I love my fridge and pantry because every time I look inside, I see visions of the most delicious mouth watering meals I can cook and great times spent eating them!

There is no need to buy all the best brands when stocking your pantry - it can be relatively inexpensive.

Whether you purchase a generic brand or boutique brand (from the fancy grocers), the best thing is to purchase what you like best. The best meals are made with love after all and thats not an ingredient you can buy!!!

Your pantry mainly consists of dry products, baking goods, breakfast cereals, and condiments that you would normally buy to last you a few weeks.

Fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables, meats and dairy can be purchased as you need them and are generally purchased weekly or even daily in some cases.

Below is a list of essentials for basic cooking – if you are experimental or a gourmet chef, you may like to add more exotic items as you browse the aisles of the supermarket……don’t be afraid to be adventurous….give anything a go…if you see something that interests you, buy it and then search for ways to use it in your cooking.

We are so fortunate to live in a country where we can pretty much get any type of cuisine we want at reasonable prices – find what excites you - HAPPY COOKING!

Stocking the pantry - useful items

Baking

• Plain flour
• Self Raising Flour
• Caster Sugar
• Icing Sugar
• Baking Powder
• Cooking Chocolate
• Vanilla essence or vanilla beans

Oils and Condiments

• Breakfast Spreads (Vegemite/Peanut butter/Jam/Honey)
• Sauces (tomato/bbq/ Dijon mustard/mayonnaise)
• Vegetable Oil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Asian (Soy Sauce/Sweet Chili/Oyster/Fish)
• Balsamic Vinegar
• White Vinegar
• Tomato Paste

Dried Herbs and Spices

• Salt
• Pepper
• Mixed Herbs
• Chili flakes
• Cinnamon
• Allspice
• Stock – chicken, beef, vegetable
• Italian herbs

Have a look at the selection in store and choose what appeals to your taste buds

Pasta and Rice

• Spaghetti or Fettuccine (a long pasta)
• Penne or spirals or shells (a short pasta)
• White rice
• Arborio rice
• Cous cous
• Lasagna sheets

Tins and Jars

• Tuna and/or salmon
• Baked beans
• Tomatoes peeled whole or crushed
• Peaches or pears
• Chickpeas
• Cannellini beans
• Crushed Garlic (often good to have on hand)
• Pesto
• Olive paste

Nuts and Fruits

A selection of dried fruits and nuts for snacking/cooking

• Eg: almonds, apricots, sultanas, dates, pine nuts, walnuts

Other pantry items you may like to keep

• Coffee/tea/hot chocolate
• Cereals/muesli
• Biscuits - sweet and savoury
• Spray oil
• Cocoa
• Cooking wine
• Your favourite snacks!