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A fresh start for your pantry

Mark Bittman on what to toss and what to stock for the new year.

Some of my favorite tips:

Abandon spices that are a year old. Stock up on cardamom, cumin, fennel seeds & pimentón/Spanish smoked pepper (ANYONE HAVE A FAVORITE BRAND? Email me! nora@shermanhome(dot)com) and use them all adventurously; forgo dried parsley & basil — “they’re worthless.”
Swear off rip-offs: bottled salad dressing, aerosol spray oils, canned beans (“except in emergencies” — they just can’t compare to the taste and economy of dried beans.)
Experiment with lemons. As Bittman writes, “I never put lemon on something and regret it.” I agree. A bit of zest or juice is revelation in everything from salad dressing to pasta sauce.
Trade in imitation vanilla extract for vanilla beans. I’ve used whole beans for special dishes, most memorably Matzo-Bread Pudding with Pears in Wine Sauce. But I can’t see trading out vanilla extract in cookie recipes — including my current favorite, Votemeal Cookies. What would be the point?
Frozen veggies instead of canned. It’s an easy, inexpensive way to enjoy seasonal produce year-round. I love frozen peas, microwaved, with a sprinkle of freshly-grated Parmesan (never the stuff from the green bottle — perish the thought) and some lemon juice (see? I told ya it was good in everything!)
Tomato paste in a tube rather than a can — easy to use only what you need, which is rarely more than a couple of tablespoons.
Sherry vinegar instead of cheap balsamic vinegar. Bittman suggests using it in a cabbage salad. I like it mixed with horseradish mustard, olive oil, and black pepper. I toss that with tuna & capers for a more interesting take on tuna salad.