5 Things in My Kitchen I’d Never Be Caught Without
What ingredients do you always have in your kitchen? I love asking friends this question — it gives a fun peek into someone’s daily life. Cookbook author Dan Pelosi once gave us this list: olive oil, rigatoni, Castelvetrano olives, lemons, anchovies. (Just reading it made me wonder how I could get myself invited for dinner.) Poet Kate Baer’s list includes tortilla chips, feta, roadside fruit, frozen peas, “and sourdough bread from my sister in law,” which is somehow the most delightfully Kate-Baer answer ever. So, this year, I thought I’d share my own five must-have items in my kitchen…
White wine vinegar
There are typically 6-200 kinds of vinegar floating around my cupboard, but one I ALWAYS have is white wine vinegar. I don’t know how balsamic and red-wine vinegar became the staples, when this one is even more useable. Not only is it an excellent base flavor for vinaigrette or chicken salad dressing, but it subs in well with recipes that call for white wine (which I don’t always have). Smitten Kitchen’s dijon chicken, for example? It’s one of my all-time favorite meals. Don’t tell Deb, but I swap the 3/4 cup of wine for 1/3 cup vinegar, and I think it’s even tastier.
Frozen edamame
Specifically, in-shell edamame. The shelled kind can get mealy and bland after a few months in the freezer. In-shell edamame, though, seems to endure forever and comes out of the steamer bright and plump and tender. Edamame is the hero ingredient that saves me from all sorts dinner predicaments: when the broccoli I’d planned to make has gone yellow; when I’m scrounging for an after-school snack; when I need lunch but don’t have time to make one. Edamame, to the rescue!
Kerrygold butter
I know there are fancier butters out there, and every now and again, I’ll get one, just for fun. We’ll all enjoy it! I’ll think to myself. I’ll then spend the next week guarding it like a wolf, making sure no one finishes my Very Fancy Special Butter with the Flaky Salt Bits. Yup, a blast for everyone, right? The thing is, Kerrygold is not just good, but consistently good (and pretty consistently priced). It’s rich and creamy, and the saltiness is just right.
Passata tomato purée
When husband started adding this to the grocery cart a few years ago, I was stumped. Why not just get the same canned tomatoes we always get? It looked the same, except it came in a tall, glass bottle. But, I quickly learned, it’s better. Passata is strained uncooked tomato purée, and the flavor is both richer and smoother than canned cooked tomato puree. You can use it as a sauce on its own, with very little doctoring, and when I started swapping it into my usual tomato-based recipes, WOW, I could tell the difference. Somehow, the price is better, too? (The Wegman store brand is $3.49 for a 24-ounce bottle!) And, unlike canned tomato, I can open a bottle, use a cup, and put it right back in the fridge without decanting it into another container. Win, win.
Dutch-process cocoa
When I was growing up, my mom worked as a chef and a caterer, and we always had boxes of “Dutched” cocoa around. Now, as an adult, I use it for virtually every recipe that calls for cocoa powder: hot fudge, cake, brownies, hot chocolate. The flavor is chocolate dialed up to eleven: rich, intense, unadulterated chocolatiness. I used to keep both Dutch and regular cocoa around, but at some point I realized I’d stopped using the latter and gone all-Dutch. Cocoa preference is a matter of taste (and in some cases, the chemistry of the recipe), but in my house, if we’re making chocolate cake, we’re making CHOCOLATE cake.
Eeek! That felt weirdly vulnerable to share! Now, if you’re so inclined, please tell me — what are the things in your kitchen that you’d never be caught without?
P.S. A kitchen gadget that upgrades everything, and the secret to a great dinner with friends. (Plus, holy cow, Joanna first asked this question 10 years ago!)
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115 commentsThe darkest pumpernickel bread, lemons, smoked salmon, HIT cookies, eggs.
