The Essentials: the food

I don't have the luxury of a pantry, so I've had to think carefully about and experiment with what to stock up on given my limited shelf space. Here are what I've determined "the essentials" which I make sure to always have lying around:

Spices-- salt, pepper, paprika, hot pepper flakes, cumin, oregano, curry powder, nutmeg, cinnamon

Olive oil-- I prefer olive oil to butter in my cooking so I always have olive oil on hand for sauteeing and dressing.

Grains-- some combination of pasta, brown rice, wild rice, white rice, barley, bulgar, and quinoa. Also, quick cooking oats are my go-to breakfast most days of the week (simple and very filling).

Dried beans-- black beans, lentils (which don't need to be soaked overnight before cooking), and split-peas are my favorites for soup

Potatoes, onions, and garlic-- always good to have on hand!

Canned, frozen, and jarred food-- I'm not the biggest fan of canned or frozen food (fresh vegetables taste so much better) but it's not a bad idea to have a few things on hand if you need to throw a meal together quickly. Here's what I recommend having: canned corn, tomatoes (I like the diced tomatoes with chilies for adding a spicy flare to rice), and beans, frozen edamame, green beans, and peas, and jarred tomato sauce (making your own and freezing it is also an option... but if you buy it jarred, make sure it doesn't have added sugar)

Peanut butter-- look at the ingredients when buying peanut butter... all you need are peanuts (and trust me, it'll taste better that way). A tablespoon of peanut butter makes a quick and easy snack. For some variation, try spreading a bit in between two slices of zucchini for a bite sized sandwich.

Baking supplies-- all purpose flour (unbleached), whole wheat flour, cane sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and corn meal