What's in the pantry?: staples every good cook keeps on hand.

At 4:30 p.m. he called to say he was bringing guests home for dinner. These were dear friends who had just stopped by the office as they passed through town on vacation. Memories of picnics, holidays, weekend meals, and even birthday feasts flooded her mind. And she wondered, "What is there to eat in this house?"

It doesn't have to be the impending arrival of guests that prompts that question. Many mothers ask it every afternoon.

The timesaving menu. Nothing helps to solve the dinner question like a menu. A powerful timesaving tool is to simply sit-down for 15 minutes at the beginning of each week and write down six entrees. Build the menu from the entree by adding the appropriate starches, vegetables, salads, breads, fruits, and beverages. Shop according to the menu. Such planning saves time not only at the end of the day but when shopping.

Some household managers are able to shop once a month with weekly stops for fresh produce, milk, and bread. Their pantries must be well stocked. What's on their shelves? You will probably find:

meat alternates (canned and frozen) beans (dry and canned) lentils rice (white, brown, and instant) pasta (several shapes and sizes) soup (mushroom, tomato, etc.) bread crumbs, cracker meal, oatmeal tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes

There will also be staples such as flour, sugar, salt, oil, seasonings (garlic, onion powder, dried herbs, dehydrated onions, coriander, cardamom, McKay's Chicken-style Seasoning, G. Washington Broth), dry milk.

Other important items to keep on hand include:

nuts - walnuts, almonds, pecans, peanuts, and peanut butter salad dressings - ready-made (low or nonfat) and/or salad dressing seasoning packets seasoning packets for gravies, entrees, sauces pudding mixes fruits and fruit juices (canned and frozen) herb teas whipped topping mix rolls, bread frozen vegetables

These ingredients will give you a number of options for an entree. The following Basic Roast is an example.

Basic Roast

Choose one from each of the categories or a combination.

2 cups protein (choose from kidney beans, lentils, garbanzos, meat analogues, tofu, cottage cheese, soybeans, etc.).

1 cup carbohydrate (choices include dried whole-wheat bread crumbs, uncooked oatmeal, cooked brown rice, crushed Wheaties, wheat germ, etc.).

1/2 cup chopped or ground nuts (raw peanuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.).

1 egg for binding (or in place of egg you can use either 3 tablespoons of flour, 2 tablespoons of soy flour, 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal, 1/2 cup Cream of Wheat, raw, 3 tablespoons of tapioca, or 1 egg substitute equivalent).

1 to 1 1/2 cups liquid as needed (use either tomato sauce or juice, broth from cooked or canned vegetables or from canned meat analogues, etc., milk or soy milk, G. Washington Broth, McKay's Chicken-style Seasoning, etc.).

Choose one or a combination of 1/4 teaspoon or more seasoning (sage, poultry seasoning, sweet basil, cumin, oregano, thyme, rosemary, Italian seasoning, bouquet garni, parsley).

1 teaspoon salt and/or chicken-style seasoning, soy sauce, Savorex, garlic salt, onion salt, celery salt, etc.

2 tablespoons oil or margarine.

Mix together. Press into an oiled loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes at 350[degrees] F. Serve with light gravy if desired.

Serves 8 to 10.

Top quality. Foods kept in the pantry cannot last forever. Canned goods should be used within two to three years. Discard if can shows signs of rust or bulges. Pasta seems safe for one to two years. Dried beans and peas may become moldy or hard to cook in 12 months. Dried fruit also may develop mold or become too hard in 12 months. Flour may attract bugs in six to eight months; whole-wheat flour should be kept in the freezer or refrigerator to stave off bugs and rancidity. In about six months peanut butter and nuts of all kinds can become rancid if not kept in the refrigerator; nuts maintain a fresh taste even better in the freezer. Pay attention to package expiration dates, which are different from sell by dates. For optimal flavor and safety, use food within the time limits or discard.

Likewise, food quality diminishes over time in the freezer. Recommended maximum time for cooked main dishes stored in the freezer is two to four months. Citrus fruits and juices should be used within four to six months; other fruits within eight to 12.

Vegetables that have been cooked will last four to six months; raw vegetables that have been blanched, eight to 12 months.

Bread should be used in two to four months, cookies in four to six, cakes in three to four, pies in two to four.

For top quality, use foods within the recommended timelines. Follow the guideline "first in, first out," and use a couple weeks before the recommended maximum time to be sure foods stay flavorful and safe.

Georgia Hodgkin, Ed.D., R.D., is an associate professor at the School of Allied Health Professions, Loma Linda University.