SparkPoints: (18,135)
Fitness Minutes: (11,819)
Posts: 2,011
10/17/11 8:01 A

great article, many good suggestions. it never dawned on me that dried beans might be better than canned--will have to try it.

the olive oil/coffee mug suggestion is a great idea!

SparkPoints: (5,122)
Fitness Minutes: (2,315)
Posts: 507
10/10/11 10:35 A

FYI: When I'm going to be in the kitchen for a couple of hours, and am making a few dishes, I pour a little olive oil in a mug with a silicone brush. I use it all day in whatever pan or baking dish I need, then put the brush and cup in the dishwasher with everything else.

Posts: 1,575
9/30/11 4:15 P

I must get his book.

June Minutes: 785

0 312.5 625 937.5

1250

SparkPoints: (11,623)
Fitness Minutes: (13,044)
Posts: 570
9/26/11 1:15 A

I have a little bit of black beans left over and was just thinking of what to do with them!

You could add a little salsa and yogurt to the mushy beans and turn them into a great dip.

June Minutes: 0

0 450 900 1350

1800

SparkPoints: (11,623)
Fitness Minutes: (13,044)
Posts: 570
9/26/11 1:12 A

I love his "how to cook everything vegetarian" book. I use it weekly if not daily.

June Minutes: 0

0 450 900 1350

1800

SparkPoints: (4,393)
Fitness Minutes: (850)
Posts: 349
9/21/10 2:27 P

I made a big batch of black beans (which I use a lot)
but I must have overcooked them- they got a bit mushy which makes a mess in salad. Still good for soups and such. I guess I need to perfect my timing.

Pounds lost: 23.0

0 12.5 25 37.5

50

Posts: 606
9/14/10 10:59 P

Great article. I definitely agree on the beans. They are so much better if you make them fresh and super quick and easy if you make them in a pressure cooker (no overnight soaking!).

I like the idea of tomato paste in a tube, but I've found it to be much more expensive than canned. So, I buy the cans and freeze tablespoons of tomato paste in an ice tray. Once they are frozen I just put them in a freezer bag and pull one or two out as needed.

Pounds lost: 79.8

0 21.5 43 64.5

86

Posts: 110
9/2/10 4:54 A

I like the list. I'm not organized enough to keep track of my spices but I know I should.

BTW I love BItman's cookbooks. I made savory brown rice pancakes out of "How to Cook Everything" with dinner tonight and they were excellent.

SparkPoints: (3,971)
Fitness Minutes: (3,411)
Posts: 36
8/16/10 4:23 P

Great article and speaks again to not consuming prepackaged foods. I was surprised to see some things on his list, but I agree, especially with the canned beans and peas.

Pounds lost: 48.0

0 25.5 51 76.5

102

Posts: 9
8/15/10 1:53 P

This article was great! I like the part about beans - I am usually patient in the kitchen but for some reason I always use canned beans. Also, about the tomato paste in a tube, going to try it.

Posts: 1,270
7/15/10 4:00 P

Loved it! I agree with most of it.

current weight: 128.0

130 128.5 127 125.5

124

SparkPoints: (162,761)
Fitness Minutes: (131,914)
Posts: 11,680
7/12/10 1:35 A

June SparkPoints: 2,467

0 750 1500 2250

3000

SparkPoints: (11,646)
Fitness Minutes: (3,380)
Posts: 825
7/5/10 8:42 A

Great article!

current weight: 221.0

240 217.5 195 172.5

150

Posts: 380
1/18/09 8:21 A

I read this article last week on another message board (don't recall which one) but the man may have just saved my life lol. I'm studying abroad in Germany and I haven't found non-stick cooking spray, which I'm wary of anyway since it's not exactly natural. So his spray bottle idea is great!

current weight: 187.6

235 212.5 190 167.5

145

Posts: 1,125
1/13/09 5:27 P

Funny to see this post on this article. I am reading his current book, Food Matters and just wrote a blog post about it earlier today.

I love his NY Times Vlog series too.

current weight: 156.4

177 168 159 150

141

Posts: 2,227
1/11/09 12:43 A

Wonderful article. Great ideas!

Pounds lost: 2.0

0 4.75 9.5 14.25

19

Posts: 60
1/10/09 5:54 P

Nice article. He had some good ideas, although I didn't agree with everything. I am definitely guilty of using bottled lemon juice and veggie broth cubes. I don't see me changing my lemon juice ways any time soon--the price is just too high for the quantity of lemon juice I use in my cooking, but there isn't really any reason (other than time) that I couldn't be making my own veggie broth.

Thanks for sharing this!

Posts: 231
1/10/09 4:47 P

Great article about what's in and out in the kitchen pantry:

www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/dining/07mini.h
tml?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Here's a snippet...

"...But if your goal is to cook and cook quickly, to get a satisfying and enjoyable variety of real food on the table as often as possible, a well-stocked pantry and fridge can sustain you. Replenished weekly or even less frequently, with an occasional stop for fresh vegetables, meat, fish and dairy, they are the core supply houses for the home cook.

While you’re stocking up, you might clear out a bit of the detritus that’s cluttering your shelves. Some of these things take up more space than they’re worth, while others are so much better in their real forms that the difference is laughable. Sadly, some remain in common usage even among good cooks. My point here is not to criminalize their use, but to point out how easily and successfully we can substitute for them, in every case with better results.

Here, then, is my little list of items you might spurn, along with some essential pantry and long-keeping refrigerator items you might consider. Note that I’m not including the ultra-obvious, things that are more or less ubiquitous in the contemporary American pantry, like potatoes, eggs and honey..."