My Top 5 Pantry Essentials

If there’s any magic to pulling a meal together at the drop of a hat, it starts with a well-stocked pantry. My cooking style behind the recipes on Familystyle Food is built on simple, fresh ingredients, so I shop for the basics a few times a week — seasonal vegetables, fruit, meat, and seafood.

The rest comes from a stash of spices, condiments and dry goods I keep in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. Even a humble can of beans, tuna, or chickpeas and a bag of pasta can turn into dinner when paired with good olive oil, a little cheese, and a sprinkle of crushed red chili.

1. Lemon

Acidity found in lemons is essential for tasty food. It helps round out and balance the salty, spicy and sweet sensations that our taste buds feel whenever we put food into our mouth. I love all citrus, but lemon lifts everyone’s spirits — and of course, the taste of food! — like nothing else.

• How much juice is in a lemon? Generally, one lemon contains about 2 tablespoons of juice.
• Put lemon slices in a glass or pitcher of water and they add their fragrance and flavor.
• Squeeze a hit of juice into a salad dressing or over cooked fish, chicken or pasta to add tangy bite.
• Grate the fresh zest whenever you’re using the juice to amplify the lemon taste.

2. How I use season with chili pepper

Think of chili peppers the same way you think about acid in cooking — they sharpen and balance flavors. I use freshly ground black pepper for everyday seasoning, but dried chiles bring a completely different dimension: warmth, fruitiness, and sometimes a little smokiness.

I’m not chasing extreme heat that makes your mouth go numb. What I want is a lively background warmth that keeps a dish interesting. A pinch of chili flakes can perk up beans, pasta, vegetables, or even a simple fried egg.

• Dried crushed red chili flakes are the everyday workhorse. I sprinkle them into pasta sauces, sautéed greens, beans, and just about anything cooked in olive oil.
• Aleppo pepper is mild, fruity, and slightly smoky. I love it scattered over roasted vegetables, hummus, yogurt sauces, and eggs.
• Whole dried árbol chiles have a clean, sharp heat. I toss one into hot oil to infuse flavor for soups, beans, and braised dishes.
• Korean chili flakes (gochugaru) are bright red and gently smoky with a coarser texture. Great in marinades, noodle dishes, and sprinkled over vegetables.

3.  Cheese

I always keep a handful of cheeses in the fridge for everyday cooking. A small stash of good cheese adds richness, saltiness, and that extra savory pop that makes even the simplest dish taste finished. You don’t need a giant cheese board in the fridge — just a handful of versatile cheeses that work across many dishes.

• Parmesan and Pecorino Romano are my go-to grating cheeses. I use them in pasta, risotto, soups, salads, and over roasted vegetables and even on popcorn!
• Cheddar or Fontina, because they’re great melting cheeses as well as for snacking. I add them to baked dishes, simple sandwiches, or toss small cubes into salads and stews.
• Greek feta: Briny, crumbly and creamy — what could be better? I prefer Greek, Frenc or Bulgarian feta because they’re traditionally made from sheep’s milk (sometimes with a little goat’s milk), which gives it a fuller flavor and creamier texture than many American versions made from cow’s milk.
• Soft goat cheese is tangy and creamy. I love it smeared on toast, tossed into salads, or melted into warm pasta or vegetables.

Yes, real-deal imported cheese can be expensive. But it’s surprisingly economical to buy large chunks at places like Costco. Cut off what you need and freeze the rest. Wrapped well in cheese paper or plastic in the refrigerator, a good wedge of cheese will last for months — ready whenever you want to add a quick burst of savory flavor to a dish.

4. Olive oil

Extra-virgin olive oil is the fat I cook with most often. I buy it in large containers from stores like Whole Foods or Costco because I use it for nearly everything — sautéing vegetables, roasting, making vinaigrettes, and finishing dishes. And yes, it’s perfectly fine to fry or roast at high heat with extra-virgin olive oil. Despite what you may have heard, it’s stable enough even for deep-frying.

For everyday cooking, I like 100% California extra-virgin olive oils, which are consistently good quality and reasonably priced. They have a fresh, grassy flavor that works with almost anything.

I also keep one or two special bottles around, like estate-produced oils. These are the ones I drizzle over cooked vegetables, soups, salads, grilled bread, or a bowl of beans.

Tip: When you’re shopping for olive oil, a few details make a difference:

• Look for dark glass bottles — they protect the oil from light.
• Check for a harvest date — fresher oil tastes brighter and more vibrant.
• Store the oil away from heat and sunlight to keep the flavor at its best.

5. Types of salt to keep in your pantry

I have a rainbow assortment of salts from all the world in so many beautiful colors because I’m nerdy that way. But there are really just three that I use on a regular basis in my kitchen: Kosher, fine and flaked sea salt.

• In my recipes, “salt” means kosher salt, which has a larger grain than regular table salt and, I think, a cleaner taste. It’s also less salty, for lack of a better word. Because the granules are fluffier than fine salt, there’s less salt per volume in a teaspoon of kosher salt than there is fine salt. The brand of kosher salt that I use for all recipes on this site is Diamond Kosher.  *If you use Morton kosher salt, reduce the amount of salt specified by one-half.

• Sometimes I’ll call for fine sea salt in certain dishes, usually when I need the salt to dissolve evenly, like in baking or in some sauces. I buy Celtic or French gray fine sea salts.
• Flaked sea salt is what I use as a finishing touch, like a garnish. It adds a crunchy spark to food, especially grilled meats and some desserts. Check out Maldon salt (which is more economical to buy by the tub).
• One last note on salt: always taste your food for seasoning during every step of your preparation and cooking. Just because a recipe calls for a certain amount or salt, or even the vague direction to  “season to taste” doesn’t mean it’s a done deal. Taste, taste and taste some more!