I accept the challenge from Liz; the subject intrigues me. What things are always found in your refrigerator? I'll skip the "normal" (milk, eggs, ketchup) and list ten items that are nearly always in stock but might make our refrigerator unique, at least in combination.
- Dairy kefir, flavored and plain. The flavored variety is delicious to drink and both are great on cereal. Unflavored, it's the closest I've been able to find to the European-style yoghurt we enjoyed on our muesli in Switzerland. Like drinkable yoghurt, but with a variety of health-supporting probiotic cultures.
- Blenheim Old #3 (red cap) Ginger Ale. We were introduced to this treasure by Porter's parents, who lived in South Carolina. We stock up at South of the Border when our travels take us that way, and keep a bottle or two in the fridge to challenge cocky teenaged boys and for making the great Lime Daley drink.
- Boyajian citrus oils. We learned about these when we lived just down the street from the Boyajian store. Now I have to order online, but it's worth it. Pure oils (not extracts) from lemon, lime, orange, and tangerine fruits. There's a small bottle of grapefruit in my refrigerator, but they don't sell that anymore. :( Absolutely wonderful for adding citrus flavor to almost anything: orange chicken, lemon pie, hot cocoa, and our family favorite drinks, Bay Punch and the above-mentioned Lime Daleys.
- Soy sauce, Kikkoman low sodium. Essential to many of our favorite dishes.
- Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie). Essential for okonomiyaki and extra special anywhere else you would use mayonnaise.
- Sal's Sassy Sauce. From our days in Rochester, New York. Rochester wings beat Buffalo wings any day, and Sal's sauce makes Rochester wings. (Smitty's fans would argue.) The secret ingredient in our macaroni salad.
- Cherchie's Champagne Mustard. This delight is from my home town, though I didn't know about it till a friend gave us our first jar. Great on ham sandwiches; it goes especially well with Swiss cheese. The hands-down best condiment for our traditional Christmastime Hickory Farms Beef Stick.
- Green Thai curry paste. Can't make The Frog Commissary Cookbook's Siamese Chicken Curry with Broccoli and Peanuts without it. One of my dad's enduring gifts to his children (and grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren) was a love of that and other Frog dishes.
- Real maple syrup. No Aunt Jemima in this household. Preferably Grade B.
Comments
as i was writing that post, i was remarking to my husband how ordinary our fridge was! we don't have anything "extra" since our curry pastes are usually used up within one meal, and the boys like their curries "mild" (like their mama).
thanks for "playing" along!
~liz
Posted by
~liz
on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I don't have much space to have a large number of staples in my fridge, but in addition to milk, butter, yogurt, mayonnaise and ketchup, I too have Thai green curry paste and soy sauce. One item that is frequently if not always there is gruyere cheese.
Posted by
IrishOboe
on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 7:58 pm
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