The Kitchen Counter Ingredients
A list of Ingredient Staples (but no pressure)
Hi friends!
Before we dive into cooking together, I wanted to give you a list of staple ingredients I love having on hand, and ones I feel could be helpful for you to have on hand as you jump into The Kitchen Counter recipes. You should have already received an email with my recommended kitchen equipment, but if not you can find that here. Please note, These lists are not homework! And they are not “must have lists” to proceed. They are both “nice to have” lists, and items that will make your cooking life quicker, easier and a lot more enjoyable (and delicious!) if you happen to have any of them. These lists are not meant to overwhelm you or create obligation to purchase anything, but rather to spark inspiration and curiosity, and hopefully help tip toe you out of your cooking comfort zone and any cooking ruts you might be in. If any of these ingredients don’t interest you because you know you’d skip it entirely (or skip the recipe) anyways, then just keep scrolling. You can also just look at this list more as educational and something to refer back to for inspiration when you need it. I will also offer substitutions for some of these items when it makes sense. Also, many of these items you may already have. Nevertheless, here is a list of ingredients that I love having around.
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Ingredients:
We’re gonna use miso paste for lots of things, from making Asian stir-fries, sauces and glazes, to punching up the flavors in soups, stews and chilis. I also love tossing some onto veggies before roasting, or mixing with butter to smear all over anything. And since an open tub of miso lasts a year and a half in your fridge (crazy right?! That’s fermentation for ya!), there is no reason not to have it handy. I usually have both red miso paste and mellow white miso paste handy but pick mellow white if you are going to have just one around. Find it here. Soy allergy? This is my favorite brand of soy free miso
Tomato paste may or may not be something you always have around, but if it’s not, try and get in the habit of having a can or tube handy at all times. I’ll ask you to grab a little now and then so it’s a good idea to have around. I learned in Italy, that it’s the base of so many simple sauces and braises, and you can even make a quick and easy 5 ingredient caramelized tomato paste pasta with it. I love the tomato paste in the tube for times when I only need a tablespoon and I can put the rest of tube back in the fridge. Cento and Amore are my favorite brands in a tube. For canned paste, do like my mom does (we call her Nonnie), and freeze the excess canned tomato paste in a zippy bag like this! Find it here.
Tahini or Tahina (toasted ground sesame seed paste) may or may not be something you reach for on a regular basis, but if it’s not, I think it’s a worth while pantry staple to get yourself familiar with. It’s a global staple, and among with many other things, it is traditionally used for things like hummus, baba ganoush or to make halva, and to me no falafel is complete without a generous drizzle of it. It’s rich, creamy and nutty, so it lends itself to both savory and sweet applications. Lately it’s been having a moment on the internet making appearances in baked goods like banana bread, brownies and cookies. I love using it for dressings (it’s a powerhouse of an emulsifier), dips and sauces, but the possibilities are pretty endless with this amazing condiment. Since it’s so high in fat, the shelf life isn’t particularly long (about 4-6 months after opening in the fridge), so opt for a smaller container you will go through quicker. Find it here.
![Ortiz Anchovies in Olive Oil 3.35oz/95g | Premium Spanish Anchovy Filets in Olive Oil [3.35oz/95gr Glass Jar]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rTYe!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3e868d2f-9813-46cc-a2bf-8f9761109c6c_185x280.webp "Ortiz Anchovies in Olive Oil 3.35oz/95g | Premium Spanish Anchovy Filets in Olive Oil [3.35oz/95gr Glass Jar]")
Anchovies are not just for Caesar dressing. (I get these salt packed anchovies and rinse/chop myself - this is a huge tub btw!), however don’t be shy about purchasing them in the tube if that will make it easier on you - I would rather you do this than not use this amazing ingredient at all.) When used in the right amount, in the right applications, they should never add a fishy flavor, but rather a deep umami that elevates your dish to new savory complexity. Find them here.
Preserved lemons are one of my favorite ingredients to lean on. I’m telling you, they are a game changer to have in the kitchen. I’m going to call for them in some of the recipes we will be making together. We will use them in stews, braises, sauces, dressings and marinades just to name a few things. You can certainly substitute with lemon zest, juice and salt, but once you discover the deep, complex flavors of a preserved lemon, you will see why they are so worth having in your cooking toolkit. You can buy them at many specialty food shops, order them online or make them yourself as I do. You can watch my preserved lemon how-to where I show my mom (Nonnie) how to make them. They last a year to a year and a half in your fridge, so don’t worry about them going bad anytime soon after you open them. Find them here.
