how to stock a kitchen to make cooking easier
I was talking with a couple of good friends of mine about how I approach cooking. Many people find cooking time consuming and challenging while I, on the other hand, don’t. I was pondering why this was and hit upon a few points. The first is that I don’t follow recipes frequently. There is nothing wrong with following a recipe, but it does require more prep to make sure you have all ingredients on hand and takes a bit more time to execute if you have to keep referencing it. I am able to break away from the recipe book do in part to skills I have learned over the years. The other half is making sure to have a good stock of basic ingredients on hand in order to make a dish with.
My husband and I are currently staying with friends while we have contractors working on our house, so I am in a place where I am not creating new recipes all the time. Given this, I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to share some of my approach to cooking, starting with stocking a kitchen with ingredients.
I divide my kitchen into three main stocking areas – the pantry, fridge, and freezer. Below are the lists of what I generally keep on hand. These ingredients allow me to start cooking using my understanding of basic kinds of dishes, like a soup or pasta dish and use seasonal items or uniquely combine ingredients into a delicious meal.
As you peruse the lists below, I have tried to indicate areas where I introduce variety with an asterisk. For example, I always want a leafy green on hand in my fridge, but I like to choose more seasonal greens or alternate ones that I have. Also, note that this list is based on the type and style of dishes I like to make. There may be an ingredient that makes sense to stock for you that I have not listed, but this list will provide a great starting point for a well stocked kitchen.
– The List –
Kitchen Staples
Pantry
Grains
- thin spaghetti
- shaped pasta*
- egg noodle
- brown rice
- white rice
- sweet rice
- rice noodle
- mung bean noodle
- barley
- couscous and Israeli couscous
- quinoa
Flour
- bread flour
- all purpose flour
- corn meal
- almond flour
- sticky rice flour
Leavening Agents
- baking soda
- baking powder
Flavors/extracts
- vanilla
- almond
- peppermint
- lemon/citrus
- red and white wine
Sweeteners
- honey
- white granulated sugar
- powdered sugar
- molasses
- brown sugar
- maple syrup
- light corn syrup
- stevia
Oils
- vegetable or canola oil
- extra virgin olive oil
- sesame oil
- coconut oil
- shortening or lard
- infused oils*
- sticky rice flour
Vinegars
- white
- apple cider
- red wine
- white wine
- chinese
- balsamic
- flavored/infused balsamic*
Canned Goods
- tomatoes diced
- tomatoes crushed
- tomato paste
- beans* including garbonzo, pinto, black, and kidney
- coconut milk
- bamboo shoots
- capers
- baby corn
- black olives
- kalamata olives
- green olives
- artichoke hearts
- beef stock
- chicken stock
- pickles
- jams and jellies*
- apple sauce
- fruit sauces*
- pineaple
- lychees
- tuna
- baby clams
- clam juice
Dried Beans
- Favorite dried varieties*
- red beans
- lentils
- split peas
Nuts/Nut Spreads
- pine nuts
- almonds
- pecans
- walnus
- pistachios
- peanut butter
- nutella
- almond paste
- sunflower seeds
Dried Fruit
- cherries
- cranberries
- golden and brown rasins
- dates
- blueberries
Crackers/chips
- panko bread crumbs
- matza
- crackers*
- croutons
- popcorn kernels
- potato chips
- tortilla chips
Chocolate
- unsweetened baking chocolate
- white chocolate chips
- bittersweet chocolate chips
- milk chocolate
- dark chocolate
- butterscotch chips
Quick Meals
- soup/ramen/personal preference*
Vegetables
- winter squash
- potatoes*
- onions*
- garlic
- dried mushrooms
- all purpose flour
- corn meal
- almond flour
- sticky rice flour
Seasonings/spices*
note: this is a non-exhaustive list but a good foundation
- garlic
- ginger
- salt
- pepper
- sage
- rosemarry
- thyme
- basil
- oregeno
- margirum
- cumin
- coriander
- cloves (whole and ground)
- mint
- fennel
- dill
- paprika
- carraway
- anise
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- mustard (ground and seed)
- poppy seeds
- allspice
- tumric
- safron
- cardamon
- onion powder
- bay leaves
- chili powder
- red pepper flakes
- cayenne pepper
- stock cubes
- soy sauce
Fridge
Condiments/flavorings
- mayo
- mustard
- ketchup
- warshtishire sauce
- bbq sauce
- miso
- anchovies
- ginger root
- simple syrup
- hoisin sauce
- oyster sauce
- plum sauce
- fish sauce
Vegetables
- fresh parsley and cilantro
- green onion
- carrots
- mushrooms
- leafy green*
- seasonal produce*
Dairy/eggs
- heavy cream
- whole milk
- yogurt
- sour cream
- eggs
Cheese/meat
- variety in addition to below*
- goat
- feta
- cheddar
- motzzerella
- parmesan
- asiago
- soft cheese*
- salami
Other
- tortillas
Freezer
Vegetables
- corn
- peas
- green beans
- frozen spinach/swiss chard
- herbs in oil
- cooked squash
- shredded potatoes
Meat
- chicken breast
- whole chicken
- chicken thighs
- beef roast
- ground beef
- venison*
- lamb
- ground lamb
- pork*
- ground pork
- shrimp
- salmon
- fish*
Fruits
- variety*
- strawberries
- tart cherries
- mango
- peaches
Other
- stocks*
- bones and scraps for stock*
- cookies
- dough/bread*
Apricity 