Kitchen Confidential

“Cooking is about passion, so it may look slightly temperamental in a way that it's too assertive to the naked eye.” - Gordon Ramsay

Cooking is one of my passions, and I love sharing my recipes and experiences in the kitchen. Learning new recipes and making some of our traditional family meals are so much fun. I enjoy making dishes that my friends and family will love. Today I’m finally answering a question I get quite often, “What are the essential food items you keep in your kitchen?”

I’m sharing a few of my favorite items that I always keep on hand to make a lot of my home cooked meals.

• Olive Oil: I use olive oil almost daily. It’s great to pair as a dressing with lemon for a light arugula salad. Also, I use it in my marinades for cooking meats, like chicken or steak. I always stock up on this item, and keep it near by when I’m cooking.

• Fresh Produce: I prefer eating and using fresh produce in dishes. We stock up on apples, grapefruit, lemons, limes, tomatoes, and avocados each week. It’s great because a lot of the fruit we purchase are great for snacks or when we’re on-the-go in the morning.

• Spices & Herbs: I cook with a lot of spices and having an amazing collection of this item will be a lifesaver. Lemon Pepper, Black Peppercorn, Sea Salt, Cayenne Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Cinnamon, Seasoned Salt, and Paprika, are just of the few spices that I use on a daily basis. Also, having fresh herbs like cilantro and basil is super important too!

• Flour: I love to bake, and during the holiday season, I’m making a lot of desserts for our families. Also, whenever we are in the mood for some amazing comfort food, like my Mom’s delicious Fried Chicken recipe, flour is an absolute must.

• Rice: This is always great to have! You can pair it was a protein like steak, chicken, or shrimp. A favorite of mine is adding a variety of veggies to it as well. Also, if you have soy sauce on hand, you can make a yummy fried rice dish too!

• Eggs: They are perfect when baking or even preparing for brunch on the weekends! Also, I love hard boiling them for a quick snack, especially during the weekdays. This item is packed with a lot of protein, and always great to keep in the fridge.

• Fresh Vegetables: Cucumbers, carrots, arugula, onion, cabbage, mushrooms, jalapenos, and baby broccoli are among the many items we like to keep in the kitchen. They are perfect to add in salads, or a garnish to any dish. I always feel like veggies add a great balance to any meal.

• Bread: We love a great loaf of fresh ciabatta bread! This is something I don’t always have in the kitchen, but when we do, it doesn’t last long. It’s perfect for BLT sandwiches or dipping in balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

• Cheese: Good cheese is hard to come by, and this is definitely a treat we keep on hand. It is great to add into many dishes, or just by itself, with some amazing bread and wine …

• Wine: Speaking of wine! Well, of course I would add this item to the list! I love pairing a glass of wine with a delicious meal, and we are always stocked with some great bottles from our fave wineries or local wine shop!

What are some of the items you keep stocked in your kitchen? Share below!

XO, Analise

What's Cookin'?

“Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.” - Alan D. Wolfelt

Cooking can be hard, but it doesn't have to be! I got my love for cooking from my Mom. My Mama is an amazing cook, and everything I learned in the kitchen she taught me. She has made our family the most amazing meals for years, and still continues today.

When I lived on my own for over three years, I rarely cooked, there was simply no need. Yet, once G proposed my Mom started teaching me some of our secret family recipes, and made sure I knew the fundamentals of cooking. Now, I really enjoy cooking and making simple, and delicious meals at home.

Today, I am sharing some of the wisdom my Mom taught me, a few lessons I personally learned along the way, as well as some of my favorite kitchen items.

• Prepare ahead of time. This is a huge one! I go to the grocery store at least once a week. When I head to the store, I make a list ahead of time to make sure I stay on track and on budget. This helps me with meal prepping and ensuring we are covered for the week. I find that when I'm prepared ahead of time, we eat out less and our meals are much more healthy. Also, G and I have Meal Prep Sundays, we outline what meals will be made for the week. G loves helping me out, and we learn new dishes together!
• Keep your kitchen clean and organized. Knowing what is in your kitchen is essential to the meal prep process. Keeping your utensils, pots, and pans clean as well as in good condition will help in the preparation of a dish.
• Read recipes in advance. Practice makes perfect, and I got quite a few recipe books to learn how to create amazing meals at home. I review recipes ahead of time to ensure I have the proper ingredients as well as right utensils. I'm a big advocate of not wasting time, and this preparation tip helps me the most when making dishes for the first time.
• Use quality and fresh ingredients. Now that I'm approaching 30, it is super important that I use quality ingredients. Fresh fruits and veggies really elevate the dish! Also, a lot of the proteins I purchase are organic and farm raised. G and I no longer purchase items that have a lot of hormones in them. We see a significant improvement in our health, and feel so much better!
• Have the proper kitchen tools. It is important to have the right knives, pans, and several other kitchen utensils to make your meal. This will ensure your meals will turn out absolutely amazing. Kitchen items can get super pricey, so we are always on the hunt for good deals.
• Be flexible and have fun. Cooking is something I really enjoy, and even though it can be a daunting task, it's so much fun. Practice makes perfect, and it certainly takes time to learn how to make a great dish! We have gone to several cooking classes, and learned new techniques. Also, it's great to test out our new recipes on our families, it brings us so much joy to share our food with others.

Happy cooking y'all!

XO, Analise