348134 Mon Dec 04 18:56:53 -0800 2006 79 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 2068852 The thread about fridge organization contains many comments by condiment-aholics, their storage problems & addiction. So: Condiment Police, do tell which condiments are a) necessary... b) desirable... c) you kidding me? Mon Dec 04 18:56:53 -0800 2006 11069 fauchon 1 2072236 Here's my list of necessaties; mayo, mustard, ketchup, various hot sauces, sweet pickle relish and jalepeno (?) peppers. Tue Dec 05 18:45:17 -0800 2006 2068852 21203 jackrugby 1 2072534 Muffuletta Hot chopped cherry peppers Pub style horseradish sauce Tarragon mustard All vital for sandwiches! Tue Dec 05 19:58:51 -0800 2006 2068852 57867 Gin and It 1 2072797 Necessary - mayo, mustard, ketchup, horseradish, soy or teriyaki sauce, honey, salt & pepper. Tue Dec 05 21:04:44 -0800 2006 2068852 10532 LindaWhit 1 2072844 Necessary - I use these often: Anchovy Paste Dijon mustard Whole grain mustard Soy Sauce Worcestercire Sauce Chili and Garlic Sauce Thai Red Curry Paste Thai Green Curry Paste Thai Yellow Curry Paste Marischino Cherries (for Manhattans - a must) Capers Desirable: Black Bean Sauce Plum Sauce Oyster Sauce (Although I have a HUGE bottle someone gave me and I keep looking at it, thinking "Dear God, will it EVER go AWAY!!??) Horseradish Real Mayonnaise Roasted Red Peppers Kalamata Olives Fish Sauce (that stuff smells so bad, but it's useful) Hoisin Sauce Raspberry jam Apricot preserves Marmalade and in the WHY DO I HAVE THIS category Honey Mustard Dip ? (gift from someone) Some kind of ancient preserves Hot chinese mustard Something crusty that the label has fallen off of. Someone please make me throw these things in the trash. Just because it comes in a glass jar does not mean I have to keep it until the End of Time... Tue Dec 05 21:15:49 -0800 2006 2068852 49971 Andiereid 2 2073634 great list throw out the crappy gift condiments! I did a couple of months ago, and it felt great... Wed Dec 06 00:43:48 -0800 2006 2072844 11989 pitu 2 2075021 You should use the Oyster Sauce if you haven't opened it. It will go bad, I found out too late and ruined a meal. Believe me you'll know. But it makes great oyster beef or brocolli beef but my favorite is to stir fry cauliflower with green onion oyster sauce and garlic. Yum. Wed Dec 06 16:04:08 -0800 2006 2072844 50431 chef chicklet 3 2075377 You know what? That stuff is so old, I bet I can just throw it out. Yay! More space in the fridge! Wed Dec 06 17:42:54 -0800 2006 2075021 49971 Andiereid 3 2097720 Oyster sauce- secret ingredient for kick ass fried rice. Wed Dec 13 23:04:21 -0800 2006 2075021 58655 vsoy 1 2072929 A lot of you chowhounds are including condiments which must be refrigerated after opening with those that do not require refrigeration, such as ketchup and mustard. The original question involves refrigerator door space, which is much more limited compared to kitchen shelf space in general. So, my list is only going to include those items which must be kept in the fridge. That fridge space is precious, and my condiments that make the cut include: honey, maple syrup. Bon Maman: strawberry, raspberry, marmalade, apricot. Green curry paste, fish sauce, capers, mayo., tahini, pepperoncini, sweet pickle relish (so hard to find without dye), kalamata olives, home-made Pace Picante style salsa, tomatillo salsa verde from TJ's, home-made beet horseradish, Better than Bullion: chicken and veg., pickled jalapenos, marzipan, sliced pickled ginger, plum sauce, Annie's Goddess dressing, TJ's BBQ sauce, Soy Vay Island Teriyaki sauce, Newman's Own Honey Mustard dressing, vanilla extract, kim chee (difficult to find sans sodium benzoate), Costco basil pesto, TJ's Cuban mojito sauce, Skippy super chunk PB, pickled beets, anchovies, hoisin sauce, black bean sauce, oyster sauce, pickled tomatoes, half sour pickles (also hard to find minus benzoate), AND...miso paste. Whew! That was fun. Tue Dec 05 21:32:27 -0800 2006 2068852 23824 niki rothman 2 2072937 You refrigerate your peanut butter? How come? I never have done. It lives in the pantry. Tue Dec 05 21:34:44 -0800 2006 2072929 49971 Andiereid 3 2072953 You may find a few other items, such as preserves, honey, and maple syrup which I choose to refrigerate - only because I have found mold at one time or another. Tue Dec 05 21:37:25 -0800 2006 2072937 23824 niki rothman 4 2073731 I have only had maple syrup go moldy. That gets refrigerated. Wed Dec 06 01:12:26 -0800 2006 2072953 10285 Candy 3 2075049 My uncle got food poisoning from eating unrefrigerated peanut butter in a jar that had been opened for a while. His doctor told him to always refrigerate the peanut butter within a week or so of opening the jar, otherwise bacteria accumulates.. I would assume this goes double for the natural peanut butter. Wed Dec 