Shelf help: a well-stocked, organized pantry is an invitation to cook your best

Natural Health, Feb, 2008 by Janice Huang

2 Make sure spices are properly rotated in bulk bins. "If the bins are never empty, it may mean the store is just filling them from the top," says Hill. If that's the case, some spices could be quite old.

3 Taste the product, if possible. Let your palate decide if the spice is fresh.

4 Buy smaller amounts of spices more frequently.

5 Buy spices whole. Grinding them yourself as needed--with a coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle--gives you maximum flavor.

6 Compare newly bought and existing spices side by side. Your new spices should smell and taste stronger. Because essential oils deplete gradually, aroma and flavor loss can be difficult to detect.

STORING

1 Keep your spices in airtight containers, as air carries away their volatile compounds. Jars with rubber gaskets and latch closures are ideal. Test your jars by submerging them, empty and closed, under water for a half hour. If water has seeped in, replace the gaskets.

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2 Store your spices in a cool, dry place, as light and heat compromise essential oils. Do not freeze them.

3 Know how long spices last. Whole spices like nutmeg and peppercorns keep for up to six to 12 months. Ground spices like chili and curry powders are good for three to six months, as are dried herbs like oregano and basil.

4 Test the freshness of herbs by rubbing them between your palms. "You should get a burst of aroma," says Hill. "If you don't smell anything, you're just adding a green powder to your food."

5 Change the herbs and spices on your rack every time you change the battery in your smoke detector: That's every six months, says Hill.

Salmon &
Shiitake Frittata
Serves 4

More labor-intensive than a tuna
sandwich, this frittata, made
with quality canned salmon
(like Trader Joe's Red Salmon,
a canned sockeye) and organic
canned corn (like John Cope's), is
worth the extra minutes.

  5 dried shiitake mushrooms
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 7.5-ounce can of wild
    salmon
1/2 cup canned corn kernels
    Salt and pepper, to taste
  3 eggs
  6 egg whites
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    Cilantro, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350[degrees]F.

2. Place mushrooms in a small
bowl; pour 1 cup boiling water
over mushrooms. Let soak for at
least 10 minutes. Thinly slice.

3. Heat oil in a 10-inch nonstick
or cast-iron skillet. Saute onions
until softened, about 3 minutes.

4. Add salmon, corn, and mushrooms;
mix to break up salmon
chunks and to blend all. Season
with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Lightly beat eggs, egg whites,
milk, salt, and pepper. Pour
evenly into skillet.

6. When bottom and edges
begin to set, about 2 minutes,
lift edges with spatula and
tilt pan to allow liquid to run
underneath.

7. Once top of frittata is no
longer runny, transfer skillet
to oven. Bake until top is set,
about 10 minutes.

8. Run spatula around edges to
loosen; invert onto serving platter.
Garnish with cilantro.

Per serving: 265 calories, 14 g
fat (3 g saturated), 12 g carbohydrates,
21 g protein, 2 g fiber, 400
mg sodium (17% Daily Value).