So, I'm researching stocking your pantry......

on web sites and blogs, and it's amazing what I've found.  The most amazing thing I found was how many pantry categories there are.  I have found 19, and I'm sure this list is not complete.  Pantries differ depending on what your cooking needs are.  The person who loves to bake, is going to have a much different pantry than I do.  The gourmet cook's pantry will be different than mine.  I'm sure you get the picture.

The pantry categories I found so far are:

Baking

Condiments

Dried Goods

Oils

Rice

Canned Goods

Tomatoes

Vinegars

Dried Pasta

Milks

Extracts

Dried Herbs

Spices

Liquors

Gourmet

Fresh Produce

Refrigerator staples

Freezer staples

Pretty impressive category list, right?  Tomato category alone can include: diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil.....Oils can include: vegetable, olive, canola, sesame, grapeseed,  peanut, etc., and a list of spices or dried herbs could go on indefinitely!

How do you prioritize stocking a new pantry, because obviously, you can't buy everything at once unless you're lucky enough to have unlimited grocery funds.  I decided to list items in groups of ten that I would attempt to buy on 2 separate trips to get a new pantry going.

Week One I would stock the pantry with:

butter

eggs

salt

black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

chicken broth/stock

canned diced tomatoes

dried pasta

long grain rice

onions

Week Two I would add to the pantry:

garlic

lemons

all-purpose flour

sugar

brown sugar

vegetable oil

red wine vinegar

dijon mustard

canned beans

herbs de provence

I think that would be a pretty good start.  I know that for me these are pantry items I feel are essential to my cooking and stocking my kitchen.  My dream pantry would have about 100 items in it at all times, but I don't want to overwhelm anyone, especially myself!  Please think of this list as a starting guide.  For me it is still incomplete because we haven't even got to jams, jellies, grains, peanut butter, soy sauce and more.  In a few weeks I will expand on this and do a week three and four shopping list too.  Happy cooking everyone, and may your day be wonderful!

Nancy