What is a well-stocked pantry?
I just returned from Seattle where I helped my son move into his first condo. Shopping for rugs, couches and lighting gets old real fast. But a couple hours at the city’s remarkable Metropolitan Market to stock a completely bare kitchen was tons of fun. And illuminating. What exactly is in a well-stocked pantry? What staples do you need on hand in order to make a home-cooked meal quicker than ordering and picking up “take-out?”
Here’s what we put in his cabinets and fridge:
- Canned tomatoes, diced and crushed. Muir Glen Organic Fire-Roasted are delicious and don’t travel half-way around the world on a ship as do all the imported Italian brands.
- Kosher salt. Diamond Crystal. And a box of Morton’s for salting pasta water.
- Five-pepper-blend peppercorns. (I’m sending him a Graviti Electronic Pepper Mill for Valentine’s Day. About $20 at amazon.com
.)
- Chicken broth. Swanson Natural Goodness with 33 percent less sodium.
- Coffee. Caffe Vita whole bean. It’s a Seattle thing.
- Olive oil. This was a great education in reading labels. He learned that when Spectrum Foods calls an olive oil “Mediterranean,” they don’t mean the anticipated Italian or Spanish, but rather what is probably an inferior oil from Tunesia. We chose Lucini and Spectrum Organic California extra-virgin oils and Bertolli Pure Classico, which has a milder flavor, is less expensive and is fine for sautéing.
- Vinegar. Spectrum Red Wine Vinegar and fig -speckled balsamic vinegar from Restaurant LuLu. We’ll move along to champagne, sherry, and super-aged balsamic vinegars in due time.
- Other oils: Peanut, canola and safflower. “Mom, what do I need all these different oils for?” He’ll find out soon enough.
- Pasta. De Cecco is good. Rustichella d’Abruzzo is even better.
- Prepared pasta sauce. We chose a few by Lucini and Sonoma Gourmet.
- Rice. Rice Select Texmati, which I’m confident he’ll find more fragrant and flavorful than the Japanese rice he’s been using.
- Bottled salad dressing. Brianna Asiago Caesar, to have on hand for when he runs out of the excellent fresh dressings made by Metropolitan Market.
- Pre-washed salad greens. In plastic boxes instead of bags. They keep better and don’t smell of preservative.
- Canned tuna fish.
- Canned beans. Cannellini, black and pinto.
- Sugar. Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Sugar.
- Mayonnaise, Grey Poupon, ketchup, Worcestershire and Kikkoman Less Sodium soy sauce.
- Fischer & Wieser Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce and Stonewall Kitchen Maple Chipotle Grille Sauce. Both do wonders for a plain ol’ grilled chicken breas
- Alexia frozen rolls. The French Rolls and Whole Grain are my favorites; the Garlic Baguette is great as an occasional indulgence. We also bought fresh bagels at Costco to keep in the freezer. Nuked for 20 seconds and toasted, these are better than most fresh bagels.
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