Your Basic Pantry

I keep most of these items on hand all the time. When something is close to running out, I buy another. With milk, cheese and eggs in your fridge, there is no telling how many dinners you can put together. Add some sausage, tomato sauce, and pasta or cornmeal and you are set for a good long stretch of time. Add some salad greens—quickly picked up from the closest grocery store or farmers’ market—and you have quick, nutritious and delicious meals available to you, your friends and family whenever speed is of the essence. What would you add to this list?

Cupboard
salt: kosher and any kind you fancy
pepper
dried herbs and spices, I buy as I need them and then refill the bottles from bulk jars
soy sauce
fish sauce (if you do Thai)
Worcestershire sauce
Mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
dried pasta, couscous, polenta or cornmeal
rice
nuts and dried fruits
cornstarch
garlic and various dried chiles


Canned or bottled goods
tomatoes
tomato paste in a tube
artichoke hearts
chicken stock
garbanzo beans
tahini
olives like kalamata (I buy pitted)
coconut milk
honey
molasses
peanut butter
jar of pasta sauce
vinegars: balsamic, white & red wine, rice, sherry
olive oil
canola oil

Baking supplies
flour
white sugar
brown sugar
baking powder & soda
vanilla
chocolate
rolled oats

Fridge
cheeses: Parmesan, Swiss, cheddar
eggs
milk
lemons and limes
butter
yogurt
greens of some sort for a salad
green onions
wine

Fridge door
capers
Dijon mustard
ketchup
various Chinese sauces
mayonnaise
anchovies (in a jar)
chutney
maple syrup
sundried tomatoes
bottled horseradish
oils that need to be refrigerated
jams
tahini



Freezer
butter
fresh pasta
frozen peas
frozen chopped spinach
ice cream or sorbet