Is it OK to use the garlic and ginger that comes in jars?

Those little jars of prepared garlic and ginger are so completely convenient!  No fussing
with paper-thin garlic peels, no paring gnarly knobs of ginger or endangering fingers on the ginger grater and no garlic-smelling hands for the rest of the night.  But is it OK to use these conveniences?
I get this question a lot, usually phrased [...]

Pity the Poor Pantry

Could the poor pitiful pantry be the salvation for time-starved home cooks who just want to get a decent meal on the table each night?

Pantries Aren’t Museums

With enough time, any new thing becomes stale, and a newly created pantry is no exception. Over time, how we stock the pantry becomes routine–and so do our meals. Discover six secrets for breathing some fresh air (and fun) into your pantry.

Stocking the Pantry—How to Avoid Time Panic

If it’s true that creating a pantry takes more than an afternoon, then how can we possibly reap the benefits of a pantry? Is there a way to reframe the picture so time panic doesn’t prevent you from having one of these invaluable kitchen resources?

How to Stock the Pantry . . . or Do a Better Job Working the One You Have

“Stocking the pantry.” Sounds like it should be a nice, predictable process akin to stocking inventory at the local shoe store. Actually, “raucous,” “adventuresome” and “messy” are more descriptive, likely because stocking the pantry is such a unique, personalized process. Discover 5 helpful steps for creating a pantry just right for you.

Portrait of Pantry Meals for a Week

A look at how a real life pantry works, so you can begin to see what kinds of things can be bought, successfully stored, then translated into deliciously quick meals.

Investment Thinking at the Grocery Store

Hate grocery shopping? “Investment thinking” will keep you out of the aisles and free up more time to make the healthy, economical meals you want to be eating.

The Post-Vacation Refrigerator Blues

Coming home from vacation is usually disappointing in and of itself, what with all the mail to read, newspapers to deal with, email to catch up with and, worst of all, the frig to re-stock. While there’s no avoiding the inevitable, learn the KitchenSmart trick that can at least delay a trip to the grocery store for a few days, until you’re a little more caught up.

Using Herbs and Spices–Outside the Comfort Zone

If you want to begin using more and/or more interesting herbs and spices, the most important step is taking the plunge. Don’t get persuaded to hunker down in your comfort zone by a possibility of un-success that’s really pretty small and hardly disastrous.

Money-Wise Investing Tips for Your Kitchen Pantry–Take 2

Of all the dozens and dozens of pantry staples in the grocery store, how do you know which to buy that won’t just sit on the shelves unused? Mary offers a “Canvasses and Accents” approach to help.