With these essentials at your fingertips, you can always cook something up. It’s a pretty big list, so I’m not suggesting that you go out and buy everything all at once. But if you decide to try some of the recipes on this website or in the book, you’ll build your pantry and before you know it, you’ll have everything on the list!

Just a reminder: Don’t be afraid to make substitutions. So a recipe calls for currants and all you have are raisins. Sub them in. Same goes for beans, oils, and vinegars—nine times out of ten, compliments will come your way.

Beans, bread, flours, grains, pastas
All-purpose flour
Bread** (burger buns, sandwich bread, sliced baguette, or country bread)
Bread crumbs (dried, panko, or fresh**)
Brown lentils
Canned and dried beans (pinto, black, cannellini, and/or chickpeas)
Cornmeal
Crackers (graham, saltines, or wheat crackers)
Leaveners and thickeners (baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch)
Noodles and pasta (egg, no-boil lasagna, orzo, rotini, or spaghetti)
Oats (old fashioned and quick)
Rice (basmati, brown, or long-grain white)
Tortillas*

Quick flavor add-ins
Capers*
Chili sauce or hot sauce
Garlic
Ketchup*
Mustard* (Dijon, grainy, or yellow)
Olives*
Pickles* (cornichon, dill, or relish)
Soy sauce

Dried fruits, nuts, and sweeteners
Chocolate chips
Dried fruit (apples, apricots, cranberries, currants, figs, or raisins)
Nuts and seeds (almonds, peanuts, pecans, sesame seeds, or walnuts)
Peanut butter
Sugar (corn syrup, dark or light brown, granulated white, honey, maple syrup)

Dairy and eggs
Butter*
Cheese (Cheddar* or Monterey Jack*, Parmesan*)
Citrus* (lemons or limes)
Dried buttermilk powder*
Dried milk powder
Eggs*
Mayonnaise*
Milk*

Canned goods
Low-sodium chicken broth
Tomatoes (diced, paste)
Tuna

Herbs, oils, spices, vinegars
Dried spices and spice blends: basil, bay leaves, black peppercorns, cayenne, chili powder, ground ginger, herbes de Provence, oregano, red-pepper flakes, sweet paprika, turmeric)
Oil (vegetable oil such as canola or corn, extra-virgin or pure olive)
Salt (kosher and table)
Vinegar (balsamic, cider, red wine vinegar, rice, or white wine)

* refrigerator item
** freezer item