06 16:15:35 -0800 2006 2072937 43173 Heatherb 3 2097706 Peanut butter that doesn't have any preservatives must be refrigerated. I buy Laura Scudder, no Jiffy for me, no matter how much my son whined for it. I'm gonna try Adams next, it's supposed to be very good (good enough for Steve Ballmer of Microsoft, I know for a fact). Wed Dec 13 22:58:52 -0800 2006 2072937 14447 rednails 3 2101538 If you haven't tried natural peanut butter, you really should, any brand, so wonderful. Stir the oil on top into it with one beater of your electric egg beater stuck right into the jar, very easy, refrigerate and it does not separate again. Yum. Fri Dec 15 02:55:06 -0800 2006 2072937 14063 Anne H 2 2073456 I have never kept honey, fish sauce, tahini, vanilla extract, or peanut butter in the fridge. They do fine in a cabinet. Tue Dec 05 23:43:29 -0800 2006 2072929 11995 pikawicca 3 2073539 I keep my PB in the fridge because I like the kind that separates if it is kept at room temperature and I hate stirring it up. Wed Dec 06 00:11:13 -0800 2006 2073456 21053 mizinformation 4 2076929 I store natural peanut butter upside down and occasionallly flip the jat rightside up to keep the oil even in the jar. If there is a lot of oil floating on top when I buy it then it goes onteh shelf upside down vice versa Thu Dec 07 00:14:53 -0800 2006 2073539 10285 Candy 2 2073528 Thank god, I don't feel alone anymore - take so much flack from friends and spouse re multiple flavors of the same thing - don't they understand the need for subtle variation?? I have to admit also that my condimentia has extended to the freezer, where I keep dates and figs which need to be wrapped in bacon, baked crisp and dipped in a kaluha cream with spiced with Thai Chili. Wed Dec 06 00:06:34 -0800 2006 2072929 43920 cambriahound 3 2073749 On the flip side, I find that I have to keep multiple kinds of things because I like chunky peanut butter, my husband only likes smooth. He was raised on Miracle Whip so I have to keep that on hand even though I only use Hellman's. We like different catsups, mustards, salad dressings, kinds of olives, cheese spreads and so on. Wasteful, but cheaper than divorce! Wed Dec 06 01:16:37 -0800 2006 2073528 14164 sheiladeedee 4 2074670 A Miracle Whip/Hellman's compromise generally works, but there is actual legal precedent for discord leading to divorce: http://www.court.state.nd.us/court/docket/20000032.htm Wed Dec 06 13:45:33 -0800 2006 2073749 17562 FoodFuser 4 2075751 LOL - feel like you've looked in my fridge. Have to buy the small bottle of Miracle Whip though because he doesn't use as much and I pick the peanut chunks out of his PB if I run out of smooth. Wed Dec 06 19:08:58 -0800 2006 2073749 43920 cambriahound 2 2074807 How's TJs tomatillo salsa?? I guess it must be good if it's on your list... Wed Dec 06 14:50:47 -0800 2006 2072929 18154 prunefeet 3 2074833 Yes, TJ's tomatillo salsa verde in the jar is really good. As is TJ's general rule it has no additives. I'm pretty sure it's just tomatillos with little charry bits (nice touch), finely minced onions, vinegar, maybe garlic - I'm out of it right now otherwise I'd check (er...out of it in both senses - not quite awake yet - 7 a.m. & no salsa verde in the fridge at this moment). It goes great with just about anything Mex. Also fine on an omelet, on chicken or meats you want to serve with tortillas, salad, beans & rice type of meal. It's not hot, just a nice hearty taste. It's the only salsa I buy. The Pace Picante cooked red type and the pico de gallo/salsa crudo raw salsa with cilantro are so very easy to make in the Cuisinart there's no reason to buy them. And when you make them fresh they taste so much better than what sits on the shelf at the store - and of course no chemicals. But that TJ's tomatillo salsa verde keeps a very long time in the fridge (couple of months - I'm embarrassed to admit)) without losing quality - probably because of the vinegar. Wed Dec 06 15:01:57 -0800 2006 2074807 23824 niki rothman 4 2074866 Thanks, I'll be picking this up next time. This thread has given me too many ideas for even more condiments I MUST have. Wed Dec 06 15:12:48 -0800 2006 2074833 18154 prunefeet 2 2075687 Funny you should mention what you keep in the fridge and what you don't (ketchup & mustard). I've always kept those 2 in the fridge, but have always kept honey on the shelf. Maple syrup if it's the mass produced kind with 2% maple syrup goes on the shelf, if it's real 100% maple syrup, it goes in the fridge. Wed Dec 06 18:55:36 -0800 2006 2072929 21203 jackrugby 2 2075703 It's actually not a good idea to refrigerate honey, there are living cultures in honey that make it especially healthful and refrigeration will kill them. Honey is a natural antibiotic. Sorry to get all crunchy/new wave/hippie on you all. Wed Dec 06 18:59:29 -0800 