This seems like an innocent question, but it is actually very intimate and revealing! I will not count my Nespresso, which gives me literal life. For me: – steel cut oats – butter spread (with olive oil) – frozen berries – dried spaghetti – half and half – honey – baby spinach For my toddler: – bananas – mini pancakes (belgian bros) – whole milk For my husband: – shelf of hot sauces
Anchovies Capers Spaghetti Tinned tomatoes Grana padano aka the makings of puttanesca – life always seems slightly more manageable when you know there’s a bowl of puttanesca inside your pantry
ohhh I love seeing what everyone has – so inspiring! Mine are: sourdough bread, balsamic vinegar, lemons, avocados, cold can of coca cola. Avocado toast and a cold coke are my go-to if I’m in a pinch for a meal. Drizzled with Balsamic vinegar gives it the best punch of flavor!
Milk, coffee, eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, rye bread.
Coffee, nut pods original, lemons, olive oil, and lately Boursin and simple mills almond crackers. Can’t quit them.
I feel like a kitchen-variety Nancy Drew peeping in on all these! Love it! 1. Coffee and sparkling water, grocery-store brand. Shoutout to Kroger, who bests La Croix in sparkliness. I said what I said! 2. Balsamic vinegar 3. Washed greens of some variety 4. Cottage cheese 5. Almond butter 6. Yes, I’m giving myself a 6th – canned beans and tuna! If nothing else, with the above things I can eat for a day and not be too cranky that I didn’t make it to the store!
– Feta – Lemons – Garlic – Olive oil – Greek yogurt I am greek – can you tell? I can pretty much swear that 95% of all greek households will have the same essential 5 things.
Gigante beans, butter, garlic, coffee (medium or light-medium blend, low acidity cold brew from my kitchen to be specific), Silk organic unflavored soy milk. Not counting decent kosher salt, and street corn tortillas, which we assume will be a given.
Whenever I need to restock my kitchen, I always start by asking if I have what I need for tea and toast. Coffee, tea, bread, butter, and preserves.
Amen….the best go-to for breakfast, lunch or dinner
I love this prompt! Although I feel a little self-conscious because mine is very basic white American (do you all really always have anchovies on hand??): 1. Eggs 2. Bread or English Muffins (interchangeable) 3. Bacon 4. Sharp Cheddar 5. Apples Bonus – cold cans of Diet Coke
I think about Ali Slagle’s 40 ingredients forever (as in you can only have 40 ingredients to work with for the rest of your life) ALL THE TIME. 5 is so hard, but at the same time, this is lower stakes than I’m giving it credit for lol. Mine is: lemons, parmesan, yogurt, chickpeas, and calabrian chiles.
1) painterland sisters plain yogurt 2) olive oil 3) lemons 4) garlic 5) beans
There are definitely more than 5, but here are the highlights: 1. Hard cheese 2. Salad greens 3. Can of black beans 4. Better Than Bouillon (this opened up some many recipes we previously glossed over) 5. Dark chocolate
Love this prompt! For me, it’s gotta be: 1) Diet Coke (yes this is first, no shame) 2) Plain kefir, preferably from Trader Joe’s 3) Momofuku air dried noodles 4) Core Power protein shakes 5) Sparkling water
Olive oil sardines or anchovies (anchovy paste if nothing else) chickpeas scallions eggs (one box of Kraft mac and cheese hidden behind the extra flour just for me when I am having a day)
I’m moving in !
This is fun to read! Olive oil, stoneyfield whole org greek yogurt, dark chocolate, coffee, tajin
Fridge 1. Salad ingredients (lettuces, peppers, carrots, English cucumber, red onion, TJ’s Unexpected Cheddar) 2. Half and half 3. Fruit (whatever is in season) 4. Eggs 5. Salted butter Pantry 1. Coffee beans, ordered by the pound from Sweetwater 2. Canned chickpeas (regular and the TJ’s/Aldi marinated kind) 3. Multiple pasta shapes 4. Nuts/peanut butters 5. Plain Triscuits
Is anyone else just overwhelmed with the price of food these days? I mean, I make a good salary and we’re fine but it’s the biggest part of paycheck every month. Cannot imagine what those under the median income are doing
Yes. 😂
It’s insane, but I almost never go out to eat or get take out and I don’t drink alcohol. Of all the things to spend money on, food you like has to be one of the best, right.
Food is insane. I don’t know how some people are doing it. Our biggest expenses are our teenagers- car insurance, sports, college, medical needs. It alllll goes to them.
Absolutely. We are back to shopping/cooking like students and eating out of our pantry a lot more.
