Things to have in your kitchen stores

It helps to have a few things in your cupboard and kitchen to make cooking a bit easier and tastier and for when you need to improvise. Below are some of the basic things that will be useful for many different recipes, and great backstops if you don't have time to plan and shop ahead of preparing a meal.

---

Seasoning and cooking basics

• Salt & pepper (grinders are best, use sea salt)

• Pot of dried herbes de provence (useful for many dishes)

• Dried garlic powder

• Dried cinnamon

• Extra-virgin olive oil: some for cooking (less expensive), some for dressings (more expensive)

• Basil oil

• Sunflower oil (for baking usually)

• Chicken stock cubes

• Soy sauce

• Green tabasco sauce

• Small bottle of Thai fish sauce

• Massaman curry paste

• Kaffir lime leaves (dried)

Rice, beans, pasta, breakfast and baking basics (do not need refrigeration)

• Rice: wild rice and basmati (for Asian dishes)

• Rice noodles (for pho, stir-fried noodles etc.)

• Dried black beans

• Cans of red kidney beans (for salads, chili con carne)

• Cans of chickpeas (for salads, hummus)

• Dried pasta (regular, wholemeal)

• Jars of tomato mix (sugo) – ones with basil are very useful – they MUST be refrigerated after opening if you don’t use it all

• Jars/cans/boxes of tomato sauce/crushed tomatoes, generally with no herbs added

• Concentrated tomato paste (refrigerate after opening)

• Croutons (you can also make these by grilling/toasting bread and rubbing with olive oil and garlic)

• Rolled oats (for porridge, flapjacks etc.)

• Cereal

• Dried fruit (dates, sultanas, raisins, cranberries etc.)

• All-purpose flour (usually white)

• Wholemeal flour (brown)

• Cornflour (for batters, to thicken sauces)

• Fine brown sugar

• Baking powder

• Bicarbonate of soda

• Thai coconut milk

Fresh ingredients that do not need refrigeration

• Garlic bulbs

• Onions

• Potatoes

• Fruit

• Tomatoes (have better flavour if not refrigerated)

• Ginger root

• Bread

Fresh ingredients that do need refrigeration

• Milk

• Eggs

• Bacon (slices and diced)

• Celery

• Carrots (ok if not in fridge for a few days)

• Cheeses (cheddar, parmesan, feta, etc.)

• Butter (for cooking)

• Basil

• Parsley

• Coriander

• Minced garlic

• Minced ginger

• Lemongrass

• Any jars you have opened and not finished – sauces, tomato sauce, jam etc.

Kitchen equipment

• Baking tray (flat one to go in the oven, generally metal)

• Baking dish (normally 4 or 5 cm high, porcelain, one 20 x 30 cm is good for lots of things)

• Saucepans

• Frying pan

• Sharp kitchen knives – and a sharpener to keep them that way

• Chopping boards – may be wood or plastic mats are also good (some come colour-coded for different types of ingredients)

• Kitchen towels

• Oven gloves

• Zip loc plastic bags

• Tupperware pots

• Clingfilm

• Kitchen towel/drying up towel

• Handheld liquidizer

• Wooden spoons

• Cooking slice (flat with slots in it to pick food up/turn it over)

• Ladle

• Cheese grater

• Measuring jug/measure for dry ingredients

• Tea spoons

• Table spoons

• Mugs