The Capsule Pantry - 50 Items, Thousands of Recipes
The Capsule Pantry - 50 Items, Thousands of Recipes
Overstuffed pantries begone
Welcome to the Capsule Pantry. Much like a capsule wardrobe, this is a small list of key ingredients that forms the basis of thousands of recipes that I send out every single Wednesday.
This is designed to cut down your waste. I don’t advocate owning five different types of dried pasta when one will do. The same goes for rice, pulses, and beans. I want to slim down your pantry and make every single ingredient in there count. I want your pantries to be free of weird ingredients bought for one dish 18 months ago. Although if you still have multiple cans of everything adorning your cupboard, then by all means use them up! And I’ll help you do that.
Some chef notes:
You will probably already own many of these ingredients, especially if you live in Europe, the US or Australia (perhaps less so in an Asian, Chinese or African kitchen).
We’re all about flexibility here. This is a guide and you can substitute anything depending on your dietary requirements and preferences. If you’re vegan for instance, you’re going to want to skip the yogurt and cheese. If you like to cook Thai you might want to add coconut milk or lemongrass.
With this capsule pantry, you have the basis recipes from myriad cultures including Italian, British, American, Greek, Chinese, Turkish, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Lebanese, and Georgian (and more).
The Capsule Pantry
Download a printer-friendly version here
Dried goods
Flour - strong white (GF alt. - gluten-free white flour like this one)
Long grain rice
Risotto rice
Polenta
Almonds (NF alt. - seeds like pumpkin or sunflower)
Walnuts (NF alt - see above)
Egg Noodles (GF alt. - rice noodles)
Dried pasta (GF alt. - gluten free pasta)
Good quality olive oil
Cooking olive oil
Stock cubes
White sugar
Dried yeast
Fridge
Plain yogurt (DF alt. - coconut or your favorite dairy-free yogurt)
Parmesan cheese (DF alt - your favorite vegan cheese like those from Violife)
Eggs
Chorizo
Tomatoes
Lemons
Cucumbers
Ginger
White onions
Garlic
Cheddar cheese
Potatoes
Butter
Sauerkraut
Canned goods
Passata / chopped tomatoes
Peanut butter
Tahini
Chickpeas
White beans
Dried herbs & spices
Oregano
Mint
Dill
Ground cumin
Fennel seeds
Smoked paprika
Chili flakes
Sea salt
Black peppercorns
Condiments
Light soy sauce
Dark soy sauce
Hot sauce
Toasted sesame oil
Mustard
Good quality vinegar (sherry, white wine or balsamic are preferential)
Freezer
Peas
Broad beans
Sweetcorn