How to stock your pantry.

Stocking your pantry well is always a good idea, but a lot of times people fall into a rut with what they habitually buy at the grocery store. Others often feel overwhelmed with the task of revamping their kitchen. If we have learned anything in 2020, it is that a well-stocked pantry can provide a sense of safety and control when the news and grocery stores are frightful. Not only does a well-stocked pantry provide a sense of order, but good pantry staples are usually the beginning of many excellent meals.

Being a cook, I am always asked the questions, “How do I become a better cook?” While that is a loaded question and a complicated answer, the first thing I suggest is to adjust or change the the way you grocery shop. Whether you shop online, have it delivered, or go to the grocery store, the strategies for buying wisely and eating well are essentially the same. For some, buying fresh garlic instead of that precarious minced stuff in jars might be an adjustment, or maybe buying fish sauce and oyster sauce is completely out of the question (if you’ve ever eaten at Panda Express, you’ve had both of those FYI). But cooking is much simpler, faster, and all around better when you have the right ingredients on hand. Just keep in mind that one cook’s go-to ingredients might be new ground for another, but stretching toward new flavors and food habits is a good thing and should be embraced by everyone.

So what to buy and where to start?

A good start is to clear out the kitchen. Be ruthless here. Throw out what doesn’t look good or smell good. If you still have that jar of barbecue sauce from last Fourth of July sitting in your fridge, get rid of it. If you have had spices in your cabinet for over a year, chuck it (spices start declining the second they are manufactured into a jar). If you are still hanging onto that box of croutons with only a handful of stale cubes left, get it out of there. You get the idea.

Now that your kitchen can breath, make a list of what you need to restock. Below is a list of what I consider to be essential pantry staples. Most of the recipes I make use these ingredients. This list is a proposal, not a demand, but do challenge yourself with trying new things. You will notice that I have included specific brands for certain items. You will be amazed at how much brands differ from one another in taste and quality. If you don’t believe me, buy three cans of black beans and try each one. If you aren’t familiar with some of these brands, type the name into google search to familiarize yourself with the branding so you can easily spot them in the grocery store. If you grocery store does not carry some of these items, buy them on Amazon.

Pasta:

Keeping both long and short noodles on hand is a great idea. Different noodles handle sauces differently. We like bucatini, pappardelle, or spaghetti for long pasta. Orecchiette or bowtie for short pasta.

Preferred brands: Rustichella d'Abruzzo or De Cecco

Rice & Grains:

White and brown, both long and short grain (such as Basmati, Jasmine, or Arborio). For grains, we like farro and quinoa.

Beans:

Home cooked dried beans definitely taste better than canned beans. But, canned beans are more efficient and faster. Black beans, cannellini beans (we prefer these over kidney beans), chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) are great to have on hand.

Preferred Brands: Goya

Stocks:

Chicken stock and vegetable stock can be used in almost any recipe in place of water. For example, instead of cooking rice in water, using stock gives rice more flavor and depth.

Preferred Brands: Homemade is always best, but Kirkland Organic Stock or Pacific Foods Stock are great options. Try to buy low sodium if possible.

Cans, Jars, & preserves:

Whole San Marzano tomatoes, tomato paste, unsweetened coconut milk, olives, capers, jarred anchovies, favorite fruit preserve.

Preferred Brands: Cento for tomato products, Chaokoh coconut milk (look for the purple can), Ortiz for jarred fish.

Oils & vinegars:

Olive oil goes without saying, we go through jars and jars of olive oil. Other oils we prefer to keep stocked are canola oil, grape seed oil (or avocado oil), sesame oil, and coconut oil. Both white and red wine vinegars, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and rice wine vinegar.

Preferred brands: California Olive Ranch for oil (no questions asked, this is the best olive oil for EVERYTHING), Marukam rice wine vinegar, and Bragg for apple cider vinegar.

Condiments & Sauces:

Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, oyster sauce, soy sauce or shoyu, curry paste, red chili paste, fish sauce, REAL maple syrup, real honey. A lot of these products are brand specific—it makes a big difference.

Preferred brands: Grey Poupon for mustard, Just Mayo, Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand for oyster sauce, Red Boat fish sauce, Mae Ploy curry pastes (be careful it is spicy), Huy Fong Foods for chili paste.

Nuts & Butters:

Tahini, natural peanut butter, and almond butter. Always buy unsalted, whole nuts because you can always toast and season them per dish. Cashews, peanuts, walnuts, or whatever nuts you find yourself using often.

Baking:

While there are lots of types of flours, we suggest keeping a quality brand of all-purpose flour on hand—see below. Rolled oats (not instant), white sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, baking soda, baking powder, corn starch, good vanilla extract, cocoa powder, good chocolate chips.

Preferred brands: For flour, we strongly suggest buying Central Milling Co. They are a Utah based company with an amazing product. Because you have to buy Central Milling Co. flours online, King Arthur is the best brand easily found in every grocery store. Chocolate products are expensive, but quality makes a difference. Look for Belgian style cocoa powder and chocolate. Nielsen Massey for vanilla extract.

Root Veggies:

Garlic, onions, fresh ginger, and shallots, you can’t cook without them. If you aren’t sure what onion to buy, yellow onions are a safe bet. Yukon and red potatoes are less starchy than russets and make great roasted potatoes.

NEVER buy the pre-minced garlic and ginger in a jar. I can not stress this enough.

Fresh fruits & Veggies:

Citrus is one of the most important items to have in your fridge. Most great recipes suggest a splash of lemon or lime to finish off the dish and it makes a big difference. Think of lemons and limes like salt and pepper. Lemons, lime, peppers such as jalapeños or serranos, English cucumbers, and lettuce.

herbs:

Fresh herbs brighten any dish and we use them in almost every recipe. Cilantro, flat leaf parsley, basil, chives, and scallions. Pro tip; throw some chopped chives on your scrambled eggs in the morning.

meats:

Thick cut bacon, ground meat (chicken, pork, or beef), skin-on bone-in chicken breasts or thighs or any poultry product you like to have on hand.

Eggs & Dairy:

Milk (no less than 2%), butter (salted or unsalted), whole-fat plain yogurt, sour cream, heavy whipping cream, and farm fresh eggs. For cheese, we like to have a nice brand of dried Parmesan or Pecorino Romano in the fridge at all times. Dried cheeses last forever and make a great addition to even the saddest store bought pastas.

Preferred brands: Horizon Organic milk, Tillamook or Kerrygold for butter, Stony Field Yogurt, Pete & Gerry’s Organic eggs. Pro tip; don’t be afraid to buy full-fat dairy products. They have better flavor, texture, and the fat content is much better for you than the chemicals and stabilizers added to low-fat products.

Freezer:

Frozen uncooked, unpeeled jumbo shrimp, frozen fruit and vegetables (such as corn, peas, wild blueberries, etc.). Try to refrain from buying frozen meats, it takes up a lot of room in your freezer and often gets forgotten about.

Spices:

Kosher salt, flaky sea salt, and black pepper corns go without saying. Crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne, curry powder, bay leaves, sweet paprika, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, garlic powder or granulated garlic, dried thyme and dried oregano. These basics will get you through a lot of recipes, you’d be surprised.

Preferred brands: Investing in good spices makes a huge difference in your cooking. We buy our spices from Oaktown Spice Shop.