10 Kitchen Staples - Take Your Cooking To The Next Level
The criteria to make this list of edibles was flavor, free of chemicals, free of industrial oils, high quality, delicious, and truly the best of the best.
I believe that cooking is based mainly on three things ingredients, seasoning, and technique. Have fun using this guide and my Market to shop for the finest seasonings.
Al Arz Tahini - The choice of Ottolenghi and gourmet middle eastern restaurants worldwide. Chemical-free processing method, using a gentle saltwater bath instead of machine processes. Made by the Zaher family in Nazareth from the best quality sesame seeds. Traditional homemade taste, preserving the original sweetness and aroma of the seeds. LINK
Entube Harissa - Looking for a simple way to spice up your food? This is fun to use in soups, marinating meats and vegetables. Gluten-Free LINK
Jojo’s Sriracha - Meet the BEST sriracha ever! This was one of my best sellers at my Vermont kitchen store. Once you try it you are hooked forever. LINK
Spice a dish with love and it pleases every palate.
4. Date Lady Syrup - Only one ingredient: Organic dates! No fillers, flavors, colors or additives! USDA certified Organic, Non-Gmo, Vegan, Kosher, Paleo, Gluten-Free. More potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium and phosphorous than maple syrup and honey. Use as an all-natural sweetener in sweet and savory dishes, and baking. Rich in antioxidants and electrolytes.. LINK
5. Banylus Red Wine Vinegar - I only have one red wine vinegar and this has been it for the past 24 years since Charlie Trotter introduced it to me. It is aged in oak casks for 5 years. So delicious! Wait until you smell it. Fine vinegars play a big roll in my cooking as we need acids to brighten our dishes. LINK
6.. Noble Sherry Vinegar - High crafted sherry vinegar aged in oak barrels. LINK
7. Mikes Hot Honey -If you have ever taken one of my cooking classes you know how I feel about Mikes Hot Honey. I love it! I meet Mike in 2014 in Brooklyn and. learned his passion story and since then I have been a big fan. It was a huge seller in my store and I was the first store in Vermont to stock his magic honey. Use on everything! Cheese, salad dressings, marinades, add to dips, roasted meats, and vegetables… LINK
8.. Ben Jacobsen Chef Salt - Ben is a sweetheart and truly works hard to bring us cooks and chefs the best flake salt. The salt is hand-harvested in Netarts Bay Oregon. I met Ben in NYC early 2013 and we had such a good time at The Dead Rabbit pub. I learned so much about him and his passion for harvesting flake salt. Still to this day his salt is what I cook with. LINK
9. La Boite - Lior is known as the spice therapist! A well-deserved nickname for sure! This set of 3 indispensable seasonings for everyday use is great for flavoring any of your savory dishes from dips, vegetables, chicken and beef to sauces and soups. This mix includes The famous Pierre Pepper that is still the only pepper I use daily in my cooking classes and home kitchen LINK
10. Voatsiperifery Pepper - From the tropical forest of Madagascar. Voatsiperifery black pepper is very rare and difficult to prepare as the vines are sometimes inaccessible and grow up to 65 feet high. Its fragrance evokes pepper but with astonishing unusual woody, resinous pine and earthy notes, as well as citrus, fruit and floral notes. This is a rather mild pepper and so fun to use. Wait until you smell it! This will blow your mind! LINK