Mother Would Know

Home Cooking Beats Take-Out

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • About
    • About Laura / Mother Would Know
    • Privacy Policy
    • Websites I Love
  • Recipes
    • Browse All Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Beef & Lamb
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Sweets
    • Fish & Seafood
    • Grains
    • Pasta & Noodles
    • Pork
    • Potatoes
    • Poultry
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches
    • Sauces & Condiments
    • Soups & Stews
    • Vegetables
  • Kernels of Wisdom
    • Browse All Kernels
    • Cooking Equipment
    • Definitions
    • Ingredients
    • Techniques
  • Archives
  • In The News
  • Work With Me
    • For Companies, Brands, & Trade Associations
    • For Individuals
  • Contact

Top 10 pantry food basics

July 11, 2011 by Laura 7 Comments

Sharing is caring!

5 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

The last time I had a bare pantry may have been never.  (Ask my family or friends. The thought of me without food just doesn’t compute.)  I can always rustle up a meal because the basics are at hand.  Where to start if your pantry is empty or you just moved and have to set up a kitchen?  If you want to start with the basics, here are my top 10 pantry foods.  

pantry, stocking kitchen, what food to buy

I’ve listed 10 basic categories rather than exact items.  But you can start with 1 or 2 items in each category & add if you have the space, money and inclination.  Your own list will vary according to dietary preferences or needs.  This pantry list does not include ketchup, mustard, soy sauce and other items that require refrigeration after opening.  I promise that we’ll get to refrigerator basics and my favorite herbs and spices in an upcoming post. 

The inspiration for this list (and much of the site) is my daughter, Eleanor, who graduated from Colorado College in May and moves to Chicago for a job in August.   From the time she was old enough to talk, her favorite word has been why.  So for each item, I’ve anticipated her first 3 – of many – questions (1) what kind to buy first, (2) why buy it (what can you use it for) and (3) how much does it cost?  

Eleanor Mulshine, marathon, Denver Rock 'N Roll, race, cooking, culinary arts

Eleanor is advanced in lots of things, but hasn’t yet turned her considerable energy & talents toward the culinary arts – or stocking a kitchen.

The Top 10

  1. Cereal – Got to start morning off with something. Eliminate if you start with a smoothie, yogurt or something else healthy. Look for high fiber, unsweetened or lightly sweetened (lower calorie)  – e.g. bran, shredded wheat or chex-type.  
  2. Beverage (coffee or tea) – OK, I admit I’m an addict. If you’re not then skip, except what will you offer guests with a treat when you invite them over?
  3. Oil – Olive for salads, plus canola or another less flavorful oil for frying. 
  4. Vinegar – Balsamic (deep red) for salads, unseasoned rice wine vinegar for salads & cooking
  5. Salt & pepper  – Regular iodized salt for baking and coarser (kosher or sea) salt for cooking and salads.  Peppercorns in grinder for cooking and salads.  
  6. Pasta – Spaghetti type for Italian-style and Asian noodles, bow tie or rotini (spirals) for salads
  7. Rice – White (I prefer Jasmine) tastes better to me, but brown is healthier.  Side dish & salad ingredient 
  8. Beans – All types are great in tossed salad or other, more exotic salads. Other ideas – garbanzos or chick peas for hummus or with pasta (trust me, it sounds crazy, but it’s delicious), red kidney beans for chili, black beans with rice, cannellini (white) beans for soup, pinto (mashed they may be labeled “refried”) beans for burritos.  Canned are quicker than dried, but many cooks prefer the taste of dried, which have to be soaked overnight or quick cooked for about an hour before using them. 
  9. Grains – Cous cous for light salads and sides, and barley or quinoa for more substantial sides. 
  10. Chocolate – Bars and bags of chips.  If chocolate doesn’t do it for you, substitute whatever brings a smile to your face and a contented yum to your lips. I prefer semi-sweet and bittersweet (over milk and white) for eating as well as baking.
pantry, basic foods, stock kitchen, what foods to buy

Coming soon:

  • The next 10 pantry basics
  • Stocking the refrigerator
  • Condiments for all seasons
  • 10 herbs and spices take you a long way toward food nirvana

Filed Under: Archives, Beverages, Grains, Pasta & Noodles Tagged With: beans, beverage, cereal, chocolate, grain, pasta, pepper, rice, salt, stocking pantry, vinegar

« Roasted asparagus – no muss, no fuss & no hot oven!
Rolling Boil – definition »

Comments

  1. henry blair says

    July 12, 2011 at 10:21 am

    you imagine cous cous is a grain????

