Items that should be in your pantry

We've worked in many different kitchens, whether they were in our homes or in a business, from small to large.  Each one of those kitchen had something in common.  Namely, the essentials for cooking were always available in the pantry.

Even if your pantry is simply a few shelves in your kitchen cabinet, there are some basic things that should be there.  It's helpful to keep some common cooking items available that keep well and at your finger tips.  

Here a list with descriptions to help you pick out the good stuff essential to every cook, foodie, and chef:

Flour - Sure everyone knows about flour, but do they really?  There are lots of kinds of flours.  We recommend that you have available some all purpose flour, rice flour and cake flour.  These basic flours will cover your needs from baking to frying.  When you use rice flour for making fried foods, you will get a lighter coating.  Try combining it with your all purpose flour or Panko.

Sugar - Brown, white, raw, powdered sugars all come in handy depending on your cooking needs.  When making cookies, remember that more white sugar and less brown sugar will give you a crispier cookie.  Or more brown and less white sugar will give you chewier cookie.  Powdered sugar mixed in butter cream frosting gives it the sweetness needed but doesn't need cooking.  It gives you a smooth finish.

Salt -  Oh!  There are so many salts to choose from.  Let's start with a good sea salt.  The processed salt we remember from childhood doesn't cut it anymore.  (See article from Clairalience on Himalayan Sea Salt)  Sea salt is found everywhere now.  But be bold and consider gray salt or pink (Himalayan).  You can find sea salt in different coarseness's from fine to chunky.  If you use a seasoning salt, we strongly recommend an organic seasoning salt.  You can find it in the bulk section of your grocery store.  These seasoning salts have no fillers in them and much less sodium.  They also depart great flavor to your cooking.

Pepper - Just like salt, pepper has changed over the years.  There was a time when all you could really find was already ground pepper in a tin.  Nowadays you can find red peppercorns, white peppercorns, and a combination of many colored peppercorns.  Remember, it is best to grind your pepper as you need it.  You will notice the difference in taste.  

Grains - There is more to grains that simply brown and white rice.  While these are staples in any pantry because they are so versatile, let's think to also including Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) and wild rice (make sure you are buying the real thing!), Quinoa is a complete protein and has a nutty sort of taste.  It cooks up easily.  We've used it in stuffed cabbage rolls in the place of rice.....yummy!  Wild rice is found everywhere, but can often be tricky because it may not be authentic.  Do a bit of research and make sure you are purchasing the real thing.

Essential baking ingredients - These few things are a must:  baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla.  Please, please, please don't use imitation vanilla flavoring.  Just say NO to imitation anything.  Make sure you have pure vanilla extract.  Nothing else will do for your best work in the kitchen.

Oils - Olive, peanut, sunflower, canola, sesame, coconut...this list goes on.  We recommend you have a good olive oil always on hand.  If you are using your olive oil for salad dressing, then you want to use a virgin olive oil as it has a lighter taste.  Peanut oil is best for frying.  

Canned Goods - It's always good to have the basics, which includes tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, beans (black beans, red beans, white beans), chicken and beef broth.

Beans -  Whether they are pinto, red, black, white, great northern, kidney - make sure you have your favorite dried beans on hand.  When making ham and bean chowder, for example, starting your beans off by soaking them will make the best soup.

Miscellaneous - Hot sauce, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, cream of tarter, cocoa, dried herbs*.

* Using dried herbs is okay in a pinch.  But in the end it is always better to buy fresh parsley, basil, oregano, chives, dill, etc.  You will always get a yummier dish when you go fresh! Consider buying bulk herbs, placing them in ice cube trays along with some olive oil and freeze. When the oil is firm pop out of tray and store in a zip lock bag or air tight container. How great it is to have fresh herbs from the garden in the winter!

Remember to look for expiration dates on your pantry items.  Don't over buy, just to have to turn around and throw food out.  

So go ahead and stock your pantry.  The basics will take care of your needs.  Happy cooking!!