“Stocking the pantry.”\u00a0 Sounds like it should be a nice, predictable process akin to stocking inventory at the local shoe store: \u00a0Five red shoes, ten black, three tennis shoes. . . In reality, it’s not quite such an orderly, linear process.<\/p>\n
“Raucous,” “adventuresome” and “messy” are more descriptive, likely because stocking the pantry is such a unique, personalized process.\u00a0 “Journey” is another word which comes to mind, since pantry stocking isn’t so much a task that can be accomplished in an afternoon, but an intriguing passage.\u00a0 It unfolds as you grow in understanding of different foods, cooking techniques and your particular tastes and eating ideals.<\/p>\n
This is not to say that you must simply wander the supermarket wilderness with only a hope that a pantry will somehow materialize from your efforts.\u00a0 There are definitely signposts and trail markers for guidance; they just require some personal interpretation to make sure they lead to a destination that meets your tastes and needs.\u00a0 After all, what good is a pantry stocked with six kinds of olives if you hate olives?\u00a0 Or a pantry stocked with healthy whole wheat crackers if you are allergic to wheat?<\/p>\n
Previous posts <\/a>have convinced you of the beauty of a pantry.\u00a0 In the spirit of an ever-unfolding journey, here are some beginning “trail markers” to get you started:<\/p>\n Make Room<\/strong> I once coached a woman who understood the magic of pantries and was desperate to set one up so she could stop dragging to the store every night after work with her two year old.\u00a0 It was a good thought, but there was one small problem:\u00a0 she had nowhere to put a pantry!\u00a0 Her cupboards were packed to the gills with riff raff like extra tea pots, three sets of plates, 40 dish towels, and so on.\u00a0 The closest place to store extra rice was down in the basement-a decidedly unhelpful place.<\/p>\n The ideal solution:\u00a0 a kitchen reorganization which invariably creates lots of extra space that is perfect for stocking a pantry.\u00a0 If a complete reorganization isn’t in the cards right now, just pack up two or three boxes worth of stuff that hasn’t been used for the last year (don’t worry, you’ll find plenty.)\u00a0 Now put that<\/em> in the basement and bring the rice up to the newly created cupboard space–and schedule an appointment to begin working on a comprehensive kitchen reorganization!<\/p>\n Stock the “Very Basics”<\/strong> Besides rice, what else do you put in this newly created space?\u00a0 The tricky thing about stocking a pantry is that it’s so taste dependent.\u00a0 In other words, because tastes vary so widely person to person, I can’t just give you a list and say, “Here, go buy these 50 items and you’ll be set.”\u00a0 Nevertheless, there are a few items that almost everyone will want, no matter what kind of cooking you do.\u00a0 Buying these “Very Basics” is a good starting point for stocking the pantry.<\/p>\n My book, Take Control of Your Kitchen <\/a>identifies the Very Basics.\u00a0 Join my e-cooking community<\/a> and get a free copy of this worksheet.\u00a0 (Just include “Free Pantry List” in your email)<\/p>\n Get Personal <\/strong> Beyond the Very Basics, the contents of a pantry get more personal.\u00a0 What kinds of foods do you like?\u00a0 What dishes do you cook?\u00a0 Are there any particular cuisines you like to make?\u00a0 What health restrictions must you work around?\u00a0 Your pantry is shaped by the answers to these questions.\u00a0 As an example, I like bean dishes, so my pantry includes six different kinds of canned beans.\u00a0 Over the years, I’ve gotten into Thai cooking, so my refrigerator pantry features fish sauce, curry paste and ginger.\u00a0 Being allergic to wheat, I stock only rice crackers and flours from alternative grains.<\/p>\n To start stocking the Personal Basics right away, head to the store with an extra allotment of 30 minutes.\u00a0 Then, instead of whipping through the store, picking up just the few things you absolutely need, slow down and observe at least a couple aisles (the canned goods, condiment and grain sections are good places to begin.)\u00a0 Note items you use frequently:\u00a0 Rice? Soy sauce? Refried beans? Canned tuna?\u00a0 Pick up one or two extras of each, depending on the item and how often you use it.\u00a0 Now you have the beginnings of a pantry.\u00a0 Repeat this exercise over the next few shopping trips, exploring different aisles each time.<\/p>\n Starting a pantry from home offers a more leisurely alternative.