I used to buy myself nice clothes or jewellery a few times a year. Now, my extra cash is for good cheese, good olive oil and good wine. Priorities !
Love these type of posts! So fun to read all the must haves! My list: Chobani vanilla yogurt Peace Coffee – French Roast (it’s divine!!) Half and Half Sparkling Water Chocolate chips ( & they are mostly eaten without baking anything lol)
bonus item: Trader Joes Balsamic Vinaigrette!! It works for amping up the flavor on so many things, salad, pastas, chicken, potatoes event! It packs a -punch :)
There’s something sinful and at once cozy about snacking on chocolate chips straight outta the bag, as an adult. (Especially if you’re a baker, it’s total power move!)
Fruit, cheese, potato chips, wine, pasta.
How could I forget coffee and peanut butter??
1. Sourdough bread – I’ve been baking my family’s bread for almost ten years now (yes, that’s pre-pandemic). The problem is that it’s so much better that we can’t go back to industrial bread. I’ve found a way to weave it into our lives. 2. A hunk of parmesan. And when I say hunk I mean hunk. We order a 2 pound piece directly from Italy every few months (we live in Switzerland so it just has to cross the Alps). 3. Coffee. I have one cup every morning. My husband makes sure my supplies never run out. It’s in his best interest. 4. Milk. For morning hot chocolates. For the toddler. For cereal. It’s the only thing that I go to the grocery store for when we are running low. 5. This is difficult. Butter or olive oil or greek yogurt or bananas. All essential.
Is it just me or do you find it impossible to list just 5!? I have way too many staples and we eat most meals at home so I always keep a very stocked fridge, freezer, and pantry. For summer the items we’ve been running out of the quickest: 1. Popsicles or ice cream 2. Cereal 3. Yogurt 4. Fruit 5. Flavored seltzer
1. Fresh fruit (changes seasonally–right now it’s berries and nectarines!) 2. Fage 2% Greek yogurt 3. Eggs 4. Peanut butter or almond butter (for the almond butter, must be from TJ’s) 5. Sparkling water + limes (SodaStream for life!) Bonus item: GF cereal (like Nature’s Path Sunrise Crunchy Maple) or homemade granola (using Cookie + Kate’s recipe–soooo easy and good!)
Cookie and Kate has some great recipes! Ive made her sweet potato black bean soup so many times!!
Iv’e always bought Kerry Gold butter (with exception of some wonderful European butters I randomly find at Grocery Outlet) and I stopped buying it. I saw a post on Instagram from an Irish gentleman who says their formula has changed ( he’s been a faithful user for years). There were also comments from a lot of other customers who said the same. That the color, texture and taste of the butter has changed drastically. What really hit me was “There aren’t that many grass-fed cows in Ireland”. You can find Kerry Gold in every major super market, Costco and Trader Joe’s to name a couple. Make sense. Maybe there are some real batches out there mixed in with the mass market stuff?
I never had Kerry Gold. But after hearing about it for years we bought some. I love butter. I expected it to be life changing ha. But I was not impressed at all. My husband said the same thing. The little bit of difference in it that I could discern I did not like. I was really surprised. Maybe this is why.
Vermont Creamery cultured butter is SO good! Give it a try!
There’s no formula or ingredient change but it changes throughout the year due to the change in the cows diet and the varying fat percentage in the milk/ cream between different seasons
Had no idea about passata! Thank you!
fun post! here are some of mine: homemade salsa, dijon mustard, lemons, limes, Fevertree Elderflower tonic, Asssam tea. And I will see your white wine vinegar and raise you a white balsamic.
This is such a fun prompt! I hate going to the grocery store (we’re so, so lucky to be able to shop online and just pick up once a week) but I will force myself to go if we run out of any of these… 1. Bagel seasoning – It has saved me so many times when I’m looking to add a quick sauteed veg to our dinner spread. Broccoli/zucchini/butternut squash with bagel seasoning and a splash of tahini and lemon – heaven! 2. Tamari – It’s so versatile and, like the bagel seasoning, can liven up veggies or add depth to soups 3. Peanut butter – As many others have said – kids! But also, a peanut butter spoon with a couple chocolate chips on top is an unrivaled afternoon snack. 4. HEB tortillas – Fellow Texans will understand. 5. Hemp hearts – Packed with nutrients and protein and the perfect crunchy addition to a salad, veg, or even breaded crust for salmon or chicken
Here here to PB & CC!
