Here you have it! These are the items I keep in my pantry on a regular basis. I’ve broken arranged these shelved items into two categories — “Cooking” and “Baking” — although there’s some cross-over. As you can see from the picture, I am keeping in mind that many of you will have a very small “pantry.” Perhaps just a shelf or two above your counter. Been there, done it! In fact, one of my New York City abodes had a kitchen that was so small, I had to use the sink as my prep counter as well.
COOKING:
- Anchovies — once opened, store in fridge in the oil
- Breadcrumbs — plain dried and panko
- Canned tomatoes: crushed, diced, whole, and tomato paste
- Canned beans — black, butter, cannellini, garbanzo, kidney
- Capers — nonpareil – once opened, store in fridge
- Chicken, vegetable and beef broths
- Chipotle Peppers in adobo sauce — once opened, store in fridge
- Coffee
- Crackers — your favorite types
- Dijon and Yellow Mustard — once opened, store in fridge
- Dried beans & legumes — lentils, split peas, barley
- Dried pastas — spaghetti, linguini, penne, acini di pepe, gemelli, plus your favorites
- Garlic — store in a ceramic jar
- Honey
- Jams — your favorite flavors — once opened, store in fridge
- Olive oil — regular and extra-virgin
- Onions — both yellow and sweet
- Peanut butter
- Pickle Relish — once opened, store in fridge
- Potatoes — I rotate among russet (baking), fingerling, new
- Rice: long grain, brown, basmati, and Arborio
- Roasted red peppers — once opened, store in fridge
- Salsa — once opened, store in fridge
- Sauces: Sriracha, Tabasco, Worcestershire
- Shallots — store in a ceramic jar
- Spices — garlic powder mixed with dried parsley, ground cumin, dried thyme leaves, dried oregano and basil, cayenne pepper, chili powder & crushed red pepper flakes
- Tuna Fish — white in water and light in olive oil
- Vegetable oil
- Vinegars — white, apple cider, red wine vinegar, rice wine
Fridge:
- Apples. oranges and other favorite fruit
- Butter — unsalted and tub for spreading
- Celery and carrots
- Cheese — grated Romano, block of Parmesan, sliced Cheddar, grated Gruyere
- Cucumbers
- Fresh veggies
- Half & Half
- Lemons and limes
- Lettuce
- Milk
- Pesto
- Ricotta cheese
- Whipped cream cheese
Freezer: All items wrapped in freezer paper or freezer bags
- All nuts — almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachio nuts . . .
- Appetizers — like Baked Gruyere Toasts
- Beef — steaks, ground, London Broil
- Bread — all types — sliced rye, sub rolls, crusty artisan loaves
- Chicken — boneless, skinless breasts, parts and whole
- Leftovers that are well wrapped!
- Pancetta slices — usually two
- Puff pastry
- Spices — peppercorns, poppy seeds, toasted sesame seeds, etc.