If you look through my pantry or fridge you will find a lot of staples. Ergo, on any given night, I won’t starve. In theory this is wonderful. In reality I am somewhat addicted to grocery shopping so I still manage to go to the grocery about two times daily (plus a Farmer’s Market visit on Saturday’s). This is a huge improvement as I used to go to the store about four times daily.

You will notice that some items are staples and some are fresh. I do a major trip twice a week and stock up on veggies and fruit. These need to be bought at least twice a week because they nutrition loss commences from the moment they are picked. I also prefer fresh meat and fish (versus frozen), so I tend shop fresh more often than pulling freezer duty.

Ingredients that I always have on hand/use:

Dry Goods/Pantry

Panko Bread Crumbs

Rice/Grains: Farro, Quinoa, Barley, Basmati Rice, Long Grain Wild Rice, Forbidden Rice, Long Grain Brown Rice, Red Lentils

Pasta: Linguine, Spinach Fettuccine, orecchiette, gemilli and orzo. I generally buy specialty linguine/fettuccine from farmer’s markets. I always buy Rustichelle d’Abruzzo Whole wheat orrcheitte and orzo.

Chicken and Beef Broth (Boxed)

Oils: Garlic Oil, Truffle Oil, Basil Oil, Olive Oil, Hot Chile Oil, Sesame Oil, Peanut Oil, Grapeseed Oil

Pacific Tomato soup (complements grilled cheese for an easy lunch/dinner)

Tomato paste and sun-dried tomato paste

Anchovy paste (anchovy paste gives a great depth to pasta sauces and soups)

Harissa

Canned foods

Hearts of Palm, Black Beans, Chick Peas, Cannellini Beans, Chipotle Peppers in Adobo

 Kosher Salt

Maldon Salt

Capers

Over 21 items: Marsala, Sherry, White Cooking Wine, Brandy, Cognac, Vodka (for vodka sauce), Bordeaux, Chenin Blanc

 Asian flavors: Soy Sauce, Hoisin, Tempura, Oyster Sauce, Fish Sauce, Eel Sauce, Mirin, Sriracha (Rooster Sauce)

Good quality Balsamic Vinaigrette

Champagne Vinegar

Coconut Milk – both light and full fat

Williams Sonoma Demi Glace – various flavors

Sesame Seeds (both black and white)

Just Onions – dehydrated onions that are a bit healthier than the fried shallots I love so much

Dried Chiles

Fresh Veggies and Fruits

Green Onions

Shallots

Garlic

Lemons

Whole Ginger (kept in the freezer)

Cranberries – dehydrated, preferably with no added sugar

Spinach – I throw spinach into just about everything just to add more veggies into my diet. It goes into smoothies, pastas, casseroles, and all sorts of other things!

Golden Beets

Carrots

Zucchini

Blueberries

Strawberries

Cantaloupe

Avocado

Fridge/Freezer Items

 Lemongrass stalks (I buy these at Asian stores or Whole foods and freeze them)

Kaffir Lime Leaves ( again I buy these at Asian stores and freeze them or have my own tree – I had one until it froze over a particularly cold winter)

Frozen Naan

Ginger People minced Ginger

Ginger People Ginger-Lime Dressing Marinade

Central Market Basil Pesto – it is the next best thing to homemade and I always keep a little bit in the fridge to throw into soups, pasta, veggies or on a sandwich.

Gerard’s Champagne Light Dressing

Thinly-Sliced Prosciutto

A couple thick slices of Pancetta

European-style, unsalted, organic butter

Frozen Peas and Frozen Corn (frozen generally has more nutrients than canned)

Pine Nuts (keep nuts in the freezer and they will last much longer)

Macadamia Nuts

Cashews

Unsweetened Almond Milk

Shaved Coconut

Cheeses:

 I generally keep a variety of good-quality cheese in store including: Pecornio, Parmesan Reggiano, Fontina, Fresh Mozzarella, Goat cheese and a good cheddar. I buy almost all of my cheese in blocks (or half blocks) and shred them myself you save a ton of money and it is not that hard! Also, cheese is one of those things that it is important to have a healthy source – dairy in general is one of the organic items you should opt for (this is why good quality and farmer’s market cheeses are generally better for your health and, please, NEVER buy Velvetta.