good-and-cheap

Pantry BasicsWith these commonly available items in your pantry, you can havea wide variety of meals on the table within minutes. Keeping a wellstocked pantry is the key to easy, fast cooking at home. When you’reliving on a budget, building up supplies does take time, but just keepadding each week and you’ll get there in time.v e g e t a b l e sVegetables can (and should!) be the base of most meals. Other thangreens, which should be used quickly, these can be stored for a few daysto a few weeks. Try each vegetable as it hits peak season and goes on sale.garlic, onions, carrots, celery, peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, hot peppers, hardy greens,salad greens, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, winter squashg r a i n sFlour is so inexpensive, and once you have a few basics at hand, mostbaked goods are a cinch to make. There’s great variety in whole grains.Substitute them for rice, toss them in a salad, or add them to soup.bread, tortillas, pasta, all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, oats, popcorn, short-grain rice,long-grain rice, brown rice, cornmeal, dried whole grainsc a n n e d v e g e t a b l e sPlenty of vegetables are good when canned, so remember to compareprices between fresh, frozen, and canned. The canned versions arefantastic in sauces. Just be aware that canned foods are often very salty,so you might want to rinse them, except for canned tomatoes.whole tomatoes, tomato paste, whole cornf r u i t sCitrus fruits are cooking essentials and they keep well. The zest andjuice can liven up just about any dish and they always make a greatdressing. Bananas, apples, and melons are great quick snacks, but tryevery fruit you can afford! Remember, almost all fruits and vegetableshave a season, so savor them at their freshest and cheapest.apples, melons, oranges, limes, lemons, bananasf r o z e n fru i t s a n d v e g e t a b l e sFresh berries can be expensive, but the frozen ones often go on sale andare great for smoothies. Frozen veggies are quick to add to soups andrice dishes. Again, compare prices to see whether frozen is the best value.berries, peas, green beans, cornf l a v o r a n d c o o k i n gYou can explore an extraordinary number of cuisines with these items.They add depth and excitement to the most simple dishes.olive oil or vegetable oil, wine vinegar, anchovies, sardines, olives, fish sauce, coconut milk,miso paste, mustard, soy sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, fresh herbs, dried spices (p. 166)d a i r yButter is just as good to cook with as it is on toast. These are the cheeses Ilike, but buy what your taste, budget, and local availability alllow.butter, milk, yogurt, queso fresco, Romano or Parmesan, sharp cheddar, mozzarellat r e a t s tha t g o a long w ayAlthough these items can be expensive, a little goes a long way; whenyou can, pick up an item or two and enjoy the results.dried fruits, dried mushrooms, frozen shrimp, maple syrup, bacon, vanilla, cocoa powderi n t r o12p r o t e i nMeat isn’t the only protein! The items below are cheap, easily stored,and have multiple uses. Be aware that most fish at the grocery store haspreviously been frozen and was merely thawed for display. There’s noharm in buying it frozen and thawing it yourself.eggs, dried beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, peanut butters p i c e sI have a whole page on spices (p. 166), but they can be a sticking point:no food value, and they sometimes have a high sticker price. However,one small bottle lasts many meals, so invest in them whenever you can.i n t r o13