The key to success in the kitchen is having a well stocked pantry. If you have many of these staples on hand it will help you put together a meal with ease. With a well rounded pantry you can have an impromptu dinner party, put together a last minute meal or feed hungry kids. I have included essentials for both cooking and baking and listed some brands that I like. Your pantry should suit your diet and lifestyle.

Just a note about using dried herbs, they have a shelf life of about six months, and should smell herb-like when you open the bottle. Dried herbs are at their best when used during the cooking process, as the liquid and cooking time help infuse flavor. Fresh herbs are best used when finishing a dish. One teaspoon of dried herbs is equivalent to using one tablespoon of the fresh herb, and vise versa.

OIL AND VINEGARS

• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – Ariston and Lucini are brands that I like
• Grapeseed Oil or other neutral oil
• Toasted Sesame Oil
• Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar – Fini and Ariston are brands that I like
• Assorted Vinegars – white wine, cider, red wine, rice, sherry and champagne
• Non-stick cooking spray

JARS AND BOTTLES

• Tomato Sauce- Rao’s is a brand that I like
• Salsa
• Roasted Red Peppers
• Sun Dried Tomatoes
• Hearts of Palm
• Artichoke Hearts
• Capers/Olives/Pickles
• Ketchup/Mayonaise
• Dijon Mustard/Coarse-Grained Mustard/Mustard Powder
• Horseradish
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Asian ingredients – Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Fish Sauce, Rice Wine, Dried Wasabi
• Miso paste
• Hot Sauce – Sriracha, Frank’s, Tabasco
• Nut Butters
• Jam/Jellies

CANNED GOODS

• Assorted Bean – white, chickpeas, kidney and black beans
• Canned/Boxed Tomatoes – San Marzano or Pomi are brands that I like
• Canned or Boxed Broths – Swanson or College Inn are brands that I like
• Canned Tuna/Salmon
• Sesame Tahini
• Anchovies
• Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
• Unsweetened Coconut Milk
• Panko Dried Bread Crumbs (There are gluten free versions)

PASTA/GRAINS/FLOURS

• Dried Pastas in assorted shapes including Buckwheat Soba Noodles and Gluten-Free Brown Rice Pasta
• Polenta – both Instant and Regular
• Couscous/Quinoa
• Assorted Rice Arborio, Brown, White-Jasmine and Basmati
• Lentils/Barley
• Rolled Oats/Steel Oats
• Dried Mushrooms

DRIED HERBS AND SPICES

• Kosher Salt/Sea salt
• Black Peppercorns
• Bay Leaves/Cumin/Coriander/Curry/Red Pepper Flakes/Paprika/Cayenne/Chili Powder/Allspice/Cardamom/Cinnamon/Nutmeg/Cloves
• Nuts/Seeds

REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER

• Unsalted Butter
• Large Eggs
• Milk/Heavy Cream/Ice cream
• Plain Yogurt/Sour Cream/Cream Cheese/Creme Friache
• Cheeses – Parmesan, Fresh Mozzarella
• Wonton Wrappers/Puff Pastry Sheets
• Assorted Proteins – Bacon, Sausage, Poultry, Fish, Meat)
• Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
• Garlic/Onions/Carrots/Shallots/Celery/Carrots/Ginger
• Fresh Herbs – Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Parsley, Sage
• Variety of Lettuces- Spinach, Kale, Assorted Greens
• Oranges/Lemons/lLimes
• Potatoes

BAKING

• Assorted Flours – All-Purpose, Bread Flour, Pastry Flour, Gluten-Free Flours)
• Cornstarch
• Granulated Sugar/Confectioner’s Sugar
• Dark/lLight Brown Sugar
• Raw Honey/Maple Syrup/Agave
• Baking Powder/Baking Soda/Cream of Tarter
• Pure Vanilla Extract/Almond Extract
• Active Dry Yeast
• Assorted Chocolate – Unsweetened, Bittersweet, Semi-Sweet (bars, disks and chips)
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Regular and Dutch-Processed)
• Unflavored Gelatin