2006 2072929 56793 ballulah 3 2075832 Oh, I am with you 100 percent. The honey was firmly un-refrigerated until that day I noticed the mold. Wed Dec 06 19:25:43 -0800 2006 2075703 23824 niki rothman 4 2076746 Need to eat that honey faster! Haha. Or maybe you just had an unlucky jar. Wed Dec 06 23:10:13 -0800 2006 2075832 56793 ballulah 3 2076931 And then there is the natural botulism in honey too, but I would never refrigerate honey and I don't eat a lot of it so it can sit on my shelf a couple of years. Thu Dec 07 00:16:33 -0800 2006 2075703 10285 Candy 4 2081899 Anyway, it usually crystalizes a bit when refridgerated. Fri Dec 08 17:04:35 -0800 2006 2076931 18154 prunefeet 1 2072932 Some of the condiments listed above seem to me more like ingredients. I can't imagine using curry paste on its own as a condiment. What differentiates a condiment from an ingredient? What inventive ways have you used curry pastes, black bean sauce, et cetera, that seem outside the realm of what they were meant for? by the way, my must have condiments: Heinz ketchup Hellman's mayo (besut foods on west coast) Crystal brand Louisiana hot sauce Tapatio hot sauce (red) Sriracha sauce Soy sauce HP Sauce Tue Dec 05 21:33:02 -0800 2006 2068852 22627 MaspethMaven 2 2072971 I'm very much of a dab o' this, touch o' that, cook. Interesting you should single out curry paste. I can just see myself making something like a mixed veg. concoction and thinking, "Hmm...I bet just the thing that this mess needs is a touch of that green curry paste and er...maybe some sour cream." Tue Dec 05 21:41:48 -0800 2006 2072932 23824 niki rothman 3 2097205 only singled out curry because some earlier response listed it as a condiment. And you know, when your coconut milk just isn't creamy enough, a dollop of daisy (or breakstones, or friendship) might do the trick! At the risk of sounding like (yuk-o) Rachael Ray, maybe it'll give it that "hmm-what is that?" Wed Dec 13 21:00:59 -0800 2006 2072971 22627 MaspethMaven 4 2100147 My grinch's Christmas (or in my case, Chanukah)present this year is to just have pretty much figured out i am lactose intolerant. So, I'm going to make that curry paste with that IMO imitation sour cream crap I've seen forever in the supermarket but turned up my nose at. I have been using Coffeemate diluted to cream concentration for cream soups whenever I need a creamy soup or gravy - but now it's going to have to get serious. Interestingly, there have been newspaper articles lately showing how human development of the ability to digest dairy at all only happened as the result of some very new area of human eveolution. They are beginning to see human biological developments like that as the result of human civilization - i.e.: domestication of cattle 9,000 years ago - as being evidence of the ongoing process of evolution on the human species. Isn't that fascinating. Before 9,000 years ago nobody could digest dairy after they grew beyond childhood because milk was only a mommy/baby thing. THEN 9,000 years ago we started to domesticate cattle and those people who COULD digest the newly available dairy as adults got better nutrition and lived longer - AND passed along those dairy accepting genes. Isn't evolution fascinating! Thu Dec 14 19:42:26 -0800 2006 2097205 23824 niki rothman 5 2101296 Have you tried the lactase pills and Lactaid milk? You must take the pill with the first bite of dairy containing food, not in the middle or later- doesn't work as I've discovered. The pills has helped me enjoy lasgna again. Personally, I kind of like the Lactaid milk, a little bit sweeter because the lactose has been broken down for you. Just terribly expensive. Fri Dec 15 01:06:51 -0800 2006 2100147 58655 vsoy 6 2102827 To be honest, I'm scared. My GI upsets are so violent that so far the desire for dairy has been vastly outweighed by the fear of consequences. I'm kind of curious about people saying that most cheeses actually do not contain lactose - but I don't even really believe this enough yet to risk an "attack" I need more information - that's for sure. Fri Dec 15 17:25:36 -0800 2006 2101296 23824 niki rothman 1 2073045 All 4 different jars of my mustard say refrigerate after opening as does my catsup and my Tamari and soy sauce. I have various ingredients for Asian cooking that also say to refrigerate and the 3 salad dressings I buy, Marie's Bleu Cheese, the imported tomato and fig derssings from France, then there is stuff like tomato paste and anchovy paste, various BBQ sauces, mayo, anchovies, marischino cherries (hint pour off half of the juice in the bottle when you get it and replace it with bourbon for Manhattans), pickled onions, creme fraiche, sour cream, varioius hot sauces and basics like Worcestershire , ginger juice, chili sauce, horseradish, olives, pickles of various sorts, 2 bottles of