The Pantry

My pantry is rather simple, stocked with basic foods to work from and tasty condiments like olive paste, chutneys, preserved figs, and chili paste—things to use at a moment’s notice for a quick bite or as a seasoning for soups or pastas. I have a wide variety of oils—11 in my refrigerator at this moment—and vinegars, a selection of olives, herbs and spices, always a large hunk of good Parmesan cheese. A varied supply of pasta, rice, and grains is on hand and there’s always a variety of flours in the refrigerator. A few canned and frozen items that I have found quite useful at times are chick-peas and white beans, peas, and artichoke hearts. A cross section of my freezer would reveal frozen logs of herb butters, tins of nuts, bags of roasted green chilies, some frozen breads and perhaps a pie shell or cookie dough. _