My Pantry
Please note, this isn’t a list of the 147 things you need to buy before making dinner. This is how I personally stock my kitchen so I can be flexible and cook or bake without planning every single thing in advance.
In all likelihood, your pantry will end up looking different than mine, depending on the foods you like and how you like to cook. And that’s perfect.
The most important habit to get into is to replace things you consider staples before you run out completely. If you buy other things only for specific recipes, it’s ok to use them up.
I’ve organized this list based on where things live in my kitchen.
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Oil and Vinegar
Oils: everyday extra-virgin olive oil, finishing extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, toasted sesame oil, and coconut oil. Keep oils in cabinets away from the stove or even in the refrigerator, especially nut oils.
Vinegars: apple cider, balsamic, rice, red wine, white wine, sherry, and distilled white. I occasionally buy Champagne vinegar and malt vinegar because it’s so good on roasted potatoes.
Sauces, Condiments, and Big Flavor Makers
Low-sodium soy sauce, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin, white miso, tahini, tamarind concentrate, tomato paste, Dijon, yellow and honey mustards, ketchup, mayonnaise, sweet relish, dill pickles, capers, Kalamata and cocktail olives.
For Heat: sriracha, Tabasco, gochujang, sambal oelek, chili crisp, chipotles in adobo.
I always make: my homemade BBQ sauce, hot honey, pesto, spicy pickled onions.
Canned and Jarred
I don’t buy many things in cans, but I will buy whole peeled San Marzano-style tomatoes, coconut milk, tuna, black beans, pinto beans, and chickpeas.
I buy whole tomatoes rather than diced or crushed because I can leave them whole, crush them by hand, chop them or purée them depending on what I’m making. Whole tomatoes have to be the best quality tomatoes.
Artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and fire-roasted tomatoes come and go depending on the recipe. If it’s been a good tomato year in Seattle, I’ll dehydrate cherry tomatoes in the oven.
Broths and Cooking Liquids
Chicken and vegetable broth; occasionally beef or mushroom broth. Nori is always around for sushi; dashi and curry paste are occasional ingredients.
Beans, Grains, Pasta, and Noodles
Dried beans: lots. I cook dried beans far more often than canned and keep a rotating Rancho Gordo assortment.
Legumes: black and French green lentils, yellow split peas, black-eyed peas
Grains: white, basmati, jasmine, Arborio and sushi rice; quinoa, farro, polenta, traditional and pearl couscous; rolled and steel-cut oats; popcorn. Mmm popcorn.
Pasta & noodles: assorted short and long pasta, lasagna noodles, orzo, egg noodles and ramen
Other: tortillas, panko, crackers, pretzels
Breads, including breads for sandwiches, and pita pockets are usually homemade as needed.
Baking
Flours: all-purpose (bleached and unbleached), bread, cake, whole wheat, high-gluten, rye, semolina and rice flour; cornmeal
Sugars: granulated, superfine, powdered, light brown and dark brown
Liquid sweeteners: honey, maple syrup, molasses, Lyle’s Golden Syrup, light and amber agave, corn syrup, malt syrup and pomegranate molasses
Leaveners: baking powder, baking soda, active dry yeast and sourdough starter
Chocolate: unsweetened, bittersweet, semisweet, milk and white chocolate; semisweet and peanut butter chips; natural cocoa powder; instant espresso powder
Flavoring: homemade vanilla extract; almond, lemon and peppermint extracts; cinnamon; milk powder; peanut butter powder; gelatin; meringue powder; cornstarch; food coloring; sprinkles and decorating sugars; purple sweet potato and butterfly pea flower powders
Other: graham crackers, Nutella, jams, marshmallows, Rice Krispies, Jif peanut butter for baking and natural/crunchy peanut butter for everything else
Nuts, Seeds, and Dried Fruit
Nuts: pine nuts, pecans, cashews and peanuts; almonds and walnuts as needed
Seeds: pepitas, sesame and poppy seeds
Dried fruit: raisins, cranberries, and apricots
Almond and hazelnut flours, along with shredded and flaked coconut, live in my freezer.
Herbs, Spices, Chile Peppers, and Salt
Herbs: basil, bay, dill, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon and thyme
Spices: allspice, caraway, cardamom, cayenne, celery seed and salt, Chinese five-spice, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel, filé, garam masala, ginger, mace, mustard, nutmeg, saffron, star anise, sumac and turmeric; chili and curry powder blends
Chiles and pepper: black peppercorns, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, Sichuan peppercorns, ancho and chipotle chile powders
Homemade blends: za’atar and Italian seasoning
Salt: Diamond Crystal kosher salt for everyday cooking, fine salt for baking, coarse salt for pretzels and Maldon flaky sea salt for finishing
Counter and Pantry Produce
Onions, garlic and fresh ginger always; potatoes and sweet potatoes often. There’s always fresh fruit and at least one additional seasonal vegetable around.
When the garden is cooperating, I grow parsley, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, mint and chives.
Refrigerator
Dairy and eggs: 2% and whole milk, Greek and regular yogurt, eggs, heavy cream, buttermilk, cream cheese, Parmesan and cheddar. Other cheeses rotate through depending on what I’m cooking, with Gruyère a frequent visitor.
Fresh staples: lemons, limes, scallions, parsley, cilantro, lettuce, celery, mushrooms, carrots, radishes, bell peppers, cucumbers, fennel and usually a jalapeño or other mild pepper.
Other: bacon and tortillas
Freezer
Always or nearly always: blueberries, corn, peas, edamame, unsalted butter, almond flour, hazelnut flour and coconut
Seasonally/occasionally: peaches, strawberries and blackberries
The freezer also holds whatever proteins I’ve bought on sale, potstickers, bread we can’t eat quickly enough, portions of cakes and other baked goods, and strategic leftovers.
I freeze extra coconut milk, tomatoes and similar ingredients in ice-cube trays before transferring them to freezer bags. I also portion drop-cookie dough and freeze the unbaked balls so we can bake exactly as many fresh cookies as we want.
Bar and Baking Cabinet
Cooking workhorses: vodka, bourbon, rum, tequila, dry sherry, dry and sweet vermouth, sake and mirin
Other spirits: gin, rye, Scotch, brandy, grappa, Campari, Aperol, Averna, limoncello and absinthe
Liqueurs: Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Disaronno, Frangelico, Mr Black coffee liqueur, Five Farms Irish cream, chocolate liqueur, Chambord and crème de menthe
Cocktail staples: grenadine, Luxardo cherries, Angostura, orange, chocolate and lavender bitters
The bar doubles as a baking pantry. Liqueurs are an easy way to bring orange, almond, hazelnut, coffee, chocolate and fruit flavors into desserts without buying another extract.