The Pantry
I’ve never actually had a pantry here in Manhattan so when I return from the food store each week, I try to find a few spots around my kitchen to nestle in the extra jar of tomato sauce, the bag of quinoa, the pouch of sun-dried tomatoes and so forth. I realize some of you may actually have a pantry aside from those of you who, like myself, live in a city on an island that doesn’t really cater to the stay-at-home cook. I thought it would be fun to share a few items I love to have on hand – tucked somewhere in between my blender and food processor.
For starters, if you’ve read my first book, Eating Clean, then you know it’s been a challenge for me to eat any sort of packaged foods throughout the last two decades. My body literally swells up and it takes me a few weeks, sometimes even a month, to reset back to my normal state of being. I’m sensitive – quite sensitive to the typical pantry ingredients such as table salt and other inflammatory odds n’ ends that are often tossed into packaged foods. That said, I’m often asked what food brands are lurking in my pantry because if I can eat it and feel wonderful afterwards, chances are it’s probably incredibly clean.
So, without further ado, here is my go-to list of the foods I love to use on a weekly basis – let’s pretend I have a pantry even though we all know by now that it’s more of a makeshift pantry scattered throughout my kitchen. It works for me!
You’re welcome to take a peak into my Fridge + Freezer for how I store some of these items once they’re opened.
Condiments
Nuts + Seeds
These are stored in my pantry then once opened, they go into my Freezer.
Sesame Seeds (this brand is perfect for making tahini)
Baking
Grains + Beans
Spices
These are my favorites. For the full list see THE SPICES + HERBS.
The Basics
Tea Bags
