Prepare to eat well in an emergency
SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL
It's time to stock up before trouble strikes. The classic trouble for Floridians is, of course, the hurricane. But it pays to be prepared even if you expect nothing more trying than an unannounced guest.
With that in mind, this is a foodie's guide to stocking an emergency pantry. Sure, putting together such a stockpile means you'll purchase and store the usual canned and packaged goods your family likes. And we aren't going to try to change that list.
But we want to introduce some new ideas. Products that take up less space and taste better than some of the items you may have used in the past. Some that are easier to prepare than before.
We offer food preparation tips to keep you sated and safe in the event of several days without power or running water. And we remind you to stock those treats that make it more enjoyable surviving the heat and humidity without air conditioning. Just don't forget the water (1 gallon per person per day; stock a supply that lasts two weeks).
New and improved products for the pantry
• Albacore tuna packaged in shelf-stable pouches is excellent, and you don't need a can opener to get to it (StarKist, Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea are all good brands).
• Premium white chicken in shelf-stable pouches (Valley Fresh brand).
• Premium chunk ham with natural juices in shelf-stable pouches (Sweet Sue brand).
• Fully cooked bacon that comes in a box and stores at room temperature. You can eat it as is in a pinch or cook it on a griddle or the grill in 20 seconds per side.
• Real bacon bits packed in shelf-stable resealable bags (Oscar Mayer brand comes in 3-ounce bags). Although these must be refrigerated after opening, the bags are small enough that you can use them up in one meal. Try making sandwiches with them, sprinkling into bean salads or adding to eggs.
• Try all those antipasti products now available in special displays in supermarkets (the Flora brand is readily available).
You'll find jars of marinated artichoke hearts, "bruschetta" or chopped vegetables, marinated mushrooms, high-quality tuna in heavy olive oil, roasted peppers and more. They are perfect for mixing with beans and other vegetables to make salads; the liquid from these can be used as marinades or dressings.
• Canned beans no longer mean just kidney beans. With so much ethnic diversity in Florida, there are many varieties readily available including pigeon peas, red, great northern, small white, pink, pinto, black and pinquitos. Stock up and use them in soups and salads. They are a great source of protein and fiber.
• Soups no longer have to be the condensed type to which you add precious water. Now they are ready to open and eat. Progresso and Campbell's Chunky brands are our favorites. You can turn just about any good soup into a stew by adding canned vegetables and beans. Thicken it a bit with cornstarch dissolved in water. Serve over rice.
• Now you can get high-quality canned potatoes. Fresh-Cut Diced New Potatoes (Del Monte) are firm and fresh tasting. You can use them to make a potato salad or add them to Campbell's Kitchen Classics Cream of Potato Soup to make it even heartier. Sprinkle dried parsley flakes for a garnish.
• Canned tomatoes used to come whole, crushed, pureed or stewed. Now you can get them petite cut or diced, with or without flavors such as roasted garlic, Italian herbs, green peppers, sweet onions and celery; garlic and olive oil, zesty jalapeno, or mushroom and garlic (Hunt's, Contadina and Del Monte brands).
• Del Monte introduces a new line of canned Savory Sides in pop-top cans. Our favorite is the Green Bean Casserole. Stock it with a can of French's Fried Onions and you can have a skillet version of Mom's holiday casserole on the table in mere minutes. It's great comfort food in times like these. Avoid the Honey Glazed Carrots, though. They are soggy and gloppy.
• Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (simmer the boil-in-bag 4 minutes; no pan washing) is better than instant rice. And the different flavors - Spanish Style, Roasted Chicken and more - add variety to meals. Let the rice cool and use it to make savory salads.
• Zartarain's offers shelf-stable envelopes of New Orleans-style rice that include Jambalaya, Red Beans & Rice and Yellow Rice. While they are made to be popped into the microwave for 60 seconds, the rice can also be cooked for 2 minutes in a skillet when the electricity is out and you have only a gas burner or grill top. We also found they can be boiled in the bag.
• Couscous is readily available and now it comes in flavors and colors: red tomato basil, green spinach and festive tricolor. It requires no cooking. Just add boiling water and let sit 5 minutes. Use it for salads or as a bed for grilled meats or vegetables. Heat a can of soup and use that as the liquid for preparing the couscous. You'll have a one-dish meal.
• Chili seasoning envelopes let you make chili on the grill. Just combine canned beans and/or meat and canned tomatoes with the seasoning packet in a heavy saucepan and simmer 10 minutes.
• Paul Newman Lighten Up Light Balsamic Vinaigrette makes a great dressing for canned vegetables, beans, cold or hot pastas or use it as a marinade. And best of all, it doesn't require refrigeration, even after opening. Other Newman brand dressings that don't require refrigeration include Light Red Wine Vinegar and Olive Oil, Light Italian and Balsamic Vinegar. Read the label on the cap carefully as some varieties do require cold storage.
• They are not new and they aren't particularly gourmet, but in a crisis, they sure taste good: Velveeta and Swiss Knight processed cheeses. The advantage is that neither require refrigeration before opening. The 8-ounce box of Velveeta can be used in one meal; Swiss Knight comes in single-serving wedges to enjoy on crackers with wine.
