A few weeks ago, I flew down to Oaxaca with a friend from grad school to marvel at Zapotec ruins, amble through colorful streets, and eat our fill of tostadas, huitlacoche, mole, and nieves.
After such a sun-drunk, warm-skin kind of holiday, arriving back in the United States was a shock to the system. Coronavirus had spread rapidly while we were away. The government had responded by shutting down shops and restaurants, and the good people D.C., apparently, had responded by buying every last non-perishable food item in the DMV.
When I peered into my local grocery store and saw aisles and aisles of empty shelves, I thanked my lucky stars for my well-stocked pantry.
But pandemic or no, keeping your fridge and your cupboard stocked with essentials is just a good idea. It makes you more likely to cook–no dashing to the grocery store on a weeknight–and it makes it easier to cook better.
What are the essentials? Right this way…
Other cooking tips:
How to Reduce the Bite of Red Onions
How to Make Your Veg Taste Better
The Fastest Way to Cut a Bell Pepper
How to Peel and Cut Butternut Squash
The Best Way to Freeze Bacon
How to Keep Asparagus Fresher, Longer
How to Pick and Store the Best Tomatoes
Plus a few essential tools:
Dutch Oven on a Budget
Epicurean Cutting Boards
The Five-Dollar Knife Sharpener
Best-Value Pots and Pans
How to Stock Your Pantry
Cupboard
Oils
– Neutral oil (such as safflower, which has a high smoking point)
– Mid-range olive oil
What you’ll use them for: The neutral oil is good for baking, high-temp frying, and dressings/sauces. The olive oil is good for lower-temp frying, enriching soups and pastas, and dressings where you want an olive flavor.
Vinegars
– Decent sherry vinegar
What you’ll use it for: More subtle than balsamic vinegar but more complex than red wine vinegar, this will work for pretty much every salad dressing.
Grains and starches
– Short-cut pasta (penne, capunti, orecchiette, whatever)
– A whole grain (I use farro in everything)
– Rice (pick your favorite– I like white basmati)
– Rolled oats (not the quick-cooking kind)
What you’ll use them for: Pasta is the eternal vehicle for simple sauces and pantry meals. Rice can serve as a side or be fried with veg for a main dish. Farro can thicken up soups and salads or stand on its own as a risotto. Regular rolled oats will put quick, healthy breakfasts (and quick, delicious cookies) close at hand.
Cans and jars
– Unsalted vegetable stock (1-2 boxes; boxed is better than bouillon–Trader Joe’s has the best)
– Tomato paste (TJ’s sells in tubes so you can use a tablespoon at a time)
– Big can diced tomatoes
– Can of your favorite kind of bean
What you’ll use them for: Almost any soup, stew, or braise–from a long ragu to a weeknight egg dish–will require stock or canned tomatoes. Tomato paste is an umami shortcut in many soups and stews. Beans can bulk up salads or soups or pureed/mashed into various dips and spreads.
Savories
– Yellow onions (3-4)
– Garlic (1-2 heads)
What you’ll use them for: These are the building blocks of flavor in any stir fry, braise, or soup. They keep for about a month in the pantry.
Spices
– Fine sea salt (as in, not coarse)
– Black peppercorns + a pepper grinder
– Cinnamon
– Oregano
– Cumin
– Red pepper flakes
What you’ll use them for: Cumin is a flavor bomb that plays a leading role in Middle Eastern, Indian, and North African cuisines. Oregano is a nice addition to any tomato-based soup or sauce. Cinnamon can warm up savory recipes; it’s also a baking necessity. Red pepper flakes add a kick on their own (think pastas and tomato-based sauces) and can stand in for a variety spicy condiments in a pinch.
Dried fruits and nuts
– Raw unsalted almonds
– Raw walnuts
– One bag of dried fruit (I like dried cranberries)
What you’ll use them for: Raw almonds can be eaten whole as a healthy snack or chopped and toasted to top salads. Walnuts are for topping oatmeal and salads and mixing into baked goods. Dried fruit also works in oatmeal, or can add a touch of something sweet to salads and pilafs.
Baking
– All-purpose flour (no need to spring for the expensive stuff unless you’re baking bread)
– White sugar
– Brown sugar
– Vanilla
– Baking powder
– Baking soda
– Semi-sweet chocolate chips
– Honey or real maple syrup
What you’ll use them for: This list sets you up for the best chocolate chip cookies in the world, and puts you well on your way to apple crisp, pancakes, and banana bread.
Sanity
– Coffee (I buy mine at Trader Joe’s and use a bialetti)
– Dark chocolate (Valrhona or, if I’m feeling really fancy, Dandelion)
Fridge
Produce drawer
– Lemons (2-3)
What you’ll use them for: Salad dressings, simple pastas, dips and sauces, brightening up soup and chicken. (A note: avoid bottled lemon juice, which tastes like straight citric acid– actual lemons aren’t expensive and will keep for a few weeks)
Cheese drawer
– Grana padano or parmesan (get it as a block, not pre-shaved)
What you’ll use it for: To add umami, salt, and depth to pasta, salads, pizza, and soups. Buying it in block form means it keeps for much longer (we are talking 6 weeks or more) in the fridge.
On the door
– Real butter (salted or unsalted, you pick)
– Dijon mustard
What you’ll use them for: Butter is for baking, for toast, for frying– you name it. Dijon mustard is essential for every kind of dressing.
On the shelf
– Eggs
What you’ll use them for: For breakfast, for dinner, for baking.
Freezer
– Sliced bread (I buy a good loaf at a local baker and slice it myself)
– Bacon, wrapped in waxed paper like so so you can grab a slice at a time
What you’ll use them for: Toast the bread for breakfast, use it as a vehicle for eggs or tapenade, or let it round out your soup for a weeknight dinner. The bacon can be fried for weekend breakfasts, of course, but 1-2 slices can also provide a base for flavorful soups, pastas, risottos, and sides.
The Extended Pantry
Love to bake?
– Add cocoa powder and unsweetened baking chocolate
Into Asian food?
– Add soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar
Love Middle Eastern cuisine?
– Add sumac, pomegranate molasses, tahini, and preserved lemons (you can pick up all of these at a Middle Eastern specialty store, or some of them for predictably-inflated prices at Whole Foods)
Love to entertain?
– Add vacuum-packed, high-quality olives (I get mine at Trader Joe’s) and a box of good crackers
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