Saturday, January 3, 2009

The Master Staple List

I don't know about you, but when I was younger and more single, I didn't maintain a whole lot in my pantry. For a few years, I pretty much only had basic condiments and beer in my fridge. I don't like beer, but I'd had a party and it lived in my fridge for a while (ahem, a year or few). Anyhoo, once I had a child, and it wasn't as easy to live on Pirate's Booty and deli meats, I started to amass a basic arsenal of staples for cooking.

I've found that it's cheaper and better if I buy simple, high quality basics and mix them as I need them (olive oil and fresh meyer lemons vs. expensive lemon infused olive oil pressed between virgin thighs). Here is my list of must haves that I'll be using in my recipes. You probably have a lot of these in your kitchen already, but if you don't, here's what I recommend to get started:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - This is pretty much the only oil I use, so I buy a big bottle to get a better per unit price. It will run you between $8 and $12 depending on where you find it. Trader Joe's has a quart for about $8, Costco has 4(!) quarts for ~$22, Buy it at Safeway, Alberton's or Fred Meyer and your wallet will be dripping blood all over their shiny tile floors unless it's on sale. That's the other thing - if something I use all the time is on sale, I stock up. It really does save money.

Good Salt - Salt is one of those things that can be inexpensive, even for the good stuff. A box of flakey kosher salt is less than $3, Sea Salt slightly more. Forget Morton's, a little good salt goes a long way. Actually, I think I might be drooling right now just thinking about it.

Pepper - My husband likes plain black pepper, and I love that about him. I get the generic tin in the spice section because he goes through a lot. But, I've seen some more interesting options in the bulk spice section that you should try out if you are feeling adventurous. My mother likes to use freshly ground white pepper, which is also very good, but different - so taste it first.


Fresh Garlic
- It's maybe a dollar for a bulb and it lasts a good while on the shelf. Again, a little goes a long way. Definitely worth having around.

Fresh Lemons - I use the juice and the rind to give my food a little tang. In fact, I try to keep some kind of citrus (oranges, tangerines, limes) around for flavor and little hungry mouths. Sauces, stir-fries, all better with citrus. Whatever you do, don't buy the little plastic lemons with liquid inside. It's not lemon juice. I don't know what it is, but what they've done to the lemons inside is a crime against nature.

Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage - whether dried or fresh, I always have these in my kitchen.

Rice - You can get high quality rice for a relatively small increase in price. I recommend ditching the short/medium/long grain bags by the dried beans, and instead picking up some sticky Japanese Rice or fluffy Basmati or Jasmine rice in the ethnic section (aka the AWEsome aisle).

Bouillon - this is an item my guilty conscience struggles with. My mother has cooked my whole life with Mexico's Knorr Suiza chicken buillion cubes. There is a difference between these - found in the Latin foods section - and those by all the American soup mixes. Things that need broth don't taste right to me unless I use these cubes. There are plenty of other options out there for you, but you should have some kind of stock (veggie, chicken, beef, whatev) in the kitchen at all times. Lucky for you, the organic versions of these taste better and are barely more expensive than the conventional ones.

Good Vinegar - I keep Seasoned Rice Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, and cider vinegar on hand. I buy the mid-range stuff, not the best, but not the worst. Should you require more, the lovely and talented LeLo in Nopo has a great primer on infusing your own vinegar.

Onions - One yellow, one red. Yellow for cooking with heat, red for sandwiches, salads and salsa. I find it's hard to find organic onions where I live, but maybe you'll have better luck.

Tortillas - I'm a gluten-free Mexican girl, so my preferred mode of moving cheese, sauce, and salsa into the mouth is the humble, simple, corn tortilla. Sometimes I make my own, which is a real money saver and super delicious, but most of the time I buy a big package that keeps in the fridge for a few weeks. At three or four bucks, one package can fuel several quick meals.

Flour - A basic, all purpose flour is a must for thickening sauces, quick pancakes and waffles, muffins, etc. But alas, I haven't eaten wheat or gluten for the last two years. What I keep in my pantry instead is an array of starches and flours: sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, corn flour, brown rice flour, corn starch, potato starch, etc. When I post recipes using flour, I'll post both the gluten-y and gluten-free versions. Five pound bags of regular flour will run between $5 and $8. Starting from scratch, a gluten-free weapon bag will cost more like $20. Tip: Many bulk food sections carry flours, even the weird ones, at slightly lower prices than the packaged versions.

*Optional Items


Eggs - Cheap, delicious eggs are an easy protein for grown-ups and kids. Cage-free, organic eggs are widely available and you'll definitely be able to sport the extra dollar or two they cost with all the money you're saving from not buying boxed foods.

So what will it cost you to get yourself the Master Staple List? Here's a tally using average prices:

Olive Oil (1 Quart) $12
Delicious Salt (1 box) $3
Organic Pepper (1 smallish tin) $5
Organic Garlic (2 bulbs) $2
Organic Lemons (2) $2
Onions (2) $1.50
Broth (2 quarts) $4
Balsamic Vinegar $5
Apple Cider Vinegar $3
Seasoned Rice Vinegar $4
Organic All-Purpose Flour - $6
Tortillas - $3

Grand Total: $50 (Keep in mind that the big ticket items - Oil, Vinegar, Salt, Pepper - will last you for months. This initial investment in high quality is well worth it.

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