A LOT OF THE FOOD & BEVERAGE ITEMS mentioned on this page come right out of my cookbook, Who's Hungry?
SO, IF YOU EVER WANTED TO COOK LIKE ME or make any of my meals or party beverages, then here's what goes into making those meals and/or beverages. When you see a certain dish or beverage you’d like to prepare, you’ll know what you need to buy.
ALSO, MAKE A LIST OF WHAT YOU WANT/NEED and then go shopping online and offline. Look for Asian market stores in your area like 99 Ranch Market, Tokyo Central, and Mitsuwa. Then there's Sprouts, Whole Foods, Walmart Marketplace, Trader Joe's, Sam's Club and Costco, and know your local grocery stores well when you need something in a hurry. I shop at all these stores.
SHOPPING TIP: If you ever travel somewhere where you see these stores, STOCK UP! I do! I'll buy extra of something knowing I don't have a certain store in my area, but want what I see for sale in the area I'm traveling too. That said, it's always nice to carry an igloo cooler in your truck for just the ocassion.
EVERYDAY SEASONINGS
So, here are the every day, regular seasonings I use in almost anything I make. I'm very simple when it comes to seasonings and found the following to do the job for me every time.
Dash Southwest ChipotleSeasoning Blend
I'll use Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning in everything from making Omelettes, scrambled eggs, sautéed sweet potatoes, sautéing or grilling fish or chicken, seasoning my soups, etc. You can find this product at almost any grocery store in the baking ingredient section.
Great Value Italian Seasoning Of course, I'll use Italian Seasoning anytime I make an Italian dish, sautée Italian sausage, you name it. You can find this product at almost any grocery store in the baking ingredient section.
Himalayan Pink Salt & Black Peppercorn Grinder I'll use Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning in everything from making Omelettes, scrambled eggs, sautéed sweet potatoes, sautéing or grilling fish or chicken, seasoning my soups, etc. You can find this product at almost any grocery store in the baking ingredient section.
Arizona PeppersJalapeno Pepper Sauce
I'll use Arizona Peppers Jalapeno Pepper Sauce to lightly season anything from Omelettes, scrambled eggs, sautéed sweet potatoes, grilled chicken, even my soups. It gives your food a little kick in the spicy department without being too hot. Initially, I found this product at my local Whole Foods, FYI.
COOKING OILS
I'm pretty particular about what cooking oils I use. So, here's what I like to use ...
Pompeian Grapeseed Oil I'll use grapeseed oil predominately in almost all my sautéed dishes, from fish to chicken, fried rice, you name it. Shop around to find the best price for a huge jug of this stuff. If found pricing to be best at Walmart Marketplace. Check and see what you find.
Chosen Foods 100% Pure Avocado Oil For an alternative to grapeseed oil, I might use avocado oil. It's smart to keep a bottle on hand when the need arises. I don't always use it, but again, it's a nice alternative to grapeseed oil. Try it out.
Oi! 100% Pure ExtraVirgin Sesame Oil
I used to use sesame seed oil a lot, especially when sautéing my sweet potatoes or fried rice. Due to its intense aroma, I've defaulted to using grapeseed oil with a hint of sesame oil now.
Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil I'll use olive oil whenever I'm making Italian dishes or sautéing Italian sausage. I don't use it as a regular oil when sautéing chicken or fish. You can, but I prefer to use grapeseed oil for those items.
Great Value Vegetable Oil Whenever I need to fry something in oil, I'll opt to use vegetable oil and none of the others. Mainly due to costs. Vegetable oil is cheaper than most other oil. So, it's good to keep some on hand when you need it.
ASIAN SAUCES
So, yes, I do make a lot of Asian dishes at home. So, when I do, I might use any of the following Asian sauces depending on the dish I'm preparing. Most are found at Asian food stores, while some can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores.
House Of Tsang"Classic" Stir-Fry Sauce
I'll use this when I make my world famous Pad Thai dish with grilled chicken. You can find this item in almost any grocery store in their Asian ingredients section.
