My Perfect Pantry
The Focus
Level: Beginner
Objective: To set you up for easy and efficient cooking with fundamental ingredients
Reading Time: 10 Minutes
Chapter 1 | The Pantry
Welcome class! The spirit of spice is in the air this semester, and I’m excited to say that you are well on your way to becoming the boss of your home kitchen. I want to start by saying this: I’m really not too stuffy about food. I enjoy a Popeye’s box equally as much as a dry aged ribeye, and that’s the truth. But since my start in 2016 I’ve grown to recognize that there is a right and wrong way to do certain things in the kitchen, and I have the utmost respect for anyone that is making an effort to learn the right way. What you will learn during these next 9 weeks are some of the things I was taught by southern grannies, professional chefs, and everyone in between. Together, we will build your culinary foundation; ultimately making you more knowledgeable about the simple ways to impart more flavor into your food and lose less money from your bank account. With a little bit of effort, cooking will quickly become one of the most fun and practical activities for you and your friends! I think that’s enough chit-chat for now though. Why don’t we get down to business?
History Lesson
I’m a bit of a history buff. Everytime I begin to take on a new skill, I always like to take some time to see where and how it all began. This isn’t for everyone, but I’ve found that it helps me respect and teach the craft in a way that is unique and authentic.
First things first, The word “pantry” is OLD! Like, medieval old. It is of French origin, with the closest connections being to the words paneterie meaning “bread room” and panataria, who was seen as the servant in charge of that bread room. This easily explains why the modern pantry holds all dry goods like crackers, seasonings, snacks, and of course, bread. Modern science has made things a bit different now, skewing our perception of what is shelf stable (anybody got an open bottle of ketchup in their pantry?) But later we will talk about what belongs in your fridge, and what is okay in your pantry. For now, let’s cover my requirements for a perfectly stocked pantry.
The Needs
First off are what I like to call “The Needs.” These are the items I deem non-negotiable, and must be present to get any real cooking done. I can’t help but notice the amount of home cooks that are conditioned to shop recipe-by-recipe. Leaving them with an abundance of ill-fitting and relatively useless ingredients. What I can personally attest to is the time and money you save by having a pantry that is ready-to-go. Stocking your pantry with the essentials takes a bit of an uncomfortable initial investment, this I understand. But please don’t feel pressured to go out and buy name brand ingredients right off the bat. Invest the amount that you are comfortable with. Then if your passion for cooking grows, upgrade to better quality items. So with that being said, let’s take a look:
Kosher salt - Salt is an extremely misunderstood ingredient. The proper use of it is the number one reason your food at home tastes drastically different than food you may eat at a nice restaurant. The salt you may be accustomed to is iodized salt aka “table salt.” Glorified for its cheap price, iodized salt is cheaper because it contains a lesser amount of “pure” salt and a greater amount of additives. In the streets, we would say that this salt is “cut” or “watered down” to achieve a greater yield and increase shelf life.
Kosher salt, on the other hand, is exactly as the name states. It is pure salt minerals, but without the additives. The largest reason I encourage kosher salt is flavor, but opting for kosher salt can also lead to a healthier diet! Here’s a fact: To achieve the same flavor of 1 tsp. Kosher salt, a cook will need to use DOUBLE the amount of iodized salt. Yes, you can literally cut your salt intake in half by purchasing the $5.00 box of salt vs. the 99¢ bottle. Without trying to sound too eloquent - there is no price on your health, especially when that price is only $4.00
You will also find that the texture of kosher salt is completely different than anything you’ve used before. It’s coarse, effortlessly sticking to meats and fish, wicking away moisture, and leading to a beautiful golden crust on sauteed foods; more on that in week 4!
Lastly, the majority of recipes you will see are tested using kosher salt. So try not to use sea salt, himilayan pink salt, or any other variation of the ingredient if possible; they are completely different, and your dish will not taste the same.
Whole black peppercorns - The honest truth is that you can get away with seasoning your food with just salt and pepper and you will survive. Will your food taste the best? Of course not. But salt and freshly ground pepper are the fundamental building blocks of most flavor profiles. You can either buy the whole peppercorns and a grinder, or the convenient little bottles full of peppercorns with the grinder attachment. All I ask is that you stay away from the pre ground stuff in the can! My granny loved it, but she had the magic touch. We do not.
All-purpose flour - Flour is an important one. My Southern heart cringes at the use of anything except the all-purpose variety. Bread flour, cake flour, self-rising; all of these are unnecessary for what we will be doing this semester. We’ll cover how they all differ another time.
Extra virgin olive oil - Olive oil can get pretty expensive. There are $40 bottles that look like they belong on the perfume isle of Macy’s. I’m sure they taste great, but my best advice is to go with what you can afford. I personally pay between $6.00 and $15.00 for a nice sized bottle. Olive oil also has a shelf life of 2-years, so you may also buy in bulk to save some cash if you’d like.
Neutral oil - Canola and vegetable oil are the most commonly used neutral oils in the culinary world. Chefs love them for their high smoke point and flavorless quality. All this means is that they can cook food at a high temperature without burning or affecting the flavor of the dish. Canola and vegetable oil may be used interchangeably and are always super affordable.
