The Living Pantry Part 1

Keeping your pantry stocked seems to be part of Cooking 101. I hear it all over the place. What should be included in your pantry, however, varies drastically. Here's a list of what my basic pantry would have. I've broken them into several sections: "Dry", Fresh, Frozen and Sauces/Spirits. This post will focus on the "Dry" ingredients. I say "Dry" because not all these are actually dried, but they all can be found in your cabinet, as opposed to the refrigerator.

The Living Pantry: Dry

Pasta

Rice

Dry Beans

Canned Beans

Dry Lentils

Nuts

Dried Fruit

Spices

Canned Tomatoes

Oil

Canned Tuna

Canned Corn

Salsa

Braggs Amino Acids

Apple Cider Vinegar

Almond Extract

Vanilla Extract

Flour

Baking Soda

Baking Powder

Oatmeal

Sugar

Honey

Maple Syrup

Now within these categories, I break down some into more detail. For example, Dried Fruit. I think raisins and cranberries are pretty basic for the pantry and can be used in various ways.

Oil: I tend to have olive, sesame and chili oil as my basics. I also have some more exotic oils, but those I would label "special".

Sugar: I'm not a fan of processed sugar, but having some white and brown on hand is good if you're baking.

Spices: My basic spices include kosher/sea salt, peppercorns, a good all-purpose seasoning, basil, sage, rosemary, cloves, cumin, bay leaves, paprika, turmeric, and cinnamon. I'm big on spices, if you couldn't tell. :)

Canned Tomatoes: I usually keep both crushed and stewed. The crushed are great for making your own pasta sauce.

Am I missing anything? Next time, it's on to the fresh foods!