    Reply
  2. motherwouldknow says

    July 12, 2011 at 6:22 pm

    Thanks for pointing out that whether cous cous is called a grain is a matter of semantics. Cous cous is a processed grain – as is pearl barley – according to cookbook author Carol Gelles. (I often use the chart in her award winning book "1,00 Vegetarian Recipes" for timing when I cook whole or processed grains. ) Healthy food guru Jane Brody points out in her "Good Food Book" that cous cous can be finely cracked wheat or millet. By the way, what is called Jerusalem or Israeli cous cous, is in fact, really a form of pasta, more like orzo than "real" cous cous. Maybe your skepticism is caused by thinking I referred to Jerusalem or Israeli cous cous? The picture in my May 2011 cous cous salad post is of the grain https://motherwouldknow.com/journal/cous-cous-salad-easy-memorial-day-picnic-pot-luck-brunch-far.html Regards, Laura

    Reply
  3. rajeena says

    July 14, 2011 at 8:27 pm

    Balsamic Vinegar- I have Balsamic vinegar in my pantry, but I have no clue how to use it.

    Chocolate- YES!! A MUST HAVE!!!

    Reply
  4. motherwouldknow says

    July 15, 2011 at 2:55 pm

    Chocoholics unite! As for balsamic, try it with olive oil and a dash of salt, pepper and maybe a bit of your favorite herb as a salad dressing. It's also great with strawberries, as an elegant dipping "sauce" https://motherwouldknow.com/journal/dressing-up-strawberries.html and it's great used as part of a sauce for sauteed chicken breasts. I'll do a post on vinegar sometimes soon – thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply
  5. jp says

    July 16, 2011 at 7:07 am

    Many Italian restaurants are serving balsamic vinegar and olive oil w/salt+pepper as a dipping sauce for bread. If you haven't tried that you should do so immediately. A little balsamic over sliced strawberries with sugar will make delicious strawberries for your ice cream, shortcake or angel food cake.

    Reply
  6. motherwouldknow says

    July 16, 2011 at 4:32 pm

    Yes, I've tried balsamic, olive oil, salt & pepper as a dipping sauce – and love it! I have been putting balsamic vinegar in and on lots of foods, ever since my son came back from a semester in Italy proselytizing about balsamic vinegar as the greatest thing since good bread! (Check out my post on balsamic and strawberries – https://motherwouldknow.com/journal/dressing-up-strawberries.html) Speaking of balsamic – got to run to have lunch salad with balsamic and olive oil dressing.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome!

Join me for cooking adventures. You’ll gain confidence in your cooking abilities, find new ways to save time and money when preparing meals, and discover recipes and tips. Plus, we’ll enjoy ourselves.

Get 5 easy tips for home cooking success, checklists & recipes.

We never share your information.

Search

Follow Laura Kumin-MotherWouldKnow's board MotherWouldKnow Recipes & Tips on Pinterest.

Copyright © 2010-2025 Laura Kumin · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Implemented by WPopt

5 shares
MENU & SEARCH
  • About
    • About Laura / Mother Would Know
    • Privacy Policy
    • Websites I Love
  • Recipes
    • Browse All Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Beef & Lamb
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Sweets
    • Fish & Seafood
    • Grains
    • Pasta & Noodles
    • Pork
    • Potatoes
    • Poultry
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches
    • Sauces & Condiments
    • Soups & Stews
    • Vegetables
  • Kernels of Wisdom
    • Browse All Kernels
    • Cooking Equipment
    • Definitions
    • Ingredients
    • Techniques
  • Archives
  • In The News
  • Work With Me
    • For Companies, Brands, & Trade Associations
    • For Individuals
  • Contact