Beta Blagging: Kitchen Essentials

I found myself cooking earlier and became mildly enraged at the lack of ingredients that I presumed would be in my kitchen. I blame the anger on the heat emitting from the stove but either way, once I’d cooked and eaten my dinner I decided to write a shopping list for tomorrow to replenish the larder.

Here’s the list, supplemented by the items that I find equally essential:

Bottles

Olive Oil - Can’t remember the last time I cooked and didn’t use some. Probably never.
Balsamic Vinegar - For salads and strawberries. Trust me on the latter.
Sherry Vinegar - Amazing stuff. Makes the mediocre instantly interesting.
Red Wine Vinegar - Only started using it a couple of years ago. I resign the previous years to amateurism.
Vermouth - Far more useful than white wine in my opinion.
Soy Sauce - The Asian sensation. Soy + Tuna = Always good.
Tabasco - Spicy wonderfulness. It’s about flavour people.

Herbs/Spices

Sea Salt - What will kill me. Totally worth it.
Pepper - It won’t kill me. But I’d let it.
Paprika - Spanish for ‘yes please.’ Also a part of my not so secret olive marinade recipe.
Fresh Basil/Parsley/Rosemary/Thyme/Oregano - More important than most people think. Dried substitutes tend to lack flavour and any fresh herb can enliven fresh fish and seafood more than any other ingredient.

Fruit/Vegetables

Limes - Ok, so I’m more common to seeing them accompanying Rum, Gin, Tequila…but they offer a more subtle and often more appropriate citrus alternative to lemon.
Lemons - Can you imagine a world without it?
Tomatoes - For everything.
Red Pepper - For everything part II.
Melon - More of a luxury, but, when in season, irresistible
Broccoli - Underrated.
Garlic - I am Italian…
Celery - Not just for the health conscious. Peppery, crunchy and energising. Really.
Red Onion - A Mediterranean staple.
Avocado - Full of good fats, potassium and fibre. More importantly, full of options.
Aubergine - Cook the hell out of it. Then cook it some more.
Cucumber - Preferably Mediterranean or Persian as they pack that much more punch.
Potatoes - A thousand ways to cook them and they all taste good.

Preserved

Tinned Anchovies - Far more than a pizza topping.
Dried Chilli - Spice is not always to be over subscribed to but most chillies aren’t all that hot.
Canned Tomatoes - For sauces.
Capers - More…more…a little more…more…
Chicken Stock - I’ve made my own stock a few times but hey, I’m a very part-time blogger now so who’s got the time?
Dijon Mustard - It stings the nostrils…

Meat/Fish

Bacon - Just the fat alone is a necessity. Pretty good for bacon sarnies too.
Parma Ham/Iberico Ham - Don’t wrap stuff in it. Just eat it.
Tuna Steaks - Any fresh fish is great but in the absence of a local monger or market, tuna keeps well and is very versatile.
Ribeye Steak - Having been a vegetarian for my formative years, I find myself still getting excited by steak pretty much daily. Ribeyes offer an excellent balance between flavour, fat and price.

Dairy

Feta - Simon, Jason…this is for you. And so much more.
Creme Fraiche/Greek Yoghurt - Making your own tzatziki or salad dressing begins here. Also a fantastic replacement for milk in scrambled eggs (more to come on that).
Mozzarella - I could add parenthesis to the end of each statement stating…(quality of ingredient is key)…applies here as much as anywhere.
Butter - Fat is good. Not too much but don’t be afraid of it.
Milk - Add cereal and eat morning, noon and night.

Grains

Arborio Rice - For Risotto’s, king of dishes.
Pasta - Came home one day when there wasn’t any. It was hard to even type that.
Fresh Bread - Sandwiches aren’t snacks, they’re a way of life.
Ramen Noodles - Quick, easy and delicious.

Other

Hummus/Pesto - Neither are difficult to make but both sit in tubs in my fridge.
Eggs - Scrambled would be my preference if you’re thinking of making breakfast.
Brown Sugar - I prefer savoury to sweet but many sauces need sugar for balance.
Pine Nuts - Always berated my mother for putting them in everything but it seems to have rubbed off. She’ll be glad something did.