We moved from Texas to Minnesota four years ago and while the culture of MN is overall a better fit for our family, I REALLY miss HEB. Whenever we visit family in TX we bring home 10 packs of tortillas for the freezer, and I ship salsa from TX to MN. There are so many HEB branded items I can’t find any substitute for here!
Tortilla: plain, butter, or other? Moved to Philadelphia from Houston. Besides friends, no exaggeration, I miss HEB the most.
Good to know about Passata tomato puree and agree about dutch processed cocoa! My list: Eggs Avocadoes Parmesan cheese Tortillas Kimchi or chili crisp
1. Go Macro bars (I know it’s not an ingredient but so good for a substantial snack when I’m ready-for-a-meal hungry but I’m not eating a meal yet for yada yada reason.) 2. Feta 3. Trader Joe’s rolled tortilla chips, the ranch ones. To die for. 4. Rotisserie chicken 5. Any seasonal fruit or veg *immediately heads to the grocery store.*
Canned Sliced Mushrooms. I buy multiple cases at SAMs club every trip
Say more. I’ve always thought canned mushrooms are the worst kind of mushroom. So slimy. I must just need some inspiration!
haha i used to eat plain cans of mushroom as a snack when i was a kid :) i do still love mushrooms in all forms but havent done that in a while!
Mine list is: 1. Scallions – add greenery/freshness to just about anything (savory :) 2. PLAIN Greek yogurt – can be savory or sweet, a topping, breakfast, dip, for baking…. 3. Smoked paprika – so much flavor without the spice (see: toddler) 4. Giant block of Cabot sharp cheddar – discussed here before for its endless versatility. 5. Cherry tomatoes – Flavorful even out of season, pop of color for salads, add to pasta, roast, toddler accepted dinner accompaniment
I’m gonna give a list by storage option. 1. Freezer: Costco frozen broccoli in the bags, 4 per pack, can cook in microwave. It’s such good broccoli!! Zero waste. Costco frozen mango chunks. Costco whole grain English muffins Home made peanut butter cookie dough 2. Fridge Giant Adam’s must stir peanut butter Oatmilk vanilla creamer 3. Pantry Peanut M & Ms (husband) Goldfish crackers (toddlers) 4. Counter BANANAS!!!!!!
I love this game! 1. coffee – Moja beans from Vancouver, they are to die for! 2. almond milk – for said coffee 3. kombutcha – whatever brand is on sale, $$$ 4. berries – kids 5. peanut butter – kids If I didn’t have kids, #4 would be eggs and #5 would be candied sockeye salmon. Perimenopause asks for all the protein!
Ooo what do you do with the candied sockeye? Eat it plain? On a bagel w cream cheese? Do tell!
Wonderful to read everyone’s varied lists! Such a fun and beautiful peek into diverse tastes and cooking experiences. For myself I can’t imagine my kitchen not stocked with a basic Indian spice cabinet, which means a minimum of 25-30 (maybe 50?) different powders, blends, flavorings & whole spices. Add to this a shelf-stable pantry of 10-15 different dried lentils and beans, 2-3 types of rice, and a couple of flours. This being in place, I can think about my top 5 perishable staples! Organic tomatoes … they are the most versatile ingredient ever, curry leaves and fresh ginger root for dal and many other things, good sourdough bread & Kerrygold salted butter. Used in conjunction with my pantry, the possibilities are endless.
Juhi, your pantry sounds like a wonderful dream. I would love to hear your beans and dal choices. Since you mentioned tomatoes and spices, are you a fan of powdered tomato? It’s been an invaluable shelf-stable addition to my pantry.
I have a toddler, so: 1. Berries 2. Berries 3. Has she tried this fruit before? Ugh, please don’t be allergic. Did we check her for enough allergies? Did we miss the allergy-checking window? Is there a window? If toddlers aren’t going to come with instructions, they should at least come with checklists. 4. Ripe but not too ripe bananas 5. Berries
Lol to this. My husband once said “They tell you kids are expensive, but you assume it’s because of daycare or something like that. They don’t tell you that it’s because of the berries.”