Kikkoman Ponzu CitrusSeasoned Soy Sauce
This is a great low-sodium alternative to regular soy sauce. Use it on sushi, fried rice, or anywhere you like to use soy sauce. You can find this product in almost any grocery store in their Asian section.
Kikkoman TraditionallyBrewed Soy Sauce
I do like to add a little regular soy sauce to my fried rice dishes as well as my sushi meals. So, it's nice to have a bottle of this on hand when you need it.
Bulldog Worcestershire Sauce Without a doubt, this is the best Worcestershire Sauce to use when making my world famous Yakisoba Japanese stir-fry noodle dish. I've tried other brands and this one just really packs in the flavor. You find this particular brand at most Asian grocery stores.
FRIED RICE SEASONINGS
Whenever I make my world famous fried rice, I'll use any combination of the following seasonings ...
Nagatanien, Fried RiceMix-Roasted Garlic Flavor
I always, always, always use a packet of garlic flavored fried rice seasoning in my fried rice. Always! A must! No doubt. I mean it. It adds so much delicious flavoring. Try it and I bet you too will love it.
Nagatanien, Fried Rice Mix-Combination Flavor This is a great flavor to have in your fried rice. What I'll do is mix in two flavors in my fried rice. The first flavor is always the GARLIC flavored fried rice powder. Then, I'll add either a combination or crab or shrimp flavored powder.
Nagatanien, Fried RiceMix-Crab Flavor
Another flavor alternative to mix in with your fried rice as you cook it. Again, I'll mix in two flavors into my fried rice. The first flavor is always the GARLIC flavored fried rice powder. Then, I'll add this one or another one. Whatever I have on hand.
Nagatanien, Fried RiceMix-Shrimp Flavor
Here's yet another great flavor alternative to mix in with your fried rice as you cook it. Again, I like to mix in two flavors into my fried rice. The first flavor, you guessed it, GARLIC flavored powder. Then, I'll add this one or another one. Whatever I have on hand.
ALCOHOL, BEER & SPIRITS
While I'm not much of a drinker, I do know what I like to have and have on hand when friends and company come over or I'm at someone's place and they'd like me to do the BARTTENDING!!! Get it? "Bart" + "Tending?" Okay, yeah, moving on ...
Firestone Walker 805 Blonde Ale Craft Beer Practically, the only beer I drink. Great taste, great body, great color, no aftertaste, etc. EVERYONE who I introduce this beer to is amazed at how great it tastes. Below, is a photo of my fridge at home and all the 805 I love to stock.
Only available (for now) in the Western region of the USA, but if you do see it in your local grocery store, pick up a 6-pack or even a case give it a try. I know you'll love it. I found this beer at most grocery stores, Walmart, liquor stores, you name it.
Orion "The Draft"Japanese Beer
I'm sure you've heard of Sapporo, Asahi and Kirin Japanese beer, right? But, have you ever heard of Orion? What an amazing tasting beer. Almost taste like 805. You won't find it in most grocery stores, but you will find it in specific Japanese market grocery stores. Try it if you ever find it. It taste so good!
Jose Cuervo®"Classic Margarita"
Perhaps, THE BEST margarita mix you'll find and taste. Made exclusively with Jose Cuervo® tequila. Just pour and serve, no mixing required.
If you love margaritas, then buy this brand/flavor, break out some frozen mugs, add your lime and salt on the rim (optional), and pour away!!! I use this same brand of margarita mix in my Very Berry Frozen Bart-a-Ritas!
Great Value Frozen Whole Berry Medley Whenever I make my Very Berry Frozen Bart-a-Ritas, I'll use Jose Cuervo® "Classic Margarita" + 2-3 cups of frozen berries, specifically, raspberries, blueberries, boysenberries and strawberries.
Stay away from pomegranates and cranberries because they have seeds in them that you don't want in your Bart-a-Rita.
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