\u00a0 Begin with the Master Pantry List from my book, Take Control of Your Kitchen<\/a>, which is yours for joining my e-cooking community<\/a> (just include “Free Pantry List” in your email).\u00a0 Keep your Master Pantry List handy in the kitchen, with a pen next to it.\u00a0 As you make meals over the two to three weeks, check off those pantry items you draw on.\u00a0 Spiral pasta?\u00a0 Stoneground mustard?\u00a0 Eggs?\u00a0 Parmesan cheese?\u00a0 Onions?\u00a0 On your next trip to the store, stop!\u00a0 Before racing out the door, look over your Master List, check your cupboards to see which are low or missing, then make a list of the ones you can afford to stock up on.<\/p>\n Treasure Hunt<\/strong> Now comes the fun part.\u00a0 You’ve got your Very Basics and Personal Basics.\u00a0 You’re all set to quickly make your basic five, 10 or 15 recipes.\u00a0 But what happens when those comfy five, 10 or 15 recipes become “The Same Old (Boring) Thing.” \u00a0Indeed, in my work as a kitchen coach, the most frequent complaint I hear is, “I make the same things night after night.”\u00a0 Happily, the pantry can come to our rescue here, too.<\/p>\n On your next shopping trip, gift yourself five extra minutes for some “treasure hunting.”\u00a0 Pick one section of an aisle, temporarily suspend the to-do list tapping its toes on your brain, and take time to actually look around at the various products, especially the quirky ones on the bottom and top shelves (that’s where they put the newer, less familiar-and often more interesting-products.)\u00a0 The other day, I re-discovered hearts of palm which made a special splash in a green salad that night.\u00a0 Now I plan to stock a can or two for winter days when my salads are looking a little barren.<\/p>\n Note that this doesn’t need to be an exercise in extravagance.\u00a0 For example, because it is so flavorful (as specialty products often are), a pound of high quality sausage from your freezer pantry can be divided four ways for four different dishes, making it very cost-effective.<\/p>\n Work It and Enjoy<\/strong> Very often when I talk about pantries I hear responses that go something like this:\u00a0 “I don’t like stocking a pantry because I buy all this stuff and then never use it.”\u00a0 That’s an easily remediable problem:\u00a0 Go open a cupboard, find one or two items that you’d like to use up and set them on the counter.\u00a0 Now go find a recipe for them (an Internet search makes this easy.)\u00a0 Finally, look at your calendar and schedule a day for making your dish.<\/p>\n What a wonderful way to get some mealtime inspiration while using up valuable pantry inventory so it doesn’t go to waste.\u00a0 Do this once a week and you won’t have any excess staples choking your cupboards.\u00a0 Also, the more you work your pantry, the more you’ll enjoy it, precisely because you’ll be experiencing how easy it makes your kitchen life.<\/p>\n Ready to begin experimenting with a pantry.\u00a0 Build one if you’re pantry-less, or if you’ve got a pantry, find out how to make the most of it. \u00a0 Check out my book, Take Control of Your Kitchen<\/a>, which explains what to buy and how to store and organize it for easy access, or email to set up some individual kitchen coaching<\/a> where we focus on setting up a helpful and healthful pantry.<\/em> Also, check out t<\/span>omorrow’s blog: <\/span>How to Avoid Time Panic<\/a>, and you might like to read all the articles in this series:<\/p>\n\n
Pity the Poor Pantry<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Invaluable Kitchen Resource Gets No Respect<\/h3>\n
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How to Shop without Going to the Grocery Store<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Remedy for the Post-Vacation Refrigerator Blues<\/h3>\n
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Investment Thinking at the Grocery Store<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Time Spent Stocking the Pantry Isn’t Wasted, It’s Invested!<\/h3>\n
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Portrait of a Week’s Worth of Pantry Meals<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How Many Great Meals Are Hiding In Your Pantry?<\/h3>\n
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How to Stock the Pantry<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
. . . or Do a Better Job Working the One You Have<\/h3>\n
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Stocking the Pantry–How to Avoid Time Panic<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Good News:\u00a0 The Fun of a Pantry Journey Lasts More than an Afternoon<\/h3>\n