I am definitely reading through all of these comments and making a new list for the grocery store!!! Here is my list… Dunkin Donuts Coffee Garlic and Onions of any kind! Arugula Peanut Butter, for my hubby Lemons Partanna Olive Oil, oops this makes 6, but!!!! but also ;) gluten free Goodles, Fishwife Spicy Tuna yum!!!, plain greek yogurt, frozen peas, dark chocolate Ghiradelli chips, and coffee ice cream!
Oh, and Goya Chickpeas!!! We cannot make it without them lol!
I love reading these comments! Like others, my husband and I have slightly different preferences, but I think we’ve found a balance of five must-haves (usually it’s what we bring camping, too!) Eggs Lentils Leafy green Butter Soy sauce Bonus fun items: chocolate, popcorn, herbal tea and nice coffee
OMG my list is so long. But for sure, tomato paste & crushed tomatoes, beans of all kinds, pepper that I grind myself, boxes of chicken stock, and a variety of olive oils and vinegars. Oh, and dijon mustard for making vinaigrette! When I want really fancy butter, I make it myself. It is SO easy and doesn’t take very long and it’s so much better than anything I can get at most stores. It’s also much more affordable than the really fancy stuff.
Okay please tell us how to make our own butter!
Hmm want to reply to someone else’s reply but seemingly not possible… but your own butter is so easy to make and delicious! Literally shake up(/ churn/ mix in a cake mixer) high fat content cream until it fully separates then drain off the buttermilk and wash the solids in water (helps it keep longer) and add salt etc as desired. You can even buy a handy little shaker gadget from Williams Sonoma (but you can just use a jar, the shaker just makes it quicker) and I’ve even gifted one and some cream to a friend at dinner and at the table they made us fresh butter which we devoured
Great question – loving reading the comments. Hard to pick just 5. Good single origin coffee beans Oatly unsweetened as a creamer for said coffee Bananas Nut/butters (multiple only counts as one, right?! PB, almond, sunflower, tahini) Oatmeal
My husband and I have very different preferences, but always these: Tinned Oysters Mutti’s passata (I just love the brand, I don’t know why) Eggs Cheese Tortillas Dolmas
We LOVE Mutti’s passata too! As well as their canned crushed tomatoes!
-Pickled red onions (our new favorite addition to any quick dinner bowl or taco night!) -A huge tub of greek yogurt (Skinnytaste’s greek yogurt pizza crust and greek chicken is on rotation in our house!) -Chocolate chip cookie ingredients on the back of the Nestle Chocolate Chip bag -Frozen 90/10 burger patties -Bananas -A huge bag of romaine
Coffee Champagne vinegar Furikake Jasmine rice Dijon mustard
Love the post and all the comments. More food content please! Why is food preference so interesting? These are the items we go through at an alarming pace: 1. Diet tonic water 2. Lemons and limes 3. Eggs 4. Mayo 5. Parmesan
I forgot to add mayo to my list! So critical.
coffee from Porto Rico Oatly oat milk a good chunk of parm + rinds sun dried tomato paste lemons or limes
Hi Cup of Jo, I’m IŞIL, I can read your 5 imp. thing in your kitchen, and I’ll take a note (ı want to try it) , So I will give you 5 recommendations from my own region. I’m from Istanbul – Turkish coffe (every people drinks at least one cup of a day) – green olives (in theAegean and Mediterranean region) – Tulum peyniri (cheese) – baklava but with pistacchio – lentil soup, but with flour. (my mom recipes but if you want ı can give you ) soo, ı read firts time in your blog. ı found you ,in AI (ı search the girls bloggers , read for the free time ) . well have a nice day , I have a tiktok account ı you want you can search :isiilars
I love your list! I wish I could keep baklava here year round! If you can post your mom’s lentil recipe, I would love to try it! Thank you!
Green tea Chilli crisp Butter (was President, now downgraded to supermarket own brand because, budget) Frozen peas (human food, duck treats) Coconut milk (for this, which is on HEAVY rotation in our household https://rainbowplantlife.com/vegan-red-lentil-curry/) Mmmm. Food.
