A variety of things can be put together quickly and on short notice if you keep some basics in your pantry and fridge. Here are some things that you should keep in stock in an your kitchen for entertaining:
Canned Beans – Cannellini and garbanzo beans are good ingredients for salads. They can also be ground to a paste to make a smooth, rich, faintly earthy base for bruschetta and crostini appetizers.
Canned Fish – Try to find tuna from Spain, Italy or Portugal that’s been cut in large pieces (usually labeled as “fillets”) and preserved in good quality olive oil.
Dried Sausage – Try to get the smallest in circumference you can find – they will be drier and harder and are best for longer storage.
Nuts – Almonds make an almost instant appetizer and they’re also a great ingredient. Don’t forget about pine nuts. They can be used as a garnish or they can be ground as a seasoning.
Oops.. I meant to post this on my recipe blog, but it’s too late.. it’s already been picked up by the RSS feed.
