A few months ago I helped a girlfriend back in Sydney 'build' a pantry. Having just moved out of home, and thus, away from mum's cooking, she had to start with an empty cupboard. So, I put together list of the basic essentials and fired it off in an email to her. I believe she is half way there. It can be an expensive business to start from scratch but if you just add to your collection bit by bit then your purse strings won't notice it.
The list that you are about to read is a lot more detailed than what I sent my friend. The list details MY Pantry Essentials but there are some good basics in there to start with. I have marked the beginner esstentials with an asterisk.
Spices
- Bay Leaves*
- Black Peppercorns*
- Cardamon seeds and ground
- Cayenne*
- Chilli Flakes*
- Cinnamon sticks and ground
- Cloves
- Corinader seeds
- Cumin seeds and ground
- Curry powder (I have madras)*
- Fennel Seeds
- Garam Masala
- Paprika*
- Saffron
- Salt (Natural Sea Salt)*
- Tumeric
- Yellow Mustard Seeds
Dried Herbs
We have recently started growing fresh herbs on the windowsill...not as good as a garden but it does the job, very well in fact, and I won't deny that I was quite excited by the new born Tiny Tim Tomatoes. Some of the herbs we are growing include:
Fresh Herbs
- Chives
- Coriander
- Mint
- Parsley
- Thai Basil
- Thyme
- Sweet Basil
Pantry Essentials Continued...
- Anchovies
- Baking Powder*
- Baking Soda*
- Canned Tomatoes* (try getting a good quality brand like San Marzano)
- Chinese Red Wine Vinegar
- Coconut Milk*
- Corn Starch*
- Curry Pastes (Green, Red and Yellow)
- Fish Sauce (Squid Brand)
- Flour (I use unbleached)
- Good quality olive oil for salads and things
- Maggi Sauce (Great on a fried egg 'Thai' Style)
- Mirin
- Mustard (English, Dijon, Seed)*
- Japanese Chilli Pepper flakes
- Oil (Vegetable, Canola and Sesame)*
- Organic Chicken Stock & Bouillon*
- Organic Beef Stock & Bouillon
- Organic Vegetable Stock & Bouillon*
- Pasta*
- Pure Vanilla Extract*
- Rice (Basmati*, Jasmine, Japanese, Wild)
- Sugar (white*, brown, raw cane*, Palm)
- Soy Sauce*
- Tabasco*
- Tinned tuna and salmon*
- Vegemite*
- Wasabi
- Worcestershire
- White truffle oil
- White Vinegar*
Ok, enough for now. These ingredients allow us to cook all types of cuisines from Thai, Japanese, Italian to Morrocan, so that's a good start. Plus, I don't have any more room in the pantry for anything else!
Comments