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

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