Regardless of the pursuit, there are always "the basics." The basics can refer to rules, or equipment, or technique, and with cooking in particular, it includes ingredients. Before you can excel, you have to master the basics. To begin this series, I provided a Top 20 list of basic equipment recommended for the beginner cook. Now, let's move on to ingredients.
In 25+ years of cooking for family and friends, I've accumulated enough spices, herbs, oils, vinegars and sauces to fill a three-shelf, 14"w x 27"h x 11.5"d cabinet, as well as a couple shelves in the pantry. I have on-hand, at any given time: olive oil, corn oil, canola oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, and sesame oil. Then there's Tiger sauce, oyster Sauce, Pickapeppa sauce, hoisin sauce, Worcestershire sauce, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce and Tabasco sauce -- and that's just a partial list! You don't need most of those when starting out. For the beginner or novice, we'll focus on basics, a foundation of ingredients that will enable you to prepare a multitude of dishes day-in and day-out without getting too exotic, and without breaking the bank.
When I sat down to write this article, my intent was to stick to a Top 20 format -- as I did with equipment -- in an effort to minimize the expense involved for someone literally starting from scratch. However, because ingredients encompass several food categories, it was impossible to limit my recommendations to a mere 20 items. Therefore, I decided to break them down into several groupings. I will still refer to them as my Top 20, but for the purposes of this article, there will be multiple categories with not more than 20 items in each. In subsequent articles, we will begin to expand on the practical application of my Top 20 basics, from why to use kosher salt, to multiple uses for a colander, to why it's not always best to cook your steaks on a grill. OK, let's stock up! Strap on your aprons, you Next Food Network Star wannabes, we're about to get cookin'!
Dried Herbs & Spices
- Kosher salt
- Table salt
- Black pepper
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Bay leaves
- Cayenne pepper
- Garlic powder
- Garlic salt
- Nutmeg
- Basil
- Chives
- Crushed red pepper
- Seasoned salt
- Mixed herbs like Italian Seasoning or Herbs de Provence
- Ginger
- Mustard powder
Oils, Sauces & Vinegars
- Vegetable oil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Canola oil
- Soy sauce
- Hot sauce, like Tabasco or Sriracha
- Ketchup
- Brown mustard, like Gulden's
- Red wine vinegar
- White wine vinegar
- Cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Mayonnaise
Miscellaneous Refrigerator
- Eggs (large)
- Butter (sticks salted)
- Butter (sticks unsalted)
- Half-and-half or whipping cream
- Garlic
- Lemons
- Parmesan or Romano cheese (chunk, shredded or grated)
Miscellaneous Pantry
- Italian style and/or plain dried bread crumbs
- Long grain or other bulk dry rice
- Chicken broth
- Tomato sauce
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Yellow onions
- Redskin potatoes
- All-purpose white flour
- Granulated sugar
- Corn starch
- Dried pasta (whole grain whole wheat if preferred)
- Legumes (lentils and/or beans)
- Sherry (not "cooking" sherry)
My disclaimer, like in my previous article, is simply that this is not an all-inclusive list. Ask 10 cooks and you'll get 10 different answers regarding what should be added or eliminated from this list. My perspective is that of an experienced amateur cook who has prepared dishes and meals for a wife and three children, as well as scores of extended family, friends and associates for over 25 years. It is also the perspective of a solidly middle-class guy with limited financial resources who understands that simply filling the belly sometimes takes precedence over eliminating carbs and counting calories. (Thus the pantry staples of rice and potatoes -- redskin potatoes, by the way -- which are a little more versatile.)
Next article, we'll begin to connect the dots in terms of how these ingredients -- and that list of equipment -- combine with other specific foods to render simple and delicious dishes/meals for the aspiring every-day cook. We'll also address expectations, i.e., what to expect the first time you pick up a spatula; after you've been cooking for a few months; and once your skills really begin to gel. Lastly, in these first few articles, you will notice a distinct absence of information relative to what I simply refer to as "baking" -- as in baking a cake, or baking a pie. Dessert may be a staple item for my beautiful Greek wife, but it is not a staple on the government's food pyramid, so I'm staying away from the dessert category until later articles. Sorry, if you're Jonesing for key lime pie or German chocolate cake, you'll just have to wait until we finish the main course! Bon appetit, Everyone!
Thomas Stauffer is an Ohio native and 1981 graduate of The Ohio State University, where he earned a B.A. in Journalism, then went on to build a successful 30-year career in sales and marketing. He is the owner of a boutique marketing services company, A & T Resources, Inc., located in Oldsmar, FL, which specializes in helping organizations build brand awareness and develop successful marketing strategies. The company is also a full-service promotional products distributor and supplier of corporate apparel and uniforms. They can be found on the web at http://www.marketbrandgrow.com Mr. Stauffer also publishes a general interest blog that can be found at http://wishyouwerefishing.blogspot.com in which he shares his perspective on a wide range of topics pulled from every-day life. He is an avid sports fan and wine enthusiast with a passion for cooking, writing and the Fourth Estate.
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