Minus-8 Vinegar (that stuff is precious) 1 bottle of Saba, also precious and hard to come by,etc. It is packed. What i do not refrigerate is peanut butter, jams or jellies, baking supplies like various extracts. Tue Dec 05 21:57:55 -0800 2006 2068852 10285 Candy 2 2073488 "marischino cherries (hint pour off half of the juice in the bottle when you get it and replace it with bourbon for Manhattans" OOO! Thank you! Tue Dec 05 23:53:01 -0800 2006 2073045 49971 Andiereid 3 2074876 I recently noticed Trader Joe's sells maraschino cherries without the bright red dye. They are not the intense neon red of course, but they look acceptable and taste perfect. Wed Dec 06 15:18:00 -0800 2006 2073488 23824 niki rothman 3 2075030 If you have access to fresh sour cherrie pit them saving a few pits, add good brandy, and sugar. You are blessed with the most wonderful cherries for manhattans and delicous cherry-flavored brandy. Wed Dec 06 16:07:19 -0800 2006 2073488 10099 JudiAU 1 2073499 FWIW- my mother used to keep opened Helman's mayo in the pantry- how I survived my childhood I dont know. Tue Dec 05 23:55:55 -0800 2006 2068852 21566 tbear 2 2073511 Goes to show you how many delicious chemicals are in there with the eggs and oil. Wed Dec 06 00:01:01 -0800 2006 2073499 17282 missclaudy 3 2074591 I don't think Hellman's is dangerous at room temp, you buy it that way in the first place so it's not as delicate as one might think. Delis usually put out a tub of mayo at 5 in the morning and use it until after dinner when they close; I understand that mayo actually prevents food poisoning rather than promotes it (sorry don't remember the scientific facts). PS I keep mine in the fridge after opening, especially as husband must have it cold on a sandwich, yes he would notice otherwise!) Wed Dec 06 13:05:31 -0800 2006 2073511 11097 coll 4 2074843 BUT...and here's the danger. Double dipping into whatever you are making with the mayo. Like you take a spoon and scoop out some mayo, put it in the bowl with the tuna or chopped eggs for salad, or whatever, and tiny particles of tuna or fish oil you may not notice touch the spoon and get carried back into the jar when you go to dip into it for your next spoonful of mayo. THIS is what starts the mold growing and the bacteria multiplying & spreading into the jar as the jar sits at room temp. And if you have kids, or a sloppy husband (err...I guess that means all husbands) cannot be trusted to keep fingers or worse out of jars of mayo, PB & J, etc. Better to play it safe and keep ALL that stuff in the fridge where the bacteria and mold spores that are inevitably going to get into the jar can't grow and potential make somebody sick. Wed Dec 06 15:06:00 -0800 2006 2074591 23824 niki rothman 4 2075101 It is heat sealed like all canned foods when you buy them. Wed Dec 06 16:33:18 -0800 2006 2074591 17282 missclaudy 1 2073506 Just looked in the fridge and observed the following: Ketchup Dijon Mustard Mayonnaise Thai Green Curry Paste Wocestershire Sauce Tamarind Paste Saffron Date & Chilli Sauce Kalamata Olives Dry-Cured Black Olives Marinated Green Olives Dill Pickles (spears and slices) Roasted Red Peppers Sundried Tomato Paste Apricot Jam French Raspberry Jam French cream cheese Greek Yogurt Aubergine Pesto Tahini Paste Oh, and Hot Chinese mustard is great for clearing the sinuses when you have a cold. In a pinch, a trip to Pei Wei will do. TT Tue Dec 05 23:59:06 -0800 2006 2068852 19247 TexasToast 2 2073746 If you have Coleman's Dry Mustard on hand you can make up hot sinus clearing mustard in small fresh batches, even just a couple of Tbs. at a time. Just mix Colemans 1 to 1 with water, wine, or beer. Let it sit about a half hour and then clear the sinuses. Use with caution. I find the prepared Chinese like grated horseradish goes flat and heatless in a short amount of time. Wed Dec 06 01:16:04 -0800 2006 2073506 10285 Candy 3 2074603 I forgot to add: Caperberries Salted Capers Maple Syrup Pickled Jalepenos Chocolate Sauce I think that about covers it. TT Wed Dec 06 13:12:37 -0800 2006 2073746 19247 TexasToast 1 2073805 Some thoughts on condimentia (sort of like dementia - only tastier)- some stuff just stays fresher in the fridge - no question about vanilla extract, nuts I even freeze, curry paste, tahini, saffron, truffle oil. Things I don't use often that are expensive or subtle flavors. Some things I would assume would stay fresh in the cabinet have shocked me into being extra careful to read labels always now - for the "refrigerate after opening" warning (threat?). For example, one day I was all set to sit down to some hot crispy waffles with butter and pure maple syrup, when I took a close look at the maple syrup bottle that had been UN-refrigerated...HMMM....FURRY MOLD! And nothing else to put on those waffles that day either. TRAGEDY! Same