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The Essential Pantry: Building Blocks of Good Cooking
To become a good cook, you need only a few essentials: appetite, ingredients, a kitchen, some tools, and ideas about what to cook. Of these, appetite comes first-people who love to cook invariably love to eat. The desire for good food motivates them to become good cooks. But the true starting point for cooking well is having excellent ingredients.
The best sources for fresh, seasonal ingredients are farmers' markets and stores selling organic, local foods. Waters advises going to the market with an open mind before deciding what to cook. When you buy directly from producers, you can learn from them and influence what they grow. Ask questions about varieties, growing methods, and seasonality. Buy certified organic food when possible, and consider joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm for regular deliveries of fresh produce.
At home, foods fall into two categories: longer-lasting pantry staples and perishable fresh items. With a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator, you'll always have something to cook, regardless of who shows up hungry at your door.
Essential pantry staples include olive oil (both everyday cooking oil and special extra-virgin for finishing), unpasteurized wine vinegars, good sea salt (both coarse and fine), freshly ground black peppercorns, and spices like bay leaves, cumin, fennel seed, and dried chiles. Dried pasta, polenta, rice, beans, canned tomatoes, salt-packed anchovies and capers round out the non-perishable essentials. Baking supplies like unbleached flour, organic sugar, baking powder, vanilla, and yeast should be kept fresh and replenished regularly.
Perishable staples form the backbone of countless dishes. Garlic, onions, shallots, celery, carrots, olives, and fresh herbs are used daily in everything from salads to soups. Eggs are incredibly versatile-with them on hand, you can always make something to eat. Lemons brighten dishes at the last minute, while mustard adds heat and acid. A selection of cheeses-hard grating cheese like Parmigiano-Reggiano, melting cheese like Monterey Jack, and Gruyere for omelets-provides endless possibilities. Nuts, homemade chicken broth, butter, milk, good bread, and potatoes complete the essentials.
With just these staples, you can prepare a surprising variety of dishes without additional shopping: soups from chicken broth to gazpacho; rice dishes from plain rice to risotto; pasta with oil and garlic, anchovy and parsley, or tomato sauce; cheese souffles and omelets; various vegetable preparations; sauces from vinaigrette to mayonnaise; breads from pizza to cornbread; and desserts from custard to fruit tarts.
The right equipment makes cooking easier and more enjoyable. Waters recommends investing in quality knives (a paring knife, chef's knife, and bread knife), a large cutting board, heavy-bottomed pots and pans, earthenware baking dishes, mixing bowls, colanders and sieves, and a few specialty items like a food mill and pasta machine. Small tools like tongs, spatulas, wooden spoons, whisks, and measuring implements round out the essentials.
Organization is key to successful cooking. Before starting a recipe, read it completely to visualize the dish, then prepare your mise en place-bring ingredients to room temperature, prepare them as directed, gather equipment, and preheat the oven if needed. This preparation prevents chaos while cooking and offers aesthetic pleasure in its orderliness.
Mastering basic knife skills makes food preparation second nature. Chopping, dicing, mincing, julienne, and chiffonade are fundamental techniques that, once learned, become automatic extensions of your culinary thinking. With these skills and a well-stocked pantry, you're ready to transform simple ingredients into delicious meals.