There is almost nothing that Calabrian Chili Paste won’t make better - be it eggs, avocado toast, pizza, pasta, a sandwich…you get the idea. You will see it make an appearance in many of my recipes. It’s spicey for sure, but not blow your head off spicey. It’s smokey and fruity and packs the perfect amount of heat that let’s you know it’s there but won’t overwhelm whatever you put it on. You can adjust the heat level to suit you and anyone you might be cooking for. A little goes a long way and it lasts in your fridge for 6-8 months, so for me it’s worth the price tag. Find my favorite brand here.
This is the brand preferred by chefs for it’s mild salinity and uniform texture. Most of my recipes will call for Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt but if all you have is iodized or table salt (or any other fine grain salt) or Morton Course Kosher Salt (which is much courser and saltier than Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt) or a course sea salt, then start with half the amount of salt the recipe calls for (you can always add more salt but you can’t take it out). I am not asking you to buy a special salt, but rather let you know that for my own recipe development consistency, I almost always use the same salt in my recipes.
I also love to have a flakey salt around (known as a finishing salt in that you season foods with it right before eating) such as regular or smoked Maldon Salt. A sprinkle of smoked flakey salt on roasted vegetables, pizza or a steak wakes it up like you would not believe.
For more information on the many different salts we can use in the kitchen, this article does a great job breaking it all down. Purchase it here.
You might be thinking, really? Chicken bouillon powder? YES. This is the ingredient that puts things like chicken pot pie, Asian dumplings, brothy soups and rice pilaf over the top. I like this brand best, but any brand is fine, just make sure it’s powder/granulated form and not cubes. I will always tell you how much salt to add in place of the bouillon if you don’t wish to use it (but I really urge you to give it a try). Find it here.
Dried chilis are a flavor powerhouse. They retain their flavor, aroma and heat so much better than their flaked or ground counterparts. They are fruity, smokey, spicey (but not always spicey) and complex. Just like whole spices, I will only ask you to use these when I really feel like the dish will benefit from it. My go to dried chilis are Ancho, Guajillo and Pasilla (many grocery stores will carry “California” or “Colorado” dried chilis which are dried Anaheim peppers - they are very mild so grab these if heat is not your thing). I like going to my local Mexican market or Mercado and buy just a few chilis at a time in the bulk section. When you do this, you can just buy 1-2 chilis for a recipe instead of purchasing a whole bag. And by the way, shopping at ethnic markets should become part of your routine if it’s not already. Don’t be shy to go inside them. The produce is always gorgeous, prices are great (especially for things like dried spices and condiments), and you can discover new and exciting items you’ve never used before. Plus you are supporting a local business. But if it’s easier for you, just order dried chilis online. You can do that here.
And because I like to educate, here is a chart showing fresh chilis and their names once they are dried:
Fresh form Dried form
Vinegars, like all acid, are not just for flavoring food like you might think. Instead of only thinking of them for things like vinaigrettes, we should also think of them as seasoning agents, like salt. When you do this, you learn to add just a touch of an acidic ingredient (like lemon/lime juice, vinegar or wine) to coax the other flavors out of the dish and elevate them, not to mask them with a sour taste. Next time you make a creamy pasta sauce, add just 1 or even 1/2 tsp lemon juice to it and see what it does to the dish.
You don’t need all of these! However, I like to have at least one from each camp:
One clear such as White Wine Vinegar, Unseasoned Rice Vinegar or Champagne Vinegar,
One tan such as Sherry Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Malt Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
And one dark/finishing such as Balsamic Vinegar, Aged Balsamic or another Flavored Vinegar
A few other specialty vinegars just as an FYI include Chinese Black Vinegar, Chinkiang Vinegar, Cane Vinegar and Coconut Vinegar
Cooking Wines and Spirits
People have been cooking with wines, spirits and cordials for thousands of years. Afterall, alcohol is a byproduct of fermentation, and fermentation happens naturally where there is no oxygen but there is yeast, mold or bacteria (think cheese, bread and pickles). Adding a splash of red wine to a beef stew or white wine to a shrimp scampi elevates it to new heights, and gives dishes the dimension they might otherwise lack without it. Most always the alcohol is cooked off, but sometimes (as with tiramisu for example) it’s boozy background is an asset to the dish. One’s I reach for most often in the kitchen are red and white wine, brandy, port, sherry, marsala, vodka, whiskey, rum, Shaoxing cooking wine and mirin.
