pantry basics

A lot of you have expressed interest in the contents of this little pantry, so here you go...
And just in case you have nothing better to do, I have talked about it in the past here, and you can see right here what it used to look like.  Oh and why not throw in a look at my kitchen drawers? Riveting stuff.


Top Shelf -  I keep a variety of vinegars in the house.  Balsamic, red wine, rice wine, apple cider and plain white.  I usually have a plain salad oil like sunflower and always extra virgin olive oil.

The canned foods I keep are usually 2 or 3 cans of diced tomatoes, a couple of cans of beans, coconut milk, tomato soup.  I look at canned foods as my lazy night alternatives to scratch cooking.

I always, always have jarred jalepenos, they add so much flavor and heat to everything.  Plus agave, Braggs liquid aminos and liquid smoke, which I use in place of anything that needs a smoky flavor to it.  Also nutritional yeast, but I keep that in the refrigerator.

I also like to keep a box of Knorr vegetable broth cubes around.  They are a great stand-in for fresh.  Not as healthy but in a pinch they do the trick.  Every kitchen I ever worked in used knorr instant bouillon.

2nd Shelf.  I always have a variety of dried beans and lentils and also white and brown rice on hand.

3rd Shelf.  I keep my flours and sugars in those sealed tubs.

On the back shelf you can see a tub that I can seal shut that keeps the nuts fresh.  I always have walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds on hand.

Next to the Le Creuset dutch oven you can see another little tub that holds my baking things.  It has the vanilla extract, baking spices, baking soda, baking powder and yeast in it.  I like keeping these corralled into one little box that I can easily grab.

Opposite side of pantry above toaster and coffee pot.  This is what I call our breakfast station.  Our coffee, teas and oatmeal are kept here.  Also pastas, quinoa, etc.

I also always have potatoes, onions, celery and carrots in the house.  They, along with the rest of what you see are the backbone of my kitchen.  With a few fresh ingredients there is hardly anything I can't make from scratch.

So what are your pantry basics?  Am I missing something you think I should have?  Fill me in.