My Favorite Things

Apparently, Oprah Winfrey lists her favorite products at this time each year in case you are stuck for gift ideas.  I don't watch much television and I rather like editing extraneous products OUT of my life rather than rotating them into it, but that's TMI, as the kids say.  The point here is that I, too, have some favorite things worthy of an official list.  I am sure they help define my style of cookery...and if you like my style, well, you could try them, too.  I think these items are absolute necessities in the kitchen.  Worthy of note is the fact that  there are a few ready-made sauces I use at home when I simply lack the energy to pull some scratch cooking out of my hat after a long day.  Give them a whirl...let me know what memorable meals you make with them:

1.  FRANK'S RED HOT HOT SAUCE.  I'm like the old lady in the commercial: "I put that (bleep) on everything".  It's not the hottest hot sauce.  It's not the most complex.  But it is balanced and gives a beautiful zestiness when a recipe is crying out for some zip.  Mix it with fresh lime juice, generous agave nectar, and chopped cilantro for the best Pad Thai sauce in the world!
2.  TEXAS ROADHOUSE BBQ SAUCE.  It's not that chemical burgundy brown stuff you are used to.  This has chunks of real fruit and vegetables in it and it has an un-scary ingredients list...exactly what you would put into BBQ sauce if you were slow-cooking a batch yourself.  There are a couple varieties that swing from sweet to hot.  And if you still require a little more heat, see #1 above.
3.  CARDINI'S CAESAR DRESSING.  It's not exactly like homemade or steakhouse Caesar dressing.  I don't know if it is "the original" as the bottle claims, but it IS rich, complex, and delicious.  I like to dip baby carrots in it for a snack that fills me up without making me feel like a glutton.
4.  DOMINO AGAVE NECTAR.  It's organic. It's inexpensive.  It's relatively low on the glycemic index compared to other sweeteners.  It instantly adds a depth and subtle sweetness to your cooking without being cloying.  I hardly ever use sugar anymore.
5.  FAGE GREEK YOGURT.  Put away the sour cream.  Step away from runny yogurts with "fruit" flavors that smell and taste like air freshener.  Hands down, this is the best yogurt on the market.  Use it in place of buttermilk, sour cream, and creme fraiche. Or eat it plain with fresh fruit and/or honey.  Thin it down, add citrus and garlic for an amazing chicken marinade.  I make frozen yogurt with Fage and preserves when I'm jonesing for a sweet treat.
6.  LIMES.  In my opinion, there are very few things in the culinary world that don't benefit from a twist.  Beef stew too rich, heavy, and blah?  Twist of lime.  Your homemade Thai recipes not as good as the local restaurant?  Twist of lime. Boring, overcooked steak?  Twist of lime.  Flavorless, dry pork?  Twist of lime (and cumin!).  Need a change of pace for chicken or salmon?  Cook a smidgen of tequila down with a little agave nectar and add a twist of lime.
7.  HAIN IODIZED SEA SALT.  I love sea salt because I find it nice and salty, which means I can get away with a little less and still have well-seasoned food.  It is ground finely for better, more familiar culinary control (I still don't like doing a "3-finger pinch" with kosher salt cut like snow-melting rock salt.  Iodide keeps the goiter and cognitive impairments at bay.
8.  BETTER THAN BOUILLON BEEF BASE.  It's like demi-glace on the grocer's shelf. You can take sauces to the next level with this. I put it in the sauce for duck a l'orange and wow, is it a brilliant time-saver!  And even if you never use it for anything but making soup, you'll stop wasting money on watery, vaguely chemical-flavored broths.  Keeps for almost ever in the fridge.
9.  THAI KITCHEN FISH SAUCE.  Fish sauce alone is a little gross and funky, but blended with other things it adds a special complexity that nothing else but hours-long slow-cooking can (and frankly, who really has time for hours-long slow-cooking??) I put fish sauce in my stir fry last night.  It's great in soups and stews.  I faux-age steaks with fish sauce, garlic, and black pepper for 2 hours on the counter to make my cheap grocery store cut taste like a night out at Morton's.
10.  PALMOLIVE.  "You're soaking in it."  This is not a food item, but  this ugly, acrid green dish liquid in the out-dated bottle will help you clean up after dinner better than anything else.  I've tried 'em all, people, and rest assured that this soap cuts grease far better than the dish detergents with prettier scents, packages, and marketing campaigns-- I am finally resigned to the fact that Madge was right all along.