There are many others, but here are some of the more common ones people enjoy adding to their savory dishes and desserts, and you can refer back to this list for inspiration when you need it:
White Wine Red Wine Champagne Port Sherry Marsala Brandy Beer Cognac Dry Vermouth Vodka Grand Marnier Cointreau Tequila Bourbon Rum Whiskey Mirin Shaoxing Cooking Wine Amaretto Limoncello Kirsch Creme de Cassis Calvados Frangelico Chambord Kahlua Irish Cream Sambuca
Other Staple Ingredients I always have on hand:
Cooking Olive Oil - for low temperature cooking things like eggs, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, low temp roasting, etc.
High Heat Cooking Oil - for sautéing, roasting and grilling at very high temps (anything over 350F). Best choices are grapeseed oil , avocado oil, or ghee (clarified or drawn butter in which all the milk solids and impurities have been removed (think the clear butter they serve with lobster tail) therefore increasing the “smoke point” - the point in which fat begins to smoke/burn and degrade) but leaving all the amazing flavor of butter behind. For deep frying where you will need a much larger amount of oil, opt for a refined vegetable oil such as canola, as these oils are much more cost effective.
Finishing Olive Oil - for things like salad dressings, drizzling over a finished pasta dish, homemade mayonnaise, Caprese Salad or for dipping crusty bread in
Pantry and Condiments: Honey, maple syrup, soy sauce, hot sauce, chili crisp, toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, panko bread crumbs, red, white and yellow onions, shallots, fresh lemons and limes, fresh garlic and fresh ginger ( even these frozen garlic and ginger cubes from Trader Joe’s are great!), boxed chicken stock and beef stock, pastas, rice (especially Basmati, short grain rice and wild rice), cous cous (both regular and pearled), quinoa, canned beans (with a can of chickpeas you are halfway to dinner in a hurry), lentils, polenta (such a great stand in for mashed potatoes and way quicker and easier), jarred tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, various olives especially Castelvetrano and kalamata, neutral crackers you can serve with cheese, capers, BBQ sauce, dried fruits especially apricots and dates, curry paste and canned coconut milk
Fridge: Various mustards, mayonnaise, pickles (sour and sweet), parmesan cheese, eggs, unsalted butter, heavy cream, ketchup, sour cream or yogurt, milk, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, feta cheese
Freezer: frozen peas, frozen garlic and ginger , a loaf of crusty artisan bread (we buy a loaf, slice and freeze it so we can grab a slice whenever we want), homemade broths and stocks, frozen shrimp, frozen edamame, bacon, guanciale or pancetta, nuts and seeds (yes, keeping nuts and seeds in the freezer triples their shelf life!)
Baking:
Flours (all purpose, 00, cake, bread, semolina)
Sugars and Sweeteners (white, bakers fine, brown, turbinado and powdered, light and dark corn syrup)
Leaveners (baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar and yeast)
Starches (cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca starch)
Vanilla (extract, beans and paste)
Chocolate (semi-sweet, white, milk, unsweetened baking)
Milk (dried milk powder, sweetened condensed milk)
Spices:
Smoked Paprika and Sweet (or mild) Paprika
Whole and Ground Coriander Seed Whole and Ground Cumin Seed
Whole Black Peppercorns (and a pepper mill for freshly ground black pepper)
White Pepper Star Anise Bay Leaves Dried Basil Dried Oregano
Dried Rosemary Dried Thyme Chili Powder Ground Ginger
Saffron Red Pepper Flakes Dried Mustard Powder Turmeric
Whole and Ground Allspice Granulated Garlic Dried Sage
Onion Powder Ground Cinnamon and Sticks Ground and Whole Cloves
Whole Cardamom Black and White Sesame Seeds Sumac and Za’atar
Cayenne Pepper Curry Powder Chinese 5 spice Garam Masala
Yellow or Brown Mustard Seeds Togarashi Dried Dill Fennel Seed
I hope this list was helpful and that it gets you inspired and more confident to get into the kitchen! Take your time, build your collection slowly and most of all have fun. See you at The Kitchen Counter!
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