10 Must-haves in a modern day Pinay's pantry

You’ve probably heard the saying: “Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you who you are." It was no less than the great French physiologist Anthelme Brillat-Savarin who wrote this in the 1826 “The Physiology of Taste," a culinary classic that tells us how the human taste buds work. Yes, it can be said that we are what we eat. But before I invoke the ire of lechon-lovers everywhere, what this simply means is that what we eat directly affects our state of health and mind. Should this be the case, would it then be safe to say that I can tell you who you are simply by looking at what you have in your kitchen pantry–the choice of ingredients, food staples, and the condiments you keep and can’t do without?

Interesting thought. So I ran a quick survey of friends and family to reveal what they had in their pantry – their go-to cooking staples for those unexpected moments when guests drop in as well as the regular stuff they keep in their kitchen for daily survival. And guess what, the results, despite the difference in their ages, backgrounds, income, and level of culinary skills, were not very different and offered just a few surprises in between. A lacto-vegetarian friend who teaches yoga had the same stuff in her pantry as most of the less health-conscious respondents. I was half-expecting her to say that she has loads of soy, yogurt, nuts and beans in her kitchen, but alas, it wasn’t so. If the quick survey is to be believed, then the great pantry equalizer among the women of this nation (apart from rice) is instant noodles! Is it because this is easy to make, filling and, despite being loaded with MSG, it is quite satisfying and in fact, even deliciously comforting? Or is it because, regardless of our backgrounds, most of us barely have the time to stand in front of a stove for hours, whipping up the delicious and healthy meals that exist only in the world of the domestic goddesses and barefoot contessas we see on TV? But before we make a hasty conclusion that we are a generation of gastronomically-challenged women who feed our families only what is convenient but can barely be passed off as food, there were quite a few healthy items that made our pantry list. A number of respondents stocked olive oil, canned tomatoes, tuna, and pasta in their kitchens. Some were bakers at heart and listed flour and baking soda among the top of their lists. As for condiments, the lists showed us to be hounds for bagoong, lechon sauce, oyster sauce, hot sauce, and of course, the essentials -- patis, toyo and suka. With more cooking shows, schools, books as well as exciting new ingredients now available to us, we have learned a few tricks to make sure that our families don’t go hungry or that unexpected visitors don’t catch us serving them with just bread and water along with a sheepish smile. Gathering all the bits of info plus a few basic tips, here are 10 things you shouldn’t be without in your pantry, apart from rice and instant noodles: 1. PASTA Whether for a family dinner or when you need to serve friends a quick and hearty meal, you can’t go wrong with a pasta dish. It simply is the complete one meal deal! Simply cook the noodles in boiling water for 8 minutes. While waiting for the pasta to cook, chop some celery, onions and carrots. Saute the vegetables in olive oil, pour in a can of diced tomatoes, add a dollop of tomato paste, season well with salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes and there you have a good basic marinara sauce you can use to top your pasta with. 2. CANNED TOMATOES Canned tomatoes come in different varieties these days: stewed, diced, petite cut. But all these come in handy not just for pasta dishes but for pochero, afritada, and even for rice dishes like arroz con pollo or paella. This saves you time and money, especially when good, ripe fresh tomatoes cannot be found in the market. 3. TUNA Tuna isn’t just catfood anymore. It certainly has come a long way and now we even have tuna na “lasang corned beef!" Not to mention tuna afritada, tuna paksiw, tuna adobo and the whole line of tuna variants in the supermarket. But really, flaked tuna is one of the most versatile proteins – it can be used in omelets, pasta, or as a healthier substitute to ground chicken and pork in dishes like eggplant relleno and even burgers. 4. OLIVE OIL While olive oil is more expensive than the regular cooking oil, it is being used more and more by Filipinos in their dishes. It’s known to be healthier than the cooking oil we grew up with. And as we relish doing pasta dishes and salad dressings, a bottle of olive oil is a reliable kitchen mainstay. 5. OYSTER SAUCE Oyster sauce can elevate the taste of your ordinary guisadong gulay into new gustatory heights. When mixed with sauteed onions and garlic, as little as two tablespoonfuls of oyster sauce and some water, a bit of sugar, and cornstarch slurry can be combined for a delicious sauce to last night’s battered fried chicken or a few strips of beef. 6. BROTH CUBES At home, we prefer to do our own chicken broth with fresh ingredients, stored in the freezer and simply microwaved or heated up for use in our soups and dishes. We find it easy to make and totally without MSG. However, for those who don’t have the luxury of time to make fresh broths, some cubes or chicken powder are a convenient way to create a variety of comforting soups. As for our very own native dishes, a lot of us can’t find time to boil sampalok in our houses for our favorite sinigang. So a pack or two of sinigang mix is useful in every woman’s kitchen. 7. COFFEE or TEA For most Filipinos, even if we drink them or not, keeping coffee and tea in our kitchen cabinets has become a habit. Having tea at home is good for a lot of things, not just for calming a rumbling stomach. A lot of our guests now prefer tea instead of coffee so we always have different types of tea in our pantry. Chilled teabags can keep eyebags at bay. But then, most of us are all still coffee lovers at heart, so we never run out of our favorite brand of ground coffee for brewing as pick-me-up for ourselves and our guests. 8. BISCUITS, CRACKERS and BREAD Surprisingly, none of those who responded to my little survey listed chips as a pantry must-have. I would like to take that as a good sign of healthy eating. But still, a few biscuits, crackers and bread are good to keep in your pantry as they quell hunger pangs in an instant. Just remember to choose crackers and biscuits that have less sugar and salt. For breads, whole grain is better than white. 9. CREAM Rich, thick, heavy cream has always been a delight to have at home for creamy soups and dishes as well as for making desserts and of course, the walang-kamatayang Christmas fruit salad. A pack of cream is, therefore, one of the things you need to have in your pantry. But the really good news is, the cream we’ve always known now comes in a reduced fat variety. 10. FLOUR Flour isn’t just for baking cookies and cakes. The flour in our kitchen counter goes into soups, to act as thickeners instead of milk or cream. It also goes into making fresh lumpia wrappers, light pancakes and crepes. Flour is also a must-have for breaded porkchops and battered chicken and fish. So make sure you always keep a fresh box at home. Keep the list above in mind and stock your kitchen cabinets with your own choices of must-haves. But remember to go through your pantry regularly and throw out those that have gone beyond the expiration dates. When it comes to choosing cooking ingredients, always make healthier choices. After all, we truly are, for the most part, what we eat. And eating healthily is the only key to a long and active life. - GMANews.TV