Stock Your Wingredients Pantry

There are a lot of resources out there for how to stock your pantry. As an ingredient nerd, I love to see what the chefs I admire have on their lists of essentials. Geoffrey Zakarian has lima beans and pine nuts* on his! Fascinating!

What follows here is my humble list of staples that make up my pantry and inform the way I cook. If you use this list as a jumping off point, you’ll be well set-up to make the dishes you see in my videos and on the blog. However…your individual pantry should be as unique and personal as your individual taste. So take my choices with a grain of (kosher) salt.

This is what is called a Foundation Pantry; items to keep on hand at all times, which theoretically should form the foundations of your meals. Everything else (most produce, meat, and bread) I buy based on what’s in season and what’s available and what looks good, and that’s how I plan my own menus, as well as what to feature on Wingredients.

I stock my pantry according to the three Wingredients Principles, but there’s another factor that gets equal consideration, and that’s convenience. I rely on my pantry to be there for me when I don’t have time to go to the grocery store, and that’s why you’ll see things like canned beans instead of dried (If I don’t have time to go the store, I definitely don’t have time to soak beans), and white rice instead of brown. I can hear your gasps from here! Relax. I love brown rice. It’s healthier, it has a richer, earthier flavor, and it deserves a place on the menu. But white rice wins the coveted pantry spot because it cooks faster, so I end up using it more often.

I believe there is an ideal ingredient for every situation; but let’s be real. There is always a less than ideal one that will still work. That’s why I make sure to include the SUB LIST on all of my recipes. For example: I have both limes and lemons on my list, because the difference in flavor, while subtle, is sometimes the difference between a pretty good bite and a perfect bite. But hey, pretty good is still pretty impressive. All of this to say: if your recipe calls for a lime, and you only have a lemon, make it anyway. Even if you have neither, an extra splash of vinegar will probably suffice.

*TBH…if it was in my budget to have pine nuts in my Foundation Pantry, I probably would.

Basics:

• Flour
• White Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Kosher Salt
• Course Sea Salt*
• Black Pepper
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Vegetable Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• White Wine Vinegar

*Note: I keep two sugars and I keep two salts, but I encourage you to remember my story about the lemon and the lime. Unless you’re baking, you can pretty much substitute one sugar for the other, or honey, or your sweetener of choice.

Spices:

• Chili Powder
• Cinnamon
• Cumin
• Curry Powder
• Garam Masala
• Garlic Powder
• Oregano
• Paprika
• Turmeric

Frozen Vegetables:

• Peas
• Brocoli
• Corn

Produce:

• Garlic
• Yellow Onions
• Scallions
• Lemon
• Lime
• Potatoes

Herb Garden:*

• Basil
• Chives
• Parsley
• Thyme

*Yes, I grow my own! I am far from an expert gardener, but I use these so often, it was important to me that I learn to grow them, and I get great deal of joy from it.

Grains:

• Pasta (one short, one long)
• Rice (For me, it’s long grain white)
• Breadcrumbs (store bought panko or homemade from stale bread)
• Oatmeal (Quick-cooking steel cut oats are my choice)
• Granola

Dry Goods:

• Variety of canned beans (black, kidney, white, garbanzo)
• Crushed tomatoes
• Diced tomatoes with green chiles
• Tuna (solid, packed in water)
• Peanut Butter
• Almond Butter
• Chipotle Peppers in Adobo

Condiments:

• Dijon Mustard
• Ketchup
• Mayonnaise
• Honey
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Hot Sauce
• Soy Sauce
• Toasted Sesame Oil
• Barbecue Sauce

Dairy:

• Eggs
• Butter (I prefer salted, Irish-style butter)
• Sour Cream
• Parmesan Cheese (block)
• Cheddar Cheese (block)
• Mozzarella (shredded)