Kitchen Essentials: Extensive List Of All The Things You Need To Cook Food From Around The World
Like many of us during these unprecedented times, I decided to take up cooking. With restaurant closures, limited to no dine-in opportunities and more time on my hands than I’ve ever had before it seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn how to cook. Plus, with almost nothing but grocery stores and farmers markets open to the public due to the pandemic, it gave me even more of an excuse to begin learning my craft. I’m by no means an expert and I certainly have a long way to go, but after several hours of cooking nearly every single day for a consecutive 6 months I can now confidently whip up something healthy, plant-based, filling and tasty from nearly every region around the world without spending a lot of money OR even reading/needing a recipe! Thanks to celebrity chef Samin Nosrat’s life-changing cooking bible Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat as well as a few of my favorite food bloggers (hi Minimalist Baker, Cookie + Kate, A Global Table Adventure) I can now seamlessly make my way around the kitchen AND cook a wide variety of delicious, nutrient-dense meals from cuisines across the globe. It may not seem like much, but it certainly feels like it :)
Throughout this journey I’ve started to take note of the items that I always end up needing/having in my kitchen in order to make pretty much anything from anywhere! I wish I would’ve had this list when I first started learning how to properly cook around the world, so I hope you find this list useful. Keep in mind that I eat almost a fully plant-based diet (aside from a few things… as you will see) so feel free to adjust, add on or delete items from this list according to your own dietary needs and desires. That being said, I always encourage everyone to consider the plant-based options as they’re generally (not always!) healthier, better for the animals and better for the planet. Enjoy and happy cooking!
P.S. These are just the bare essentials to get you started! If you want to dive in deeper, scroll down to see the list of extra items I like to have on hand to spice things up even further!
PRODUCE
Lemons
Limes
Apples
Berries
Avocados
Eggplant (they should stay on countertop, not in fridge)
Serrano peppers
Zucchini
Bell Peppers (I like red best)
Carrots
Potatoes
Tomatoes (countertop, not in fridge)
Cucumber (countertop, not in fridge)
Spinach
Romaine lettuce
Onions (yellow (or white) AND red)
Garlic
Ginger
Mushrooms (I like shiitake best)
Parsley
Cilantro
Mint
Basil
REFRIGERATED/FROZEN ITEMS
Organic extra firm tofu
Earth balance
Miso paste (red or white is fine)
Pasture raised eggs
Plant based milk (I prefer Oatly oat milk)
Beyond Meat Ground Meat
Beyond Meat Sausages
DRIED GOODS
Grains/Beans/Lentils:
Chickpeas (dried and canned)
Lentils (red and/or green, black)
Black beans
Rice (Basmati and/or Jasmine, Arborio)
Rice noodles (I like the Pad Thai noodles)
Pastas (I usually like to have a linguine or spaghetti and bowties or shells)
Oats
Granola
Cous Cous
Spices/Dried Herbs
Kosher salt
maldon salt
Cayenne pepper
Red chilli flakes
Herbes de Provence (Italian Blend)
Cumin
Turmeric
Chili Powder
Cinnamon
Black pepper grinder
Nutritional Yeast
Sesame seeds
Baking Essentials
Unbleached all-purpose flour
Corn starch
Sugar
Baking soda
Baking powder
Vanilla Extract
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Oils & Vinegars
Olive oil
Canola oil
Sesame oil
Coconut oil
Balsamic vinegar
Red wine vinegar
Rice vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Nuts & Seeds
Raw cashews
Almonds (raw or roasted, sliced or whole)
Peanuts
Chia Seeds
Miscellaneous
Soy sauce
Fish sauce
Tomato paste
At least 2 cans of crushed tomatoes
Peanut butter
Coconut milk
Honey
Maple Syrup
Hot sauce
Tahini
Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base
EXTRAS
Arugula
Seitan
Soba noodles
Quinoa, Farro, Orzo
Gochujang
Chili Oil
Kimchi
Hoisin Sauce
Oyster Sauce
Curry Paste
Nutmeg, fennel, cloves (honestly, all the spices!!!)
Tapioca Starch
Chickpea Flour
Tamarind Puree