Which ingredients do you have in your kitchen at all times? I enjoy asking friends this question — it offers an intriguing insight into someone’s everyday routine. Cookbook writer Dan Pelosi once provided this lineup: olive oil, rigatoni, Castelvetrano olives, lemons, anchovies. (Reading it left me pondering how I could score a dinner invite.) Poet Kate Baer lists tortilla chips, feta, roadside fruit, frozen peas, “and sourdough bread from my sister in law,” which is somehow the most quintessentially Kate-Baer response ever. Thus, this year, I decided I’d disclose my own essential five kitchen items…
White wine vinegar
There are generally 6-200 types of vinegar in my cupboard, but one I NEVER lack is white wine vinegar. I don’t understand how balsamic and red-wine vinegar became the norms, as this one is even more versatile. It’s a great base flavor for vinaigrette or chicken salad dressing and can replace white wine in recipes (which isn’t always in stock). Smitten Kitchen’s dijon chicken, for instance? It’s among my top meals. Don’t tell Deb, but I substitute 1/3 cup vinegar for 3/4 cup wine, and I find it even more delicious.
Frozen edamame
Specifically, in-shell edamame. The shelled variety can get mealy and tasteless after months in the freezer. In-shell edamame, on the other hand, can last indefinitely and exits the steamer bright, plump, and tender. Edamame is the heroic ingredient that rescues me from all types of dinner dilemmas: when the broccoli I intended to cook is yellow; when I’m searching for an after-school snack; when lunch is needed but time is scarce. Edamame saves the day!
Kerrygold butter
True, fancier butters exist, and occasionally, I buy one just for the experience. Let’s all savor it! I convince myself. I’ll then spend the following week guarding it fiercely, ensuring that nobody depletes my Extra Fancy Special Butter with Flaky Salt Bits. Oh yes, enjoyable for all, right? The fact is, Kerrygold isn’t merely good, it’s reliably good (and comparatively affordable). It’s rich, creamy, and the saltiness is spot-on.
Passata tomato purée
When my husband began buying this a few years back, I was puzzled. Why not just purchase the canned tomatoes we regularly choose? It appeared similar, except it came in a tall, glass bottle. But I soon discovered it’s superior. Passata is strained uncooked tomato purée, offering a richer and smoother taste than canned cooked tomato puree. It works as a standalone sauce, with minimal enhancement, and after incorporating it into my usual tomato recipes, WOW, the difference was clear. Somehow, it’s also more cost-effective? (The Wegman store brand costs $3.49 for a 24-ounce bottle!) Unlike canned tomatoes, I can open a bottle, use a cup, and then refrigerate it without transferring it to another container. An absolute win.
Dutch-process cocoa
Growing up, my mother was a chef and caterer, and we always had boxes of “Dutched” cocoa around. Now, as an adult, it’s my go-to for pretty much every recipe involving cocoa powder: hot fudge, cakes, brownies, hot chocolate. The flavor is pure chocolate turned up to eleven: rich, intense, pure chocolatiness. I used to store both Dutch and standard cocoa, but at some point, I realized the latter was neglected in favor of the Dutch variety. Cocoa preference varies by taste (and sometimes chemical reactions in a recipe), but in my household, when making chocolate cake, we make CHOCOLATE cake.
Eeek! Sharing that felt strangely personal! Now, if you’re willing, tell me — what are the things you’d ensure are always in your kitchen?
P.S. A kitchen gadget that elevates everything and the key to a fantastic dinner with friends. (Plus, wow, Joanna’s initial query dates back a decade!)
