What to have in Your Pantry

This post is also available in: Italiano

To cook well in a balanced way it’s necessary to have good organization and accessibility to your ingredients. If you haven’t picked up this skill yet, let me suggest a few tips so you always have what you need in the house, allowing you to manage unexpected guests.

First, you need to dedicate at least 15 minutes to prepare a shopping list. The list needs to be written and brought with you to the supermarket. In making the list, you should take into account your tastes and those who live with you. If you want to prepare the menu during the week, so you should look in the fridge and in the kitchen cabinets to note the ingredients you might already have. Until you are able to mentally note these things yourself, it is very important to follow the written list.

In the supermarket you may be intrigued to buy new products, once you get home you should figure out how to use them right away so that you don’t end up throwing them out. If you happen to find deals on the type of meat or fish you usually purchase, make sure the product is fresh and purchase in quantity. Once you get home, place the meat or fish in plastic bags that have been sealed tightly. In each bag, remember to put the quantity that fits the size of your family. Arrange them in the freezer so that they are available for new recipes.

This process helps save money and reduce shopping time. The freezer can be used for all the fresh ingredients that are suitable for freezing. Over the next few weeks, we will talk about this a bit more.

Here are some ingredients that you should always have at home:

DRIED OR CANNED FOODS (LONG LIFE):

1 bag of all-purpose flour
1 bottle of extra virgin olive oil
1 bottle of oil for frying
1 bag of sugar
1 box of bread crumbs
1 box of course sea salt
1 box of fine sea salt
1 bag of rice for risotto
1 bag of semolina
2 boxes of pasta of your favorite type
2 jars of organic whole peeled tomatoes
1 jar of organic tomato sauce
1 jar of granulated vegetable broth (such as Rapunzel Pure Organic Vegetable Soup Broth) or a box of bouillon cubes
2 cans good tuna in olive oil
2 cans of beans (beans, chickpeas, lentils, according to taste)
2 jars of small green or black olives
1 carton or bottle of long life cooking cream (something you can use to thicken sauces and soups)
1 box of small toasts
1 package of tea biscuits
1 box of tea, coffee, chamomile or other herbal tea
peppercorns that can be ground at the moment and spices according to taste