The Well-Stocked Kitchen
This blog is about basic preparation of preservation of whole foods, and a lot of little tips and tricks to make cooking daily meals more efficient, as well as less expensive, more delicious, and healthier than eating out. My hope is that you will gain more skill and confidence in making food for yourself and people you love, no matter how humble the kitchen or the ingredients.
The ideal pantry has the things you need and use often, so you don’t find yourself at the end of the recipe cursing the gods that you don’t have any cumin and who knew you needed that as often as you do? Chip away at the contents listed below on your trips to the grocery store, and check them each time you make a list to ensure they are always on hand.
PANTRY AND FRIDGE
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Canned beans of many varieties
- Canned coconut milk
- Canned stock
- Corn starch
- Flour
- Sugar, both granulated and brown
- Honey
- Ketchup
- Mayonnaise
- Maple Syrup
- Mustard, Dijon or whole grain
- Olive Oil
- Avocado or Grapeseed Oil
- Pasta, dried
- Rice of all kinds, white, brown and wild
- Asian Noodles
- Couscous
- Petite Diced or crushed tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
- Tomato paste
- Creamed Corn
- Vinegars, including white, rice wine, balsamic, cider, red wine and white wine
- Pan Spray
- Vanilla Extract
SPICES, OILS, DRIED HERBS & BOUILLION
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Ground coriander
- Ground Ginger
- Chipotle powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Dill
- Oregano
- Basil
- Thyme
- Knorr Chicken, Veggie, or Beef Base
Inside your cabinets and food pantry, small single tier shelves from Target, Ikea or Goodwill allow you to fit more in a small space. Clear food storage with lids and plastic bins help keep things organized and sanitary, and make cleaning all your food related spaces less of a chore.
The main idea is to store things where you can see them, so they get used before they spoil or go rancid. The other driver of this process is keeping healthy items visible, ready to eat and easy to prep so that you are less likely to order takeout, or ruin your appetite with junk because you are both tired and hungry when it’s time to make dinner.
Buying basic staples and cooking from scratch is more affordable, but if you don’t know where to start, or you barely have enough time in your schedule to order takeout, I hope you will find some tips and tricks in this blog to help you streamline the time you do have to produce more healthy meals.
Now that you’ve rearranged, reward yourself with your favorite bottle of WSCW wine and get ready to cook. Have you tried our Bounty Land Crossings, released in 2024? This table red comes across as heavy and silky while still tasting light and heavy at the same time. It’s very smooth, with notes of molasses, and warm in the finish.
Love,
Kristie Stevens
