The Well-Equipped Bachelor: Spices and Oils

About author / Josh Gunn

Bachelor chef; southern cooking; mixologist; university professor. Josh's recipes will delight (and sometimes terrify) you.

As Valentine's Day approaches and commercials for chocolate and flowers begin to crowd our screens, I've noticed something different this year. One of the United States' largest manufacturers of medical products is aggressively promoting one of their new, gimmicky "personal lubricants" as a way to have an "happier" holiday. As I saw a television commercial this morning, then a circular in the newspaper, I lamented that this poor bachelor doesn't have a sweetheart to give something viscous and scented to. Then I got to thinking: what would someone think about getting this sort of thing for a holiday gift instead of stuffed animals and candy? I mean, oils?

But there's oil, and then there's oil. So, to heck with a commercial holiday designed for buying throwaway cardboard hearts and cheesy, canned cards! Lets focus on something much more essential to the single man: what oils and spices he should have on hand in his kitchen for general cooking!

Before we get to listing some basic items you should have, it's important to say a word or two about shelf life. In general, if stored correctly, cooking oils and spices can last months or even years. Oils in general don't last as long as spices and seasonings. If you store oils in cool, dry places, most kinds should last you about six months, with the exception of more delicate oils (e.g., walnut, peanut), which can go rancid if you're not careful. Always be sure to smell and/or taste an oil before you use it. You can extend the shelf-life of delicate oils and olive oils by keeping them in the refrigerator. I usually use-up my oils within a couple of months, so mine just stay in a dark, cool pantry.

Spices can really kick-it in a dry, dark space if kept in tightly sealed containers. Spices never die, just like true love; they simply lose their strength and punch over time. A lot of cookbooks will tell you to purge your spice rack every six months, but truth be told, spices can last much longer than that. The best way to tell when to throw a spice out is when it's so weak you need a ton of it to season. In other words, the best way to tell when you should throw away a spice is by smelling and tasting it.

With those general guidelines, what are good oils and spices to have on-hand? Of course, this depends on what you are in the habit of cooking. In general, however, you'll find these quite handy:

Extra virgin olive oil: yes, olive oil is usually the most expensive oil on the shelf, but there's a reason for that! It has a distinctive flavor that usually complements other foods. It is also high in monosaturated fats, which are believed to help prevent heart disease. This is not a good oil to use for very high temperatures, but is perfect for sautéing all kinds of stuff (like onions), preparing any kind of meal derived from the Mediterranean areas, and so on.

Canola oil: When recipes call for "vegetable oil," a lot of folks reach for corn oil or a blended generic oil. Unfortunately, many vegetable oils are high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids which have been linked to breast and prostate cancer. Of course, you'd probably have to consume a tub-size vat of the stuff every week for many years for you to develop cancer, but heck: why tempt fate? Canola oil is low in saturated fats and some oil companies are beefing up the omega-3 content, which has been proven to help the heart! (See my column on snake oil, too!)

Oil-based, non-stick spray: I use this stuff almost like water. Non-stick spray really does help things not stick to your pans, and using the stuff also makes cleaning non-stick cookware a breeze. This is a lighter, must-have item for any bachelor's kitchen.

General spices: Okay, in general one tends to use a lot of the same spices a good deal. Salt and pepper are a must, of course, and sport for the "grinder" varieties, which will keep longer in the cabinet since you only grind what you need (a good thing for bachelors). A general seasoning, like Tony's Creole Seasoning, is handy to have for just about anything (I use Tony's and Slap Ya Mama a lot)—and if you can hack it, the non-salt varieties are good for those of us who retain water. Also common are dried parsley, thyme, and oregano.

The Southern, Low Country, and Cajun kitchen: Now, a lot of my recipes are "suthern'" in orientation. I use a lot of garlic and onion powder, as well as red cayenne pepper. Bay leaves and paprika are also used a lot as well. Bacon fat is frequently involved, but I vote you render that the day you use it instead of keeping drippings in a Mason jar (which was what I grew up seeing people do—gross!).

Spices for everything else: this stuff you'll need to determine on a case-by-case basis, and will usually accumulate in your pantry as you try on new dishes. Chili powder and cumin are good to have on hand if you do Tex-Mex (I do a fair bit of that, and I put cumin in everything, even hummus). Cinnamon is often used in a variety of things. I've also found buying pre-mixed, spice medleys for various meats or kinds of cuisine are quite helpful: "poultry seasoning" and "Italian seasoning" I find quite handy, as well as "blackened" spice for fish and pork.