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Starter Kitchen Part IV: The Pantry
Last, and often most important, are the prepared ingredients that I keep in my pantry--in my home, under the stairs.
All of these products stay good for a long time if you keep them sealed, free of contaminants, and in a dark, cool place.
Canned Goods--about $3
Extended List--about $6
Miscellaneous--about $22
Extended List--about $20
All of these products stay good for a long time if you keep them sealed, free of contaminants, and in a dark, cool place.
Canned Goods--about $3
- Pinto or black beans.
Healthy and easy to use since they're already cooked. (If you're fancier and have more time,
you can buy dried beans.) Beans are versatile and delicious in
casseroles, soups, stews, salads, and on their own. $1.
- Corn.
Interestingly, frozen peas and canned corn are both quite good, but
frozen corn and canned peas suck. When we were kids, my sisters and I
used to fight over who got to drink the sweet corn-water drained from a
can of corn. $1.
- Tomato sauce. $1.
Extended List--about $6
- Diced tomatoes. I like to get the ones with "Italian seasonings" because they add instant nuance to a pasta sauce. $2.
- Coconut milk. I've built many a great, easy meal out of some ginger, garlic, pepper flakes, peanut butter, soy sauce, coconut milk, fresh veggies, and rice. $2.
- Canned tuna. I don't use this that often, but when I need some quick protein, tuna is a reliable stand-by. $2 for a can.
Miscellaneous--about $22
- Vegetable oil. While olive oil is great, if you're only going to have one oil in your kitchen, it should be basic canola oil. Its flavor is mild enough to bake with, and it has a higher burn temperature, so you can fry with it. $3 for a quart.
- Vinegar.
Use it for dressing salads, and also for turning your milk into fake
buttermilk if you need it for a recipe. Again, if you're only going to
have one vinegar, don't go with fancy balsamic. Instead, get white
distilled or apple cider vinegar. $1 for a pint.
- Prepared mustard. Get one jar of tasty mustard--you can use it in soups, stews, and all kinds of other dishes as well as on sandwiches. Once opened, keep in the fridge. $4.
- Bouillon or soup base. I like the Better than Bouillon brand of
flavoring paste--it's semi-liquid already, and dissolves easily. $4 for
a jar of BtB.
- Soy sauce. Provides a depth of salty flavor to all kinds of dishes. $2 for a small bottle.
- Peanut
butter. I like the flower-child kind that's just ground-up peanuts. I
use it in sauces and cookies as well as on its own. However, some
recipes work much better with the more processed ones. Get what you'll
eat. $4.
- Jelly or jam. Homemade is best, of course, but if you're buying one, go for a jelly or jam with as few ingredients as possible. It should have fruit, some kind of normal sweetener, and maybe pectin. $4.
Extended List--about $20
- Hot sauce. Everyone likes a different kind. Get what works for you. $2.
- Extra virgin olive oil. A small bottle of a basic, clean-tasting oil should set you back about $5.
- Balsamic vinegar. Ditto above. $5.
- Maple syrup. There's no point if it's not the real thing. $8 for a pint.
I like keeping chickpeas around. They're the one bean I can count on everybody eating, and whipping up a quick batch of hummus is a good way to deal with lunch when I'm having a culinary brain freeze.