Current must haves for me Good olive oil Garlic powder Feta cheese Capers Dark chocolate chips For the garlic powder haters, it was my job as a child to help peel and mince endless cloves of garlic for my Indian household. I can barely even bring myself to buy fresh garlic, I am so sick of it 😅
1. Coca Cola – I’d rather drink than eat. 2. Eggs – Do I eat them? hardly ever. Do I replace them at expiry date? Always. 3. One emergency frozen pizza – Whatever was on sale. 4. Shin Noodles – Spicy – The one in the bowl. God forbid I have to take out a pot to boil water. 5. Almonds – Feeling a little gnoshy? Grab a handful.
This is so fun, especially to make the ordinary foods a bit special. My list is half and half for my coffee with locally-roasted coffee beans (chocalately and nutty and smooth tasting), Greek yogurt (for breakfast and as a stand-in for sour cream, berries, and Diet Coke.
– Cream cheese (bagels are a vessel for cream cheese, among other things) – protein chocolate chip pancake mix (so that when I randomly also have bananas and a leisurely weekend morning, I can make banana chocolate chip pancakes) – ginger chews (to prevent/combat motion sickness on canoeing trips or carpools on windy mountain roads) – protein oatmeal packets (so that I’m always ready for a weekend camping trip) – chicken noodle soup (so that I don’t have to figure out what to eat if I’m sick)
Coffee Full-fat Oatly Franks Hot Sauce Trader Joes Sliced Sourdough Natural Peanut Butter
Such a fun post! 1. Bread 2. Cheese 3. Marmite 4. Peanut butter 5. Bananas (I’m not including coffee & cream or tea & milk because those don’t count because it wouldn’t be a kitchen without them or perhaps even a home)
Yes! I love your list and also your coffee comment. I was getting irrationally mad that everyone was including coffee when it’s a given, obviously!
Pickled red onions, Stumptown Founders blend coffee, garlic, citrus, canned dolmas Spice/condiment-wise: Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Salmon Magic Seasoning (we use it on all kind of fish), Maldon salt (so good sprinkled on chocolate chip cookies), Red Boat fish sauce
Wednesday is almost as exciting as Friday because I love for these Kelsey Miller food / recipe posts. This one was extra amazing. So hard to narrow down mine, but off the top of my head: chocolate in many forms (cocoa powder, dark chocolate bars, chocolate chips), coffee, tahini, tofu, and hot sauce.
Apples Peanut butter Popcorn Frozen blueberries Tomato paste
This is really hard!!! 1. Coffee beans 2. Dairy free creamer 3. Onions/garlic (I know this is cheating) 4. Avocado oil 5. Eggs
For #3, “alliums” covers both (and more). Not cheating! Signed, an allium enthusiast.
I love this post and everyone’s comments :) Mine are: Coffee Oatly (the dark blue container) Kerrygold salted butter Sourdough (homemade or Whole Food’s bakery has a great boule) A good, sharp cheddar Peanut butter Eggs Frozen veg (edamame, broccoli, peas) Decaf Diet Coke ;)
1. pepperidge farm cinnamon raisin bread 2. ghiradelli 60% cacao chocolate chips 3. kerrygold dubliner cheddar 4. cosmic crisp apples 5. cans of seltzer
Cosmic Crisp!!!!!! I dont even think about other apples at the grocery store now
Our list: – jarred Arrabiata sauce (NOT Rao’s – hot take but it’s deeply mid, and it was $11 back in Texas and I was so offended that most basic sauce cost $11 lol – Mezzetta, Mutti, Carbone are all way better!) – lemons – red pepper flakes – pasta – fusilli, casarecce,farfalle are our go-to pasta shapes – Better than Bouillon (both the chicken and veggie flavors are good!) Honorable mention to the 1-for-1 gluten free Bob’s Red Mill flour mix – I bake a lot for craft nights and one of my friends is gluten free, and Bob has never let me down! People are always shocked that there’s no gluten!
IMHO Trader Joe’s tomato basil marinara is the GOAT jarred sauce and it’s $1.99. Have you tried it?
Garlic, Greek yogurt, milk, white miso, olive oil. Honestly, I really just wanted to list the 5 ingredients in my miso salad dressing, but I can’t be without my garlic and dairy.