thing has happened with jams - so now they and their buddy PB go on the fridge door. Last thought on condiments put their spiritual importance in its true perspective for me. It was an art piece which was displayed on the wall of Just Desserts, a bakery here in SF. It was those large double tablets (probably 4 x 6 ft. or so), usually used to display that tired old cliche' "The 10 Commandments" (just kidding Godsters)only this one was labeled in classic Gothic script: "The Ten Condiments" in place of the boring old "don't covet", "don't lie" dictums - whatever...were the much more interesting and tasty: Heinz Ketchup bottle, Morton's salt, Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce bottle, Kraft BBQ sauce, Hellman's mustard jar, jar of Heinz pickle relish, bottle of Kikkomman soy sauce, and a jar of Heinz vinegar. Is that ten yet? Well, use your imagination. I don't know about you, but personally, I mean in my own pretty blameless boring existence, those Ten Condiments have been so much more useful, I mean...realistically speaking, than the ones about not killing and all that. I hardly ever get the urge to kill, but I DO so often find myself desperate for some Heinz ketchup. But, I'm still very grateful - to WHOEVER is responsible for that sort of thing on the cosmic level, when I've got some hot, crispy waffles all ready to go, and there is NO mold on the maple syrup. Is there a moral here? Maybe if there was it would be: trust, but verify. Wed Dec 06 01:35:36 -0800 2006 2068852 23824 niki rothman 2 2074786 LOL I love it, the Ten Condiments. Tho of course ten is nowhere near enough... Wed Dec 06 14:43:05 -0800 2006 2073805 18154 prunefeet 2 2076005 Pretty funny that a place called Just Desserts would have a Ten Condiments poster. My Refrigerated Ten Condiments: 1. Miracle Whip. There shall be no condiments before this (backup Best food mayo) 2. You shall take the name Heinz organic catsup seriously 3. Remember to keep the jam refrigerated 4. Refrigerate your olive oil and peanut butter 5. You shall keep mustard, preferably plain yellow 6. You shall not buy adulterated condiments (with hfcs, preservatives, etc) 7. You shall keep sriracha 8. You shall not bear false-tasting horseradish 9. You shall not covet your neighbor's condiments 10. You shall not covet fancy condiments or they will be condemned to damnation that is the limbo at the back of the fridge ... unloved and molding in agony while taking up valuable fridge real estate until I move to a new home and throw them away and they go to landfill hell. Other than those ... well, actually eight ... that’s all I keep. I just get too crazy watching something age in the fridge, like those three bottles of piri-piri sauce that have been in there about two years now. There are visiting condiments like the TJ pumpkin butter that I found I didn’t like ... or occasionally pickles or olives. I wasn’t kidding about the Miracle Whip just to be cute. I confess have a trashy side to me and really love this stuff. Moses & The Ten Condiments http://imagesource.allposters.com/images/EPH/8204.jpg Wed Dec 06 20:06:30 -0800 2006 2073805 10264 rworange 3 2076548 Dang it! rw - WHY, OH WHY didn't I use the brains I was given and take a photograph of that sculpture? It was monumental - a 3D construction and made with the actual items - bottles of Heinz ketchup, etc. I searched Google and found nothing remotely related to the original 10 Condiments sculpture of the Biblical Tablets and holy condiments at the JD on Church. Next time I'm up to it I think I'll canvas the local merchants and see if anybody knows what I'm talking about or has any clues to locating the artist. Like David at Aaardvark books will no doubt have some ideas. At the very least I want to track down the artist and get a photo. Best case scenario: I buy the thing and hang it in my kitchen. Any ideas would be welcome. There is actually an artists' association in the Upper Market (Safeway Gulch) area that holds a yearly open studio event, they would be good to contact and ask questions, as well as the owners of JD, and maybe the woman who did that great mural on the side of the Arab deli at 15 & Church. I'm motivated. Wed Dec 06 22:22:46 -0800 2006 2076005 23824 niki rothman 3 2076945 Miracle Whip shall never enter my home Brooks Catsup is the only catsup worth eating Never refrigerate olive oil or peanut butter Never refrigerate jams ot jellies Mustards, Plochman's, Grey Poupon both smoth and coarse, Edmund Fallot poupon style with green peppercorns are always to be on hand Thu Dec 07 00:23:04 -0800 2006 2076005 10285 Candy 4 2077013 I always love it when somebody here has really extreme views, so don't take this as a criticism: Trader Joe's Dijon mustard is better than Grey Poupon - I swear. Check it out. You'll thank me. Man, you've got me wanting to taste