Local Mum and food fanatic Renee Davis describes the staple contents of her larder
A few of my favourite things
A chef once told me that a meal is only as good as the ingredients that go into it, and I’ve always kept that thought close when cooking. It’s really important for me to have a good stock of quality items in my cupboards and fridge in order to effortlessly create tasty food. Here are some of my fave essentials in no particular order:
- organic unsalted butter, the beginning of so many delicious dishes
- 100% cocoa powder, fabulous to always have on hand to ensure cakes and brownies are never far away if desired
- vanilla bean extract, as above. Very important to buy extract and not essence, organic if possible as it contains more of the good stuff
- unrefined muscavado sugar, perfect for adding a touch of sweetness. A tablespoonful is often all that’s needed in a cake that will be serving 6
- coconut flour, my newest friend in the kitchen. A versatile alternative to grain based flours, opening up doors for making bread, pancakes, etc
- tinned coconut milk, for use in both sweet and savoury dishes. It’s important to find one that’s just coconut and water otherwise it can be loaded with E numbers and unnecessary extra ingredients
- coconut oil, I use this every day in my coffee and most days when cooking, again in sweet and savoury dishes alike, also for greasing purposes
- organic tomato purée, a little goes a long way in stews and casseroles
- balsamic vinegar, a staple in many of my slow cooked recipes
- anchovy paste, one of my secret ingredients. Awesome for coating red meat to give it an amazing flavour
- cider vinegar, bought from our farmers market it’s true local produce
- tamarind paste, from the international shop near us. This is a must for cooking curries from scratch. International shops are a goldmine for many obscure ingredients that would cost a fortune in a supermarket or health food shop
- tamari, wheat free soya sauce
- hazelnut & almond butters, a delightful alternative to the peanut variety
- organic forest honey, totally delicious natural sweetener from bees that have not been fed sugar and antibiotics
- Thai fish sauce (nam pla), the tangy, salty base of most of my oriental dishes
Read some of Renee's Recipes for Local Mums Online