Before We Begin

What does a house (and a cook) need so you can easily prepare a home-cooked meal?

There are a number of basic ingredients that I try to have in stock.  You need these and if you have them, you can always find a way to feed yourself well.  They are:

  • A big box of Kosher salt.  I use Diamond Crystal.  The coarse, kosher salt makes food taste better than ordinary table salt.
  • Whole peppercorns and a pepper mill
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Red wine vinegar
  • A couple heads of fresh garlic
  • Hellman’s mayonnaise
  • A bag of yellow onions
  • Idaho potatoes
  • Hunk of parmesan cheese
  • Frozen sticks of butter, unsalted
  • Frozen vegetables – chopped spinach, baby peas, sweet corn
  • Good quality dried pasta
  • Crushed Italian San Marzano tomatoes
  • Tuna – Italian packed in oil and white tuna packed in water (Kirkland brand from Costco is wonderful)
  • Canned Goya chickpeas
  • Flour
  • Sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Honey
  • Eggs
  • Chocolate chips
  • Dried fruit: apricots, cherries, raisins
  • Packets of plain instant oatmeal
  • Old bread or good quality bread crumbs
  • Chicken parts in the freezer
  • Ground turkey, beef or chicken in the freezer
  • Several quarts of chicken stock in the freezer
  • Bags of dried beans: lentils and split peas
  • Dijon mustard 
  • Dried spices: paprika, cumin, saffron, cinnamon and oregano

I know it looks like a long list, but it is only about 30 items, most of which are dried or canned.  These are the staples you will invariably reach for when throwing together a meal and it just makes life easier if you don’t need to run out and reinvent the wheel each time you cook. 

In putting this list together I have controlled myself.  I could add yellow and feta cheese, fresh green and black olives, tins of anchovies and herbs.  I could add containers of pesto in the freezer.  Yogurt in the fridge.  Carrots and celery in the crisper.  Apples and oranges and lemons, too. 

Just think about all of the dishes you could make, just from the above staples:

  • Pasta with garlic and olive oil
  • Dijon vinaigrette
  • Lentil soup
  • Tuna salad
  • Stewed chicken with onions, tomatoes and green olives
  • Potato and parmesan frittata
  • Sauteed chickpeas

And then, of course, you will need the basic kitchen utensils:

  • A variety of quality knives  
  • Small and large colanders  
  • Big and small frying pans (All Clad or other high quality)
  • A 1-quart pot and an 8-quart pot  
  • Large mixing bowls and small dishes to hold ingredients before you begin preparing your meal 
  • A good cutting board that won’t dull your knives (I use ones that are dishwasher safe)
  • Measuring cups  
  • Measuring spoons  
  • Roasting pans/baking dishes 
  • Wooden spoons 
  • A spoon rest 
  • A Cuisinart  
  • Immersion blender 
  • A meat thermometer
  • Mortar and pestle to crush the garlic
  • Parchment paper
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Metal tongs to turn your food
  • Rubber spatula
  • Cast iron grill pan to quickly sear steaks and chicken cutlets
  • Rimmed metal baking sheets – I swear I could prepare an entire meal on a couple of flat metal baking pans.  Cover them with aluminum foil and then a layer of parchment and roast away…chicken parts; all manner of vegetables; sweet, small cherry tomatoes.  And when finished roasting, clean-up is nothing more than crumpling up the aluminum foil and parchment and tossing them in the trash.  Clean tray.  Delicious meal.  No clean up.

Now, you have the ingredients and the utensils.  You understand the benefits of preparing food yourself.  But it is not time for the recipes.  Not yet.  I have a couple of more things to convey, before the recipes begin.

Next: Things to Keep in Mind →