We all have them: those things in our pantry (or freezer) which, when they are running low, we immediately add to a list, physical or mental, to buy more. I’m not talking about standard items like onions or garlic, milk or butter, or the produce or meat you buy depending on what you are making that week. No, these are the ingredients, unique to each of us, that are part of our repertoire, and how we always know we can make a quick dinner, an impressive appetizer, or just plain good food. For me, the items I always have on hand are:
- extra virgin olive oil
- a block of parmigiano reggiano
- garlic – lots of it
- pasta
- frozen peas
- boxed tomatoes
- canned chipotles in adobo
- jasmine rice
- sriracha chili sauce
- dijon mustard
Now, your list may be – most likely is – different than mine. But with the above list, and one or two additional ingredients, I have at least a dozen delicious meals I can pull together really quickly. To be honest, the first four (or five) ingredients make a fantastic dish all by themselves. And I’ve found more uses for canned chipotles than you could even imagine.
What’s on your list?
noodlecork 
I never use Jasmine rice…great idea. I always have quinoa, brown rice and barley on hand.
I need to learn how to incorporate barley into my cooking – it’s one of those ingredients I have no experience with (yet, anyway), and so I never buy it.