The Basic Kitchen

You have your dishes, now you need something to cook with. The problem with giving out a definite list is that everyone cooks differently and for different reasons. For example, I have no food allergies and the only thing I hate to eat are boiled turnips; my list is obviously going to be different from a strict vegetarian with lactose intolerance and a allergy to glutens. Then there are cultural differences; I prefer beef and chicken as my protein source; others may prefer fish or lamb. So, what I’m going to do is make this as generic as possible to make it easier on anyone reading this.

One other caveat: I’m stocking this kitchen for the average bachelor. This means that you may be able to use this as a checklist, comparing it to what’s in your kitchen. I seriously advise that you have a discount food club cards, such as from Costco or Sam’s Club, and a card for every grocery store in the area. When you are grabbing the bulk items, use the club card, and for everything else use the grocery. This should keep things cheaper for you, while at the same time allowing you some variety.  Also, this assumes that you are buying for yourself; if there are more people, increase as needed.

Stuff you should always have on hand, and shouldn’t need to stock that often:

Basic seasonings (salt, pepper, brown sugar, granulated sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, chicken bouillon, beef bouillon, chicken or steak seasoning, garlic bread seasoning, rosemary, bay leaf, cumin, any other seasoning that you like)

Flour

Corn Starch

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Butter or margarine

Stuff you should always have on hand, and probably will need to stock often:

Rice

Ramen

Box meals (Hamburger Helper, Macaroni and Cheese)

Pasta (at least two different types, such as spaghetti and egg noodles)

Spaghetti sauce, cans or jars

Pancake mix

Onions

Potatoes

Canned chili

Canned beans

Fresh vegetables (carrots, celery, tomatoes, lettuce)

Canned vegetable

Frozen Vegetable

Condiments (ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, wasabi, horseradish)

Stuff you will always need to stock:

Meat

Cheese

Milk

Bread (bagels, loaf bread, sourdough rolls, tortillas)

Jelly

Peanut butter

Again: Feel free make to changes as needed. But this list should get you through a lot, and allow you a lot of fun. This is also by no means a complete list; add to it as you see fit. Keep in mind that a number of comfort foods are not on the list, and that some people have foods that they like having in the pantry even if they know that they will never use it. Just have fun, and make sure that it’s something you like.