If you look through my pantry or fridge you will notice I have a lot of staples. Ergo, on any given night, I can pretty much figure out something to make. In theory this is wonderful, in reality I am somewhat addicted to grocery shopping so I still manage to go to the grocery about 4 or 5 times a week (plus a Farmer’s Market visit on Saturday’s when I am in town). This is a huge improvement as I used to go to the store about twice a day.
You will notice that some items are staples and some are fresh – generally, I do a major trip twice a week and stock up on veggies and fruit. These need to be bought at least twice a week because you start losing nutrients as soon as they are picked. I also just like fresh meat and fish (versus frozen) so I tend to leave the freezer alone and, by default, have to go to the store more often.
Ingredients that I always have on hand/use:
Dry Goods/Pantry
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Regular
- Home-made spiced Selections
- Rice/Grains:
- Basmati Rice, Long Grain Wild Rice, Long Grain Brown Rice, Near East Parmesan Cous Cous, Red Lentils, Red Quinoa
- Pasta:
- All different types of pasta - Linguine, Spinach Fettuccine, Orecchiette, penne, and Orzo are staples in my pantry. I generally buy specialty linguine/fettuccine from farmer's markets. I also keep whole wheat fettuccine in stock. I always buy Rustichlle d'Abruzzo Whole wheat Orrcheitte and Penne. I also keep whole wheat orzo.
- Chicken and Beef Broth
- Oils:
- Garlic Oil, Truffle Oil, Basil Oil, Olive Oil, Hot Chile Oil, Sesame Oil
- Boxes of Pacific or Imagine Tomato soup (these generally are served on the glorious nights when I make paninis or grilled cheeses)
- Tomato Paste, Sun-dried tomato paste, anchovy paste (anchovy paste gives a great depth to pasta sauces and soups)
- Canned foods:
- Artichoke hearts, Black Beans, Chick Peas, Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
- Kosher Salt -see Caution!!
- Capers
- Over 21 items:
- Marsala, Sherry, White Cooking Wine, Brandy, Cognac, Vodka (for vodka sauce), Bordeaux, Chenin Blanc
- Asian flavors:
- Soy Sauce, Hoisin, Tempura, Oyster Sauce, Fish Sauce, Eel Sauce, Mirin, Sriracha (Rooster Sauce)
- Good quality Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Champagne Vinegar
- Coconut Milk - both light and full fat
- Williams Sonoma Demi Glace - various flavors
- Sesame Seed (both black and white)
- Just Onions - dehydrated onions that are a bit healthier than the fried shallots I love so much
- Dried Chiles
Fresh Veggies and Fruits
- Green Onions
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Whole Ginger (kept in the freezer)
- Cranberries - dehydrated, preferably with no added sugar
- Spinach - I throw spinach into just about everything just to add more veggies into my diet. It goes into smoothies, pastas, casseroles, and all sorts of other things!
- Golden Beets
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Thinly-Sliced Prosciutto
- A couple thick slices of Pancetta
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Cantaloupe
- Avocado
Fridge/Freezer Items
- Lemongrass stalks (I buy these at Asian stores or Whole foods and freeze them)
- Kaffir Lime Leaves ( again I buy these at Asian stores and freeze them or have my own tree - I had one until it froze over a particularly cold winter)
- Frozen Naan and Sister Schubert's Yeast Rolls
- Ginger People minced Ginger
- Ginger People Ginger-Lime Dressing Marinade
- Central Market Basil Pesto - it is the next best thing to homemade and I always keep a little bit in the fridge to throw into soups, pasta, veggies or on a sandwich.
- Champagne Light Dressing
- European style, unsalted, organic butter
- Frozen Peas and Frozen Corn (frozen generally has more nutrients than canned)
- Pine Nuts (keep nuts in the freezer and they will last much longer)
- Macadamia Nuts
- Cashews
- Unsweetened Almond Milk
- Cheeses
- I generally keep a variety of good-quality cheese in store including: Pecornio, Parmesan Reggiano, Fontina, Fresh Mozzarella, Goat cheese and a good cheddar. I buy almost all of my cheese in blocks (or half blocks) and shred them myself you save a ton of money and it is not that hard! Also, cheese is one of those things that it is important to have a healthy source – dairy in general is one of the organic items you should opt for (this is why good quality and farmer’s market cheeses are generally better for your health and, please, NEVER buy Velvetta.