• Red wines come in single-serving, screw-top bottles. There's no need for a corkscrew. And red wine is better than white served at room temperature.
• Water bottled with lemon or lime flavor. You don't want these for washing or as part of your gallon-a-day-per-person requirement, but they are nice for a refreshing change.
• Look for condiments - mustard, ketchup, mayo - in single-serving packets so that once open they won't spoil if there's no refrigeration. If you don't have prepared mustard on hand, make it yourself by mixing mustard powder, vinegar and water. Keep Asian mustard powder or wasabi on hand for a real kick.
• Buy cookies, chips, pretzels, crackers with processed cheese in single-serving snack packs so that they don't succumb to humidity and get soggy once opened. For a sweet treat, stock mini candy bars.
• To go with those chips, purchase pop-top cans of dip. They come in a variety of flavors including onion, bean, mild cheddar and jalapeno cheddar (Wise and Fritos). Sitting with the family enjoying these as you heat the grill for dinner is a good way to help everyone relax at a trying time.
• Single-serving, shelf-stable boxes of Parmalat make it easier to keep milk from spoiling.
• Fruits come packaged in shelf-stable plastic cups. Del Monte brand can be eaten right out of the cup without dirtying another bowl; no need for a can opener.
• Pudding in plastic cups means no dishes to wash and they don't require refrigeration.
Tips on preparing food safely in a trying time
Be creative: Don't even think about recipes. Use common sense and what you have on hand to prepare filling and nutritious meals.
Good juice: When you use canned or preserved fruits, pour off their canning juice or liquid before eating the fruit. Use that liquid in dressings for salads.
On the grill: For cooking on the grill, try Reynolds Hot Bags, foil bags to cook just about anything. Also, Reynolds Wrap Release Non-Stick Aluminum Foil makes cooking sticky things over coals easier. No problem with cleanup.
Save cooking water: When you have a pot of water to heat boil-in-bags, you don't have to discard it. Save it to heat boil-in-bags at another meal. Just bring to a boil again, let boil a few moments, then add more bags. Don't use for another purpose, however. If you've stocked a lot of boil-in-bags, be sure to have tongs on hand to get them out of the pot easily. Scissors also help to cut them open for serving.
Bread ideas: If bread becomes a bit stale, don't throw it out. When you make soup, break up the bread and put a few of these croutons in the bottom of the bowl before you ladle the soup into it. The bread will soak up the soup and make a more hearty potage. Or break the bread into smaller cubes and add to a marinated vegetable or bean salad. The vinaigrette dressing will soak into the bread for a version of panzanella. You also might try toasting the bread on the grill to use for bruschetta. Of course, if the bread is moldy you must discard it.
Pasta perfect: If you plan to stock pasta, purchase a thinner variety such as angel hair that cooks in less time so it uses less fuel. And there's no need to heat the sauce separately. Just toss the room temperature jarred sauce with the hot pasta. If you don't have Parmesan cheese, you can grate stale bread or use dried bread crumbs as a stand in.
Spice it up: A variety of dried spices and spice mixes makes it easier than ever to add flavor to such simple things as rice, couscous, instant mashed potatoes, pasta tossed with olive oil and other simple but filling starches.
Cold soup: Make gazpacho by adding tomato juice and water to thin salsa from a jar.
Off easy: Soups and many canned vegetables now come in pop-top cans so you don't need a can opener.
Rinse once: When using a variety of canned beans for one meal, place them all in a colander and rinse them all at one time instead of one kind at a time. This saves water.
Sweet defrost: If you have treats in the freezer - brownies, cookies, pound cake - and the power goes out, be sure to enjoy them as they defrost.
Food safety: Food kept under minimal refrigeration (in an ice chest) is prone to food-safety issues, so be very careful how you handle it. During an emergency, food-safety rules are very important. Use disposable food-cutting sheets for preparing meats and vegetables. And wear disposable gloves.
Cleanup: Use disposable plastic gloves to mix things by hand so you don't dirty utensils unnecessarily. This saves water used for cleanup. And use self-seal plastic bags instead of mixing bowls to mix salads. Just put the ingredients into one, seal and toss to mix. No need to wash a container. And if you store food in plastic bags in an ice chest, they take up less space than plastic containers.
Avoid them: Scallions have been the culprits in a number of food-illness outbreaks; avoid them when you're cooking under duress.
Leftovers
When hurricane season ends and the all-clear whistle sounds on Nov. 30, let's hope you have lots of supplies lingering in the pantry. Here are some ideas of what to do with them:
Let's party: Get a few jugs of wine and cases of beer. Buy a few loaves of good French bread and crackers and tell all your neighbors to bring their hurricane supplies, too. Put out antipasto and snack goodies for a "celebrate the end of the hurricane season" party.
Soup's on: Invite friends for a simple supper. Combine similar soups in one big pot and serve them with a selection of crackers. By combining flavors you come up with new varieties. Add some of the canned vegetables and beans for added heartiness and flavor.
Dinner is served: Make a large pot of rice and beans. Use a variety of beans and rices you have on hand. Freeze for future meals.
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