that Brooks ketchup. Never seen it. What part of the world contains it? Not SF. No strong feelings about Miracle Whip and it makes me wonder why some folks seem to hate it so. Maybe it's a geographic/class distinction thing. The South East? I don't think the Miracle Whip vs: Mayo turf war has hit big on the West Coast yet. You state unequivocally that "...Miracle Whip shall never enter my home." Sounds like a challenge. If Miracle Whip does make some attempt to get into my apartment, I'm just going to stand back and watch it try. Thu Dec 07 00:43:56 -0800 2006 2076945 23824 niki rothman 4 2077105 Candy, it seems we attend different condiment churches with differing beliefs :-) Niki, if you ever see Narsai David's Dijon mustard, snap it up despite its outrageous price. I'm not a Dijon fan, but I could just eat Narsai's mustard direct from the jar with a spoon. In our area, sometimes Andronico's sells it. Thu Dec 07 01:12:46 -0800 2006 2076945 10264 rworange 5 2077149 Yeah, rw, I was kind of surprised when you admitted you loved the yellow ballpark style. Yet I was someplace recently and it was all they had and I thought it was really delicious on the cold cut sandwich to which I applied it. So, I'm going to get some. Best brand? And thanx for the tip on the Narsai David mustard. I will get some. I do eat a lot of mustard and it is an important holy condiment to me. Mmmm...corned beef....Mmmm....Niman Ranch beef hot dogs....AND NR no nitrates ham....Mmmm...nice fresh seedy rye bread....Mmmm....nutmeggy white wursts and sauerkraut and MUSTARD! Thu Dec 07 01:26:46 -0800 2006 2077105 23824 niki rothman 1 2074070 Angostura. Wed Dec 06 03:19:05 -0800 2006 2068852 28703 RicRios 1 2074719 Refrigerator door is packed with multi ingredients as well as condiments; everybody laughs, husband grimaces must-have condiments Pulaski mustard (the best) dijon (ingredient only - I dont like very much) olive paste chili garlic sauce (lee kum kee) sambal oelek aleppo pepper for sprinkling, ingredient harissa some sripraphai nam prik pao pickled jalapenos (from Bayless recipe) japanese wasabi mayo, various indian pickles(about to clear these out - they dont get eaten) oyster sauce (for vegetables) date tamarind chutney for indian snack foods ingredients various chinese chile and bean pastes hungarian paprika hoisin sauce indian grean chile paste indian ginger garlic paste ghee chinese shrimp sauce pickle relish, hellmans mayo and ketchup salad olives, preserved lemons,kalamata olives possible refrig candidates kept outside the frig sesame oil (ised fast enuf to keep this way) jams, honey, pbj fish sauce Wed Dec 06 14:12:46 -0800 2006 2068852 11130 jen kalb 2 2074916 There is a little issue about refrigerating oils about water condensing on the sides of the bottle and then bacteria growing in the water. Check it out - you can see the little water particles. So I don't refrigerate oils. For my own garlic oil mix I make up for using on a million things - even garlic bread, and almost every day. I just make it in very small batches so it never sits more than a week. Wed Dec 06 15:33:02 -0800 2006 2074719 23824 niki rothman 2 2074994 jen kalb, your Must Have list is like looking in a mirror, down to the mustard except I don't have and never heard of aleppo pepper thanks for making your list! fish sauce and honey are def fine outside the fridge I wonder with peanut butter if there's a diff between salted and unsalted, raw and roasted, in terms of longevity. must be, right? Wed Dec 06 15:56:02 -0800 2006 2074719 11989 pitu 3 2075326 Just cause it happened to me - honey. They say it has anti-microbial properties and all. But, I looked at a jar in my cabinet recently and there was mold in it. So now it's in the fridge. Wed Dec 06 17:32:47 -0800 2006 2074994 23824 niki rothman 4 2075611 honey. hmmm. and I *so* love all those stories about 2000-year-old honey in tombs that is still good! You probably know the difference, but for those that don't know . . . honey *does* crystalize, and the raw stuff I get has bit of pollen and waxiness. None of it spoilage or mold, but all of it funny looking if you're new to the product. Wed Dec 06 18:39:09 -0800 2006 2075326 11989 pitu 5 2075878 I hear you. It's a lovely romantic thing. All those foods that go back to our earliest anscestors. I read recently that in Israel a date palm and a fig tree were cultivated from 4,000 year old seeds that could have been planted by my great great great times 3o or so great grandparents. The seeds were still alive. Apparently, the article said, figs and dates are some of the very first cultivated by man fruits going back tens of thousands of years. Why them? Because they are so easy to grow - all you have to do is stick a shoot or twig in the wet ground and the plant takes it from there. That was the very first agriculture. That