KITCHEN STAPLES: BARE BONES BACHELOR
This list was inspired by my colleague Lance, who asked “Is there going to be anything on this blog for me?” Why yes sir, and here it is.
* Indicates items for which I recommend you buy the highest quality you can.
PANTRY:
Black Beans (it’s hard to make these taste bad)
Breadcrumbs
-Italian seasoned
Canola oil
Chicken stock*
Corn (canned)
Jam or fruit preserves
Maple syrup*
Olives (black or green)*
Olive oil*
Pasta (linguine is a good all-purpose noodle)
Peanut butter
Rice
Sugar
Tabasco
Tomatoes (canned)*
Tuna (canned)
Vinegars
-balsamic*
-plain white
Worcestershire Sauce (great for marinades)
REFRIGERATOR:
Barbecue sauce*
Bottled salad dressing
Butter
Dijon mustard*
Eggs (the most versatile ingredient of all time?)
Ketchup
Mayonnaise*
Pickles
Soy sauce (refrigerate after opening)
Blue Jean Gourmet 
voila! finally a structure that’s understood by engineers. you’re god-sent! xoxoxo
Nishta!
I recently bought some very good chicken stock for a paella I made, and wow was it good. I’m sold on the “buy the best quality stock you can” argument. Unfortunately, said very good chicken stock is sold only in large containers, and I have no doubt it will go bad quickly. Since I only need to cook myself one big, stocky meal a week, am I good to freeze the stock?
Freeze away, my friend! You can go two ways: freeze stock in a plastic container, leaving about an inch of room at the top for expansion. Or, you can pour the stock into ice cube trays & freeze–then, store the cubes in a Ziploc bag, so you can use only as many as you’ll need at a time. The latter is a bit more effort, but I find it pretty convenient. Glad I sold you on the high-quality stock argument! And yum paella! That’s one dish I’ve been nervous about trying at home. Any suggestions based on your experience?