A Well Stocked Pantry

Pull Out Pantry

I like to cook when I have time and the kitchen is well-stocked and organized. When one of those two criteria is not met, cooking dinner is a chore. Eventually, the sun will shine, plants will grow, and farmers markets will open. Coming home from the farmers market always leaves me feeling inspired, so this year I’ve decided to make a deliberate effort to have a well-stocked and organized pantry ahead of time. In theory this will make my evening cooking adventures easier.
So what makes for a well-stocked pantry? I turned to Google to find out and ended up on www.delish.com reading the advice of Lucy Waverman. Waverman has written eight cookbooks, writes magazine articles on food, tests recipes, and blogs. She is officially a foodie who knows more than I!
Here are some of her suggestions for pantry staple items:

Jars and Bottles
Dijon mustard, ketchup, pesto, mayonnaise, hot pepper sauce, soy sauce, Asian chili sauce, hoisin sauce. Depending on your taste, you may also want jars of Indian curry paste and both red and green Thai curry paste.

Salts and Spices
Kosher salt, which Waverman prefers for cooking and seasoning, as the flakes melt into food and it has no additives, peppercorns for your pepper grinder, your favorite dried herbs and spices, including tarragon, rosemary, oregano, paprika, ground coriander, ground cumin, ginger, and hot pepper flakes.

Canned Goods
Good-quality canned tomatoes, either organic or San Marzano, tomato paste, tuna, anchovies, and canned beans.

Pasta and Rice
Several different types of pasta, both long and short, and several types of rice, including Thai jasmine for long grain and sushi rice for short grain. You might include a good Arborio rice for making risotto as well and couscous for times when you need something quick.

Oils
Two olive oils – one regular for cooking and a better one, extra virgin, for salads and finishing a pasta dish. Canola oil as your regular oil. For vinegars, have balsamic, red wine, and white wine varieties on hand. Rice vinegar and sesame oil can also come in handy.