you'll often see a chef adding some sort of acid to his/her dish to finish it. When asked why, the chef explains that many of these dishes need some acid to balance out the richness or flavor in the dish. This makes sense to me, but I find that I don't often think about adding vinegar or lemon juice to a dish naturally, but when I'm reminded of this rule, I add it, and I'm always amazed at the difference it makes. Last night, I was making vegetable soup from the leftover veggies in my fridge.

Onion, carrots, celery, turnips, mushrooms, collard greens, ditalini pasta and chicken broth made up my little concoction. I added a few flavorings like Worcestershire sauce, Better than Bouillon, salt, pepper and some savory. But it needed something else, and I couldn't put my finger on it. I googled vegetable soup recipes and first up came my friend, Alton Brown. I perused his recipe and sure enough, at the end, Alton suggested adding freshly cut flat leaf parsley and freshly squeezed lemon juice. I grabbed a lemon, cut it in half and juice half of it into my soup. I stirred it up, tasted and was blown away by the difference in flavor from just a few squirts of the humble lemon. All the flavors of each vegetable suddenly stood up and said, "Here I am!" I think I need to just keep this tip right on my fridge so I don't forget about it again. What a gem!

A stocked pantry

Ree Drummond, aka the Pioneer Woman, recently did a show and post about what items she typically keeps in her pantry, fridge and freezer. I really identified with the episode because I, too, have certain staples that I keep around. I thought I'd share them with you. Once I identified these staples, they have made my life a lot easier in the kitchen.

So, here's my list.

Oils:
Coconut
Olive
Walnut
Canola
Sesame
Grapeseed

Vinegars:
White Wine
Red Wine
Balsamic
Rice Wine
Distilled White
Apple Cider (not pictured)

Syrups:
Pure Maple Syrup
Agave Nectar
Honey

Nuts:
Pecans (whole raw)
Walnuts (whole raw)
Almonds (whole raw)
Macadamia nuts
Pistachios

Flours:
All-purpose
White whole wheat
Self-rising

Misc:
Almond Milk (great for smoothies)
Unsweetened cocoa
Corn meal
Chicken Broth
Beef Broth
Lipton Onion Soup Mix
Onions
Garlic
Puff Pastry
Potstickers (useful for soup, on their own, in a rice dish - and they cook quickly)
Sorbet (lemon, lime, etc.)
Mini Croissants (multiple boxes)
Chocolate Croissants (multiple boxes)
Eggs - yes, we eat a lot of eggs (most of these are fresh from the chicken houses of some of Andy's co-workers)
Greek Plain Yogurt
Water Chestnuts
Tomato paste
Worcestershire sauce (pretty much my favorite ingredient after eggs, bread and mustard)
Soy sauce
Potatoes (sweet, red, white, yellow, etc.)

Grains/Beans:
Bulgur
Israeli Couscous
Lentils (various)
Quinoa
Flaxseed (meal and whole)
Black beans (dried)
Pinto beans (dried)

Sugars:
Granulated
Powdered
Turbinado
Brown (light and dark)

Oatmeal:
Irish Steel Cut Oats
Irish Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats
Regular quick cooking oats

Rice:
Jasmine
Basmati (brown)
Minute brown rice
Brown rice

Butters:
Peanut Butter
Almond Butter
Nutella
Honey Apple Butter

Frozen veggies:
Corn
Peas
Mixed veggies

Frozen fruit:
Pineapple
Blueberries
Strawberries
Blackberries

Cheese:
Feta
Parmesan

Creamers:
Half-n-half
Heavy cream

Canned Beans:
Pinto
Black
White

Meat:
Chicken
Ground Beef
Ground Turkey
Pork
Turkey Cutlets
Chicken Sausage

This list isn't all-encompassing, but these are really some key ingredients I keep around all the time. Things like milk, fruits and veggies abound in our house all the time, so I didn't choose to include them in the list. Maybe storing some of these items will help you keep a stocked pantry/fridge/freezer for your cooking needs.

Did you know?

*When juicing a lemon, bring it to room temperature, roll it on a flat surface with the palm of your hand to loosen the juices, cut and squeeze or use a juicer.

*My grandma taught me this one: if you have a baked-on mess in a casserole dish or pan, put a few drops of dish soap and a bit of warm water in the bottom of the pan. Put on medium heat over the stove until a low boil. Remove from heat and scrape off the mess.

*When required to roll out cookie dough or pie dough with a rolling pan, put the dough in between two pieces of plastic wrap and roll out. When it is the desired thickness, remove the plastic and use dough. No sticking to counter tops or over-floured dough!

*Hard brown sugar? Put an apple slice or a piece of bread in it and the sugar will soften.

*Garlic or onion smell on your fingers? Fresh lemon juice helps remove the smell. Also, rubbing your hands under cold water and something stainless steel (I have a small stainless steel disk that sits near my sink - or you could use a spoon) absorbs the odor.

*Most white fruits or vegetables oxidize when they are cut. Add a few drops of lemon or lime juice to prevent browning.

*Keep your tomatoes on the counter, not in the refrigerator. In the refrigerator, they lose their taste.

*If you use cast iron skillets or pans, don't use dish detergent. You can use salt and water.

*Burn yourself? Put mustard (yep, mustard) on the burn. It cools the burn and prevents blistering (mustard plaster, anyone?)

*Not really a tip, just a fact: Dark chocolate is indispensable in the pantry - why? It's just so darn good and can be used for ganache, brownies, cookies, cake or my favorite, dipping in peanut butter and enjoying with a glass of milk!! And dark chocolate with a higher percentage of cacao is better for you than regular old milk chocolate.

Did you know?

Eggs boiled in salty water are easier to peel.

To put the crunch back into crackers, corn chips or crispy snacks, spread them onto a baking sheet at 250 degrees and cook for 15 minutes. Cool and serve.

Wilted veggies aren't useless. Throw them into a pan with some water to add flavor to a homemade stock. They can be strained out at the end.

Too much salt in your soup? Add a peeled raw potato and cook for 5 minutes. It will absorb some of the salt.

Stinky fish smell in your kitchen? Add whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, allspice, or lemon slices to a pan of water and simmer.

**Tips from The Old Farmer's Almanac Everyday Recipes (2010)