What do the cooks of Taste have in their pantries?
Rick Nelson: I'm a baker, so a few flours (all-purpose, cake, bread) and sugars (granulated, brown, powdered), yeast, vanilla extract, baking powder and baking soda, plus a shortlist of spices and seasonings (ground cinnamon, whole nutmeg seeds, ground ginger, ground cardamom) and a few different chocolate bars. I've also stocked molasses, unsweetened cocoa and several bags of pecans, walnuts and other nuts. And I always have at least two rolls of parchment paper on hand, just in case.
Lee Svitak Dean: I rely on all sorts of pasta shapes and sizes and types of rice, enough to make a different meal for weeks on end. There's wild rice and other grains, too (freekeh and barley, among them). Spaghetti sauce and canned tomatoes are a must. Dried mushrooms, mustards and other condiments are necessities, as are olive oil and vinegars. Also, canned and dried beans of all sorts for soups and stews, plus seafood in cans (clams, tuna). And simmer sauces to cook vegetables and protein, and peanut butter, of course.
Sharyn Jackson: Beecause I have a 2-year-old, and don't want to hear "more Cheerios, please" on repeat, I keep my pantry well stocked with kid-friendly foods. Yes, a family-size box of cereal is always there. So are oats, nuts and maple syrup, which I use to make oatmeal muffins and other easy, healthy treats. We love pasta, so you'll find lots in my cabinet. Instead of buying boxes of mac and cheese, I keep a jar of powdered Vermont white Cheddar for a quick cheese sauce for him, tubes of anchovy paste and tomato paste for me.
