The Basics in Your Kitchen
Ever look at your kitchen and wonder “where do I even start”?!
I have, and it took me many years to curate the perfect collection of items (ingredients and equipment) I always have in my kitchen so I always have a least something to work with. I have always cooked many different types of food, often for people with dietary restrictions, and these are the things that I have found are always handy to have no matter who I’m cooking for.
I’ll start with the most basic of pantry staples. These are ingredients that are currently and always stocked in my pantry and fridge, and I reach for them frequently in many recipes that I make. You’ll see them reappear time and time again in my recipes, and you’ll find them useful to have in your pantry for any other recipe you make too.
Pantry Staples
- Flour
- Cornstarch
- Beans (dried and canned…especially chickpeas!)
- Oats
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Cashews
- Rice (basmati or jasmine)*
- Pasta
- Potatoes
- Sugar
- Olive oil
- Vinegar (my absolute favorite is balsamic and rice and I use them in everything)
- Onions
- Soy Sauce
- Peanut Butter
And….ramen! No matter how much I love cooking sometimes I just really need something fast and simple. Shin ramen is the best and I always add veggies and/or tofu to it for a more filling lunch!
*I typically only use basmati or jasmine, and on the very very rare occasion brown rice or a short grain like calrose. I find that these rices have the best flavor; basmati has a great texture and is very buttery tasting to me, while jasmine has a pleasant texture and absorbs flavor very well. I typically don’t use any other type of rice.
Fridge Staples
- Milk (if you’re using a plant-based milk I have found that soy is the best to cook with)
- Bouillon, (namely Better than Bouillon, particularly the vegetable bouillon)
- Miso (can be found at Whole Foods or an Asian market)
- Tahini
And you know, one of those rotisserie chickens you can get from Walmart or Costco…so good and quick and easy for when you’re hungry or want to make a chicken broth or stock!
I’m now going to let you in on a secret that changed my life when I started to cook and many of my friends lives when I have taught them how to cook…that secret is the holy trinity of dried seasonings. Everyone who I’ve taught or gave pointers to on how to improve their cooking cheaply and in less than a minute has told me that this has improved the flavor of their food, and has given them confidence to start cooking and seasoning food without having to follow a recipe. These are the three seasonings you should start with, and I add them to basically everything I cook.
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Parsely
There it is. That is all you need to start making great food, in addition to adequate salt. This is how my mother used to season our food that we loved growing up, and it is what I started with 10 years ago when I first stepped into cooking this is what I started with to get comfortable cooking different things. It lets you taste what the item you’re cooking actually tastes like, but it elevates the taste and adds the perfect umami flavor that boosts the dish, simple yet very effective. Even when I use fresh garlic and onion in sauces or whatever else I’m cooking, I usually always add a little bit of each to add depth to the flavor. My favorite part of this tip is how cheap these are, I know currently (2024) you can get these from Walmart for $1.12.
Now while these are the seasonings that will make anything you cook taste good, there are a few others that I am also always reaching for when I am cooking. I have spent years curating my spice collection and am partially ashamed to admit that I am still trying to find space to fit and organize them all so some of them are not sitting in a box hidden in the depths only to be called upon when the special need arises! (Scary!) Even with that knowledge, these are the spices and herbs I have on standby every time I’m in the kitchen, and the best part is you can find all of these ones easily at almost any grocery store: turmeric, curry powder, paprika, smoked paprika, red chili flakes, oregano, thyme, and basil. These are the simple spices that I use most often to take a dish to the next level.
For kitchen equipment, there are a few items that I have on speed dial pretty much every time I cook. This is a basic list that I would recommend having in your kitchen, they do not need to be fancy, but I do recommend getting ones that seem fairly durable. Target sells some decent and cheap tools that I have used for years. These are tools that will get you through about any recipe, and even if you don’t have a tool a recipe calls for you can usually make do with these ones. I definitely have before.
Kitchen Tools
- Chef’s knife*
- Paring knife
- Serrated knife
- Large and small cutting board
- Baking sheets
- Large, medium, small mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Metal Spatula
- Rubber Mixing Spatula
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
- Tongs
- 13×9 baking pan
- Loaf pan
- Fine mesh strainer
*If there is one thing I would recommend spending money on, it would definitely be a chef’s knife. This is by far my favorite kitchen tool and it’s the one I use the most often. Get one that is sharp and sharpens easily and prepping will become so much easier for you!
Now on to tools that if you can do it, I would definitely get some of these if you find yourself cooking a lot; they aren’t necessarily crucial, but they do make prepping and cooking a lot easier if you have them.
- Prep bowls
- Hand mixer
- Immersion blender
- Ricer
- Kitchen scissors
- Ceramic knife (cuts extremely easily and is very sharp)
If you notice I don’t mention anything about pans, and that’s because I am still trying to figure out what pans I like the best. What I can recommend is having a saute pan, and sauce pan, a small pot, and a large pot for boiling pasta or soups. A dutch oven is fantastic. As soon as I figure out what I like the best, I’ll let you know!
That is all I have for kitchen basics. With these ingredients and tools you’ll find that you’re prepared for the basics in most recipes. Hopefully this helps you get a great base set up in your kitchen, and helps with confidence in following a recipe!