WHAT'S IN YOUR PANTRY?

A while back someone asked me to share what ingredients I keep stocked in my pantry (and fridge) to allow me to prepare quick, home-cooked meals everyday. I do have non-perishable staples which I consider essential to my cooking, but I don't have a lot of storage space in my kitchen (the equivalent of one medium-sized kitchen cupboard for all canned goods etc.) so I try not to keep too much on hand. So without further ado, here's what you can find in my kitchen right now:

THE FAMILYFOOD LIST OF ESSENTIALS

Pantry

• Oils: extra-virgin olive (salads, sauteing); peanut (frying, wok-cooking); sesame, walnut, truffle (embellishment)
• Vinegars: sherry, balsamic, apple cider, red wine, rice
• Salt: coarse and fine sea salt, Kosher
• Pepper: black, and a blend (always from a grinder), ground white pepper (for Asian dishes)
• Sauces/Condiments: dark soy sauce, white soy sauce, Bragg's Liquid Aminos, fish sauce, worchestershire sauce, ketchup, mayo, mustard (hot-sweet, horseradish, dijon), anchovy fillets in olive oil, capers (salt- and brine-cured), olives
• Canned veg: whole plum tomatoes, beans
• Canned fish: Italian tuna in olive oil, salmon
• Chicken broth (2 boxes)
• Pasta: various shapes, but mainly spaghetti and penne (our faves). I buy DeCecco (or Barilla) for everyday pastas and I stock up when they are on sale.  I prefer dried pasta to fresh pasta, but I do make fresh pasta once or twice a year and freeze any leftover dough.
• Other noodles: soba, rice vermicelli
• Grains: rice (short grain, jasmine, basmati—we eat mostly brown rice now), whole wheat cous cous, bulgur wheat
• For baking: Unbleached all-purpose, cake, and whole wheat flours; baking powder, baking soda
• Sugars: regular and brown
• Coffee: regular and espresso

Fridge

• Dairy: half-and-half for coffee, yogurt, cheese
• Non-dairy: soy and rice milks
• Juice
• Eggs
• Miso
• Jams (I am a jam freak)
• Peanut butter
• Unsalted butter (also frozen)
• Assorted lettuce (I eat salad every day)
• celery
• carrots
• onions (yellow and green)
• ginger
• Herbs stored in a glass of water with plastic bag over
• yeast

Freezer

• Frozen veg: peas, corn, edamame
• Van's waffles
• Morningstar Farms "sausage" links
• Assorted meats/poultry (for example, we stock up on whole chickens and rib-eyes when they are on sale)
• stock in plastic tubs
• pie crust

On the counter

• garlic, bananas, avocados, tomatoes, other fruit in season

As far as spices go, unless I am cooking something that requires a specific spice or blend of spices (like Indian or Morrocan dishes) I don't really use them everyday.  I prefer to stick with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs.

I also shop for veggies at my local Farmer's Market so what is in my fridge depends on what looked good that day.  I can't think of a vegetable or fruit that Bunny won't eat and we try to keep an abundance around for her.  She eats one whole carrot and one apple or pear a day (I am not kidding) in addition to loads of salad. 

I try to buy seafood the day I cook it.

Lastly, we don't eat meat everyday.  We eat lots of fish and red meat no more than once per week  (if that).  I am not a fan of chicken unless it is roasted and that I will do once or twice a month. We probably eat more pork than anything else. I love soup so I make some form of soup about once a week and my soups are usually veg based with meat as flavoring if it is included at all.   

Comments

[greensunflower]

This is a great list.

You say stock in plastic tubs. Do you make your own stock, or buy it somewhere? I would love to make my own stock, but dont really know how. If you have a recipe, I would love it.

[CityMama]

I make my own stock. I just put chicken bones in a pot with a carrot and a stalk of celery, some peppercorns, and a clove of garlic...maybe some parsley. Bring to a boil, skim foam, then reduce heat to a bare simmer. I like to reduce stock by half for concentrated flavor. I add a little salt at the beginning, but most at the end, oterwise broth is too salty. Strain. Put into plastic tubs, freeze. (My freezer is stuffed with empty quart yogurt containers now filled with stock.)