Fertile Crescent that WAS a Garden of Eden in terms of climate way back ten thousand years or so ago when my own anscestors arrived there from the less fertile Africa, driven out by climate change. And they were just beginning to make the observations - like language and controlling herdable animals and noticing that some plants that bore good things to eat could be made to cooperate if people settled down into one place and tended to them - in the very earliest cities, like Baghdad in fact, where they could grow their own foods and not just follow the herds from place to place with the yearly climate changes. Honey, dates, figs, being able to have easy access to them and producing them and distributing them in a stable community - well, it all led to civilization. Wed Dec 06 19:35:43 -0800 2006 2075611 23824 niki rothman 6 2077147 Have you read Jared Diamond's Guns Germs and Steel. He talks about all of this, it is a beautiful, fascinating book. Thu Dec 07 01:26:05 -0800 2006 2075878 17282 missclaudy 5 2076919 I'm inviting you two over to see MY 2000 year old condiments.It just wouldn't be the same around here if I threw them away. They will probably all be buried with me. Thu Dec 07 00:08:05 -0800 2006 2075611 17282 missclaudy 6 2077162 Yeah, I definitely want to be buried with some snacks too. Thu Dec 07 01:30:55 -0800 2006 2076919 23824 niki rothman 2 2075110 Why do you refrigerate Aleppo pepper. I see that you also put your paprika in the fridge, do ground up peppers go off or loose flavor ? Thanks. Wed Dec 06 16:36:10 -0800 2006 2074719 17282 missclaudy 3 2076101 chiles tend to lose flavor and color - also, bugs get in them at room temp. Anyway, they seem to keep better this way. I just read something (an indian source maybe?) advising that all red spices be kept under refrig./freezing. Anyway, my new batch of sumac just went into the freezer. To pitu above, the aleppo pepper (what Kalustyan calls it) is also called near east pepper someplaces - I think that the stuff Sahadi is now selling as "halaby pepper" is the same. Heres a pic http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/spices/chilalep.html Its a somewhat fermented and oily flaky or coarsely ground pepper from syria which is very flavorful and not extremely hot so it works really well in salads and as condiment. Its similar to some of the Turkish peppers (maras?). I use it as my main chile for mideastern style dishes, for example hummus. Paula Wolfert and some of the other authors call for it a lot. great stuff. Just realized srihacha is in there too, behind the milk. Wed Dec 06 20:32:10 -0800 2006 2075110 11130 jen kalb 4 2076554 Sriracha seems to be universally loved by chowhounds - could it be the strange attraction of being both slightly sweet and a little garlicky? Wed Dec 06 22:24:13 -0800 2006 2076101 23824 niki rothman 5 2076648 I don't love sriracha, but for a funky-tasting can of sardines, it makes them edible. I think it has to be something you grew up with to love. I only tried it recently because everyone on the board was so crazy about it. It wasn't love at first bite. It also has some preservatives in it which moves it down a notch in my opinion ... but it is good for covering up a less than tasty dish. Wed Dec 06 22:45:30 -0800 2006 2076554 10264 rworange 6 2077171 Oh, I definitely like sriracha as an all-purpose hot sauce, and i think that preservative is one of the more benign (excuse the expression) ones, unlike, say benzoate and some coal-tar dyes. But, I love sriracha squirted into some rice stick noodle, meat, veg stir fry, or on top of a tostada, or on some Russian vareniki with sour cream. So, I've got sriracha going International. Now, rw dear, please allow me a tangent. When you say something, like sriracha - just for example, is useful to cover up the taste of something dubious to make it palatable - it really amazes me. Not being judgemental, but just kind of keeping the eye on the prize. If it has to be camouflaged just to make it edible, please! Get it the hell away from me! Since having all my GI problems (don't get me started) eating is even MORE important to me than ever, so I truly treasure everything I actually eat. It has GOT to be absolutely delicious or I refuse to take the risk of, say, maybe winding up in a lot of pain. But, it occurs to me that we are so blessed and priveleged in our chowhound understanding of how important delicious food truly is that we should insist that everything we eat be delicious. That IS my new policy. And it's really great. I only eat truly delicious food - I LOVE IT! That IS what being a chowhound actually means to me. Now, let's all go to the window, open it and shout, "I'm fed up with boring food and I'm not going to eat it any more!" Thu Dec 07 01:34:47 -0800 2006 2076648 23824 niki rothman 5 2077172 I need it with