Taking and Making Stock

Plus, Udon Soup with Shiitakes, Cabbage and an Egg Yolk

After a deep pantry clean the weekend before last, I feel a renewed sense of purpose, I have principles again! I’m organized, I’ve taken inventory and promised myself that no new bag of pasta or beans will be open until the half-used ones are put to use. No condiments are to be bought until jars are truly empty and, generally being more resourceful about using what we have, which given what I do for a living keeps my shelves pretty full. Cooking within (loose) constraints is my happy place and often where I find creativity.

Photo by Tara Donne, Prop Styled by Rebecca Bartoshesky for Colu Cooks: Easy Fancy Food

For helpful reference here are some of my must-have items in my pantry and fridge for pulling together meals. Six of these are used in today’s recipe (onion, garlic, ginger, udon, soy sauce, and eggs).

• BEANS: You know by now that I’m crazy for dried beans and specifically the ones from Rancho Gordo. Their taste is infinitely superior. But canned beans are also smart to have on hand as they allow you to pull together dishes quickly if you haven’t thought ahead. White beans with some broth and greens make a satisfying lunch or dinner. Black beans with rice or turned into a soup with cumin and onion and a spoonful of sour cream are equally hearty. Plus so much more!

• CANNED TOMATOES: Perfect for pasta and pizza sauce, they are also a dependable staple for pulling together chilies, braises, and even straight up tomato soup. My favorite brands are Bianco DiNapoli and Mutti.

• PASTA AND NOODLES: I suggest having a few types of dried pasta in the pantry such as the long and lean varieties like linguine and bucatini, and one with texture and one with a tube, such as rigatoni and fusilli. Ideally, I also have a small cut on hand, such as ditalini or fregola, which work well for brothy soups. Asian noodles such as soba, udon, ramen, and rice noodles are also lovely for soups, salads,

  and stir-frys.

• NUTS: Nuts add texture when toasted and tossed in salads, add a nice crunch to roasted vegetables, and are interchangeable in pestos. I usually have unsalted almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios all within easy reach, but even two types will suffice.

• RICE AND GRAINS: I generally have white, both long-grain and short-grain, as well as Arborio for risottos. I also love nutty farro for the base of a grain salad as well as for many other things.

• TINNED FISH: Italian tuna in olive oil! Anchovies! Sardines! Smoked trout! These

  can all be meals on their own served on toast, but they also oomph-up pasta dishes when sautéed with lots of garlic and olive oil, as well as make good pizza toppings. White beans stirred into some broken down anchovies in lots of oil served with a hunk of bread and a glass of wine is one of my favorites meals.

• EGGS: Brown or white, up to you, but always large. Breakfast for dinner is never a bad idea. Make a frittata, fry an egg and put it over leftover pasta, or poach one and put it on a grain salad. If you have eggs in the fridge you have a meal in minutes. Like vegetables and meat, buy them locally if you can.

• CONDIMENTS: Clearly you don’t need to have all of these pickles, pastes, and preserves, but I do often rely on them heavily to amp up my weeknight dinner game. Here are some of my favorites: Calabrian chili paste, Castelvetrano olives,

  chili crisp, harissa paste, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, kimchi, lime pickle, Maille cornichons and Dijon mustard, miso paste, preserved lemon, Red Boat

  fish sauce, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, tahini, and tomato paste.

• SPICES: You don’t need a million spices lurking about, but you do want to make sure that they are fresh, not sitting in a drawer for over a year getting dusty for lack of use. Keep it simple and straightforward. My go-tos are cinnamon, ground cumin, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, dried mint, garam masala, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, sesame seeds, smoked paprika, turmeric, and za'atar.

• ALIUMS & GARLIC : Yellow onions, red onions, shallots, green onions, and garlic and are essential to have around. They make up the backbone of a lot of meals. Additionally, onions and shallots make for a great side dish, cut into wedges and roasted on a sheet pan alongside chicken, sausage, or fish.

• CITRUS AND GINGER: I have an overflowing bowl in my fridge filled with lemons, limes, ruby red grapefruit, and ginger, so it’s all in one place within close reach.

What would you add to the list?