Could eat these for days on end… Eggs Almond Butter Multigrain Sourdough from Starter Bakery in Oakland, CA! (IYKYN) Whole Milk yogurt Berries
Tinned chickpeas – for homemade hummus, curries, and adding a bit of protein and fibre to a pasta sauce Bread flour – after reading Ultra Processed People I got a bread machine, a game changer for us Butter – to slather on the homemade bread, and make buttercream Tinned tomatoes Cheddar cheese Decaffeinated English Breakfast tea – because we’re Brits who don’t drink caffeine after midday
I literally just read through every comment so I could steal everyone’s faves. What a brilliant post, Kelsey! Funny you find it vulnerable to share your faves. I think it’s a sign you care about food very, very much. When you care a lot about something (anything) it can make your insides squishy to share it. Grateful you did. Grateful you all did. A few of my faves: 1. Fry’s Cocoa (oh the desserts my grandmother used to make with this magical ingredient – I dream of her baking still); 2. Harissa spice (amazing on anything – I put it on cauliflower and slow roast); 3. Maple syrup (I’m Canadian – this is mandatory); 4. Shallots are better than onions (they hold up longer in fridge and they just have a lovely flavour profile); and 5. Beets (when I was a baby my mom said I’d kick my legs I’d get so excited while she fed pureed beets to me – a sign of my upcoming sugar addiction ;). My fave comfort food: Chop up a 70% organic dark chocolate bar and add to 3.8% organic yogurt. It’s like a big bowl of chocolate chip ice cream but SO much better.
Maple syrup in the fridge and a back-up maple syrup in the pantry. Fellow Canadian checking in!
Coffee, sour cream, coconut milk, brown rice, heavy cream. Honorable mention to canned fire roasted diced tomatoes and flour tortillas. I get twitchy if we don’t have that stuff!
Flour Butter Baking soda & baking powder Buttermilk/plain yogurt Coffee beans Spinach Eggs
So many people mentioned tinned fish/seafood! Does anyone have any type/brand recommendations please? And what do you normally eat it with, if anything?
A tin of Fishwife salmon is reeeally good over steamed rice and avocado (and whatever veggies I have on hand).
I mean…Fishwife anything is a dream, but it’s def a treat price-wise. My fave local wine bar makes the MOST divine avocado toast which also has burrata on it, drizzled with pistachio oil and with smoked trout as an add-on. It is a gigantic mouth O!!!
I used to be obsessed with sardines from trader joes (the kind packed in EVOO not water). Now I am on a kick with a company called SeaBear. They don’t have tins, but do have these awesome shelf stable pouches: https://seabear.com/collections/ready-to-eat
Oh and I usually just eat it on a cracker or throw on a salad – especially good with arugula or kale.
Fishwife is my favorite brand. (And my Costco just started carrying them in an assortment set.)
I get Season brand non-smoked sardines in olive oil from Costco, it’s the best price near me. I save the extra oil in a jar to drizzle on a salad. Crown Prince oysters also from Costco. Sardines in water from TJs. Tinned calamari also from TJs for a treat, but when our Costco has whole frozen octopus, I buy many and thaw and pickle them one at a time. I know there are more sustainable options that come with a higher price tag. I do what I can.
Heavy whipping cream. I use it in a variety of things, from making soup broths creamy to pouring it over fruit. And this will sound unhinged but sometimes I go drink a cup of it at 3 am when I’m starving (yes, I am a breastfeeding mother).
Not even breastfeeding at the moment (though I am 40 weeks pregnant haha) and will occasionally indulge in cream—poured directly over blueberries is my personal favorite at the moment.
I love this. I love cream. I need to keep cream in my kitchen. I love it on oatmeal too. My 5 things are butter, eggs, Redi Whip, uh wait maybe I don’t have 5 things !
Addending my comment ! Black tea !! It’s such a given, I forgot to mention it !
Ten years later and I still dream about a bowl of oatmeal I had at a b&b in Dublin that was positively drenched in cream
So hard to narrow down (but fun to think about!) Mine are: -coffee (whole beans) -eggs -olive oil -butter -garlic
Vegemite
In our case, marmite :)
Just, like 5 jars of Vegemite? :D heehee. (Marmite is better, tho ;) )