some viet stuff but dont love it totally. I much prefer the chinese chili garlic sauce (with a bit of sesame oil and good soy) for my standard cold beancurd meal for example. Thu Dec 07 01:35:46 -0800 2006 2076554 11130 jen kalb 6 2077234 What is the brand of Chinese chili garlic sauce you like the best? Thu Dec 07 02:04:26 -0800 2006 2077172 23824 niki rothman 1 2074811 Let me see how many I remember: Hot sauces (Sriracha, yucatan sunshine, cholula, something delicious and carribean, Marie Sharp's) Country dijon A-1 for husb Ketchup Mayo (lite) oyster sauce worcestershire capers jams usually fish sauce, but I'm out sambal oelek soy sauce (light and reg and tamari right now) chili oil sesame oil hoisin better than bouillon apple butter (not usually, but I have some now) cornichons maple syrup sour cream some kind of annie's salad dressing miso paste... I know there is more, but I can't come up with it. Wed Dec 06 14:52:27 -0800 2006 2068852 18154 prunefeet 1 2075034 Too many to count, especially after going on various asian cooking adventures... However...we don't stock ketchup anymore and stock Heinz chili sauce instead. A bit of spice plus it is more useful for cooking. Wed Dec 06 16:10:25 -0800 2006 2068852 10099 JudiAU 2 2075338 For items that are in pour bottles or squeeze bottles, there's no chance your knife or your finger with contamination will touch the contents as it would in say, a jar of mayo. Anything where it seems safe on its own, yet you could easily cross-contaminate with a spoon or finger - I say, save the chance of problems and just keep refrigerated. Wed Dec 06 17:35:38 -0800 2006 2075034 23824 niki rothman 1 2075676 I am guily as charged having much the same as you all that posted before me, but I must have: ketchup mayo-best food capers kosher dill pickles sweet pickles sweet pickle relish mustards-dijon,yellow/brown horseradish sauce - both creamy and straight up Lea Perrin A1 Sauce johnny beef boullion - liquid betten than bouillion -concentrated paste oyster sauce hoisin soy sauces - all the shades plum fish - nuc mam chili paste- heavenly chef chili oil sweet chili sauce - mae ploy, for spring rolls sesame seed oil pico pica - HOT sauce Pace Picante Siracha- or however you spell it Red wine vinegar Champagne vinegar raspberry jam orange marmalade I love to try new condiments,and will buy a new one even if I have 10 of the same similar items at home. My argument to my husband is to point at his shelf of "must have" BBQ sauces that he says he can't resist. Wed Dec 06 18:54:04 -0800 2006 2068852 50431 chef chicklet 2 2076816 You bring up an issue that is really important. Trying different brands to eventually get THE BEST of everything you need to buy so that your dishes that you cook with these BEST ingredients, with a little love and vigilence about cooking methods, in turn create something that you really enjoy eating and that your loved ones are putting into their dearly beloved mouths and yelling at you with pure adoration: this is THE BEST (whatever) I have ever eaten!!! Then they present you with the keys to a big new Cadillac car and tickets to Disneyland. At my place that fantasy boils down to my asking husband: "How was it?" His response: perfectly acceptable and often accompanied by a quick "OK" hand jive - "Excellent!" the word is usually badly garbled because his mouth is full of food. But how many things in life are really more important than that? Wed Dec 06 23:35:47 -0800 2006 2075676 23824 niki rothman 3 2077249 You are enabling me, THANKS ! Thu Dec 07 02:10:32 -0800 2006 2076816 17282 missclaudy 1 2076034 necessary: Siracha Oyster sauce Tobasco (i feel this is the standard bearer for all hot sauces, so simple, but what more do you need besides salt, peppers, vinegar, and water, no preservatives.) Lea & Perrins Worstershire Soy Sauce( i am really hooked on lite soy sauce now, not for diet reason but foe its taste. ) A-1 Ketchup Grey Poupon hot mustard jalepenos dill pickles pretty much any habanero hot sauce I can find, I like Melindas alot. bbq sauce hellmans mayo I use Siracha on everything from popcorn to almost any meat or fish. Oyster sauce is becoming just as addictive to me, Wed Dec 06 20:11:30 -0800 2006 2068852 26725 swsidejim 1 2097421 73 posts and not one of you have Maggi seasoning on your condiment list?? This is the one thing would I panic about if I see it getting low (actually I always have an unopened bottle in the pantry at the ready so no panic needed). My favorite use of it is to shake on fried eggs; including puncturing the liquid yolk carefully to drip some Maggi drops into the yolk. But most of the time I shake Maggi into stirfrys, sauces & gravies, soups, stews and most frequently, steak marinades. I've even been known to add it to salad dressing. Wed Dec 13 21:51:45 -0800 2006 2068852 10961 Alice Patis