Restocking the fridge from the ground up

[Pinga]

Is there a special reason to refridgerate walnut oil?

On things to always have in the fridge a chunk of parmesan,various pestos,tomato paste,Japanese pickled ginger ,wasabi,soy,all the other things people have mentioned.

[enthusiast]

Is there a special reason to refridgerate walnut oil?

yes - you never use it, so it adds to the potential of the fridge to reduce your shopping bills (see above)

[slkinsey]

...a half-pint of heavy cream with an expiration date that coincided with the Bush inauguration...

Bush I or Bush II?

[slkinsey]

I am interested to read how many people here keep jarred mayonnaise on hand as a refrigerator staple. I haven't bought a jar of mayonnaise in years, aside from the occasional jar of Dukes when I'm down in NC on vacation.

Maybe we're unusual in that we don't use a heck of a lot of mayonnaise, but I have always found it easier/better to make my own on the occasions when I do need some. Totally easy to do. The small inner bowl on my KitchenAid food processor is just the right size for one yolk's worth of mayonnaise. Just toss in the tolk, some salt and a little lemon juice... turn on the motor and drizzle in the oil(s) of your choice. 60 seconds later I have a cup of fresh mayonnaise. Works every time. Keeps at least a week.

This, for me, has two great benefits: 1. no jarred mayonnaise can compete with homemade in terms of flavor, texture, etc.; and, 2. when you make your own you really understand how much fat there is in there (one cup of mayonnaise equals... well... just about one cup of oil).

[mcdowell]

Quick inventory of the ice box here at the mcdowell compound shows also:

Capers

Jar of sliced jalepenos

Jar of sun-dried tomatoes

Tartar sauce

Jams/Jellies (quite a collection in my fridge)

4 pounds of pre-fab cookie mix, bought from a neighbor child during a school fundraiser. How long are those good for?

Of those, the capers & jams are what I'd have to replce.

[slkinsey]

Is there a special reason to refridgerate walnut oil?

Yes. Walnut oil quickly turns rancid at room temperature. Putting it in the refrigerator slows this process down considerably.

[slkinsey]

Quick inventory of the ice box here at the mcdowell compound shows also:

Capers

Jar of sliced jalepenos

Jar of sun-dried tomatoes

Tartar sauce

Jams/Jellies (quite a collection in my fridge)

On the OT side... my grandfather's name was McDowell. We always thought of the mountain house in NC as the "McDowell house." I still do.

Of those, the capers & jams are what I'd have to replce.

Wait... you would replace the capers and jams and not the tartar sauce?

Aren't the capers already preserved in brine? Also, wouldn't the sugar in the jams/jellies tend to have a preservative effect? I don't think there is a heck of a lot of bacteria that can grow in an environment with so much sugar. That's why we call 'em preserves, right? Even in the event where you might grow some mold on the surface of a jam or jelly, the rest of it is perfectly fine if you scoop out the top centimeter or so (at least this is what my mother the biochemist used to tell me when I caught her doing it -- and I was always unable to detect any defects of flavor).

[maggiethecat]

I firmly believe that condiments procreate on their own in the fridge.

Yes, it's like having a hutch in the door of the fridge, with bunnies disguised as jars of hoisin sauce and black bean paste.

Starting from scratch? TJ mayo, eggs, parm, moutarde (I hate mustard), chunk of cheddar....

and bacon! Folks, a fridge without bacon is hardly worth opening.

Re: Worcestershire. Tip from Mr. Beefcake, Paul Newman:

When making hamburgers, pour a dime-sized puddle on one side of the patty. Smear it over the surface with your finger.

I read this somewhere ten years ago. It makes a subtle but noticeable improvement to the plain burger, and I've never failed to use this trick since.

[fresco]

Don't know whether the wooster on burger trick is a Paul Newman original (it may well be) but it is a good one.

[mcdowell]

[

Of those, the capers & jams are what I'd have to replce.

Wait... you would replace the capers and jams and not the tartar sauce?

What I meant (as opposed to what I wrote) is that I find the capers and jams more essential than the tartar sauce.

I'd throw out the tartar sauce, certainly, but it wouldn't be on my list of "must replenish". I'd do without until I needed at some point way, way, way in the future.

[slkinsey]

Of those, the capers & jams are what I'd have to replce.

Wait... you would replace the capers and jams and not the tartar sauce?

What I meant (as opposed to what I wrote) is that I find the capers and jams more essential than the tartar sauce.

Ah. Of course I agree!

Salt-cured capers especially... mmmmmmm.

[mcdowell]

Salt-cured capers especially...  mmmmmmm.

Took me a long time to find, but it's all I use now.

[sabg]

you have to have capers, soy sauce, those red onions in jar for hot dogs,hot sauces (many) (do they really refridge), fish sauce.

i have been told walut oil goes or gets rancid.