Vinegar - My last pantry staple is vinegar. One of the most slept on ingredients, neglected, kicked to the curb, and forgotten. Vinegar offers that splash of acidity when a citrus or fruity flavor is not desired. It is also the backbone of salad dressings. Opt for plain ole white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Check for Understanding
You will find the rest of “The Needs” in your downloadable shopping list! The above are simply what I deem most important and had room for explanation. The remainder of The Needs consist of ingredients like baking powder, rice, sliced bread; things that will help you whip up a quick meal.
Chapter 2 | The Fridge-ables
So your pantry is set. But what about the fridge? Well, things are a bit different with your refrigerator. The entire point of a refrigerator is to preserve the shelf-life of quickly perishable items. Meaning that there is little efficiency in keeping things like meat and produce on par, in the event that they go bad.
VOCAB - keeping things on par simply refers to items you will always have, no matter what. Example: you should always have TOILET PAPER on par…
What this means is that most things that go in your fridge should be bought fresh and used within at least a week. There are however a few refrigeratable items that can be kept past a week, and they are extremely convenient for breakfast and late night snacks. Here are my 4 items that made the cut for The Needs: Refrigerator Edition.
Eggs - Whether they are white, brown, or green (shoutout Dr. Seuss) eggs are a must for anyone with an animal inclusive diet. They are not only great for breakfast or a struggle dinner, but are almost always essential for baking as well. Eggs can last in your fridge for about 3-4 weeks.
Your favorite type of milk - I know milk is a touchy subject these days. Personally, i’ve done away with dairy milks and have switched to the ever so popular almond milk (unsweetened-vanilla to be exact). Outside of baking, I encourage you to buy and use whatever makes you comfortable. Soy, cashew, oat, and even lactose-free milk are all great options, and last for at least 3 weeks!
Plain vanilla yogurt (unsweetened, or greek) - plain yogurt is in the same boat as vinegar. She’s sort of forgotten because there are prettier, more viable options on the market. But dammit, yogurt has my heart! She’s gotten me through so many hungry nights and mornings. Quick parfaits, creamy dressings, smoothies; the options are there. If I do nothing else during these next 9 weeks, I will show you the power of this shelf-stable ingredient. Once opened, yogurt can last in your refrigerator around 2-3 weeks.
Unsalted butter - I saved this one for last for a reason. Butter, just like salt, is extremely misunderstood. It is possible you may be accustomed to hydrogenated oil aka margarine; Country Crock, Parkay, Blue Bonnet, and things of the like. I highly advise against using these for 2 reasons. First, margarine fundamentally works and tastes different than its authentic counterpart. Replacing butter with margarine in a recipe is a one-way ticket to an oily and flavorless mess. Second, margarine is extremely unhealthy... Ok, not like butter is much better, but eating margarine is kinda like drinking diet soda; you might as well just have the real thing. Don’t believe me? Google the ingredients in a stick of Land o’ Lakes butter vs. the ingredients in I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.
Lastly, always opt for UNSALTED butter >> its salty cousin. Reason being is that you will have more control over the salt level in your recipes. Salted butter is really only good for softening and spreading on toast.
Chapter 3 | Closing Out
Whew, that was a lot of reading! But don’t worry, its gets a bit easier from here. This is your foundation, remember. There will be soon be videos, diagrams, demonstrations, and other fun things! Let’s take these last few moments to make sure we understand everything that was said:
If you take a look at your shopping list, you will see 22 items in “The Needs”. These are the ingredients I like to always have on par in my kitchen. Keep these in your house and you will always, always, always be able to fix yourself something to eat. To prove that to you, here are 5 recipes you can make with just those 22 ingredients:
Brown Butter Garlic Noodles
Homemade Pancakes
Sweet Potato Fries
Yogurt Parfaits
Omelettes/Scrambled Eggs
That’s right, “I don’t have any food at home” is no longer an excuse for racking up that fast food bill. Should these dishes be the base of your daily diet? I don’t think so. But in a pinch they will prevent you from resorting to have sleep for dinner, and that’s a win in my book.
If you scroll down, you will see I've also compiled a list of “Nice to Haves.” These are 30+ more items that are my go-tos at the grocery store. They may not have as long of a shelf life or are not exactly what I deem “essentials,” so keeping them on par is not necessary. But as the title states, they are simply nice ingredients to have, and you will find yourself using them often. To give you a better look, here are 10 more MEALS that you can make with “The Needs” plus a few “Nice to Haves:”
Chicken Noodle Soup
Kale Caesar Salad
Pulled Chicken Sliders
Quesadillas/Grilled Cheese
Spaghetti carbonara/Cacio e Pepe
French Toast
Fried Rice
Chicken Étouffée
Breakfast Hash w/ Fried Eggs
Chicken Salad on Toast
For this series it would be a bit unethical to provide direct links to recipes that are not my own. So for this first week I’d encourage you all to scour cookbooks and the internet for specific recipes that peak your interest! In the upcoming classes I will be providing a recipe of the week that focuses on the specific lesson at hand, and allows you to get some practice with your newfound knowledge.
Hope you’ve enjoyed peeps! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them down below and I’ll be glad to get back to you.
Class dismissed!