The pantry
Ingredients
Notes on the staples — what to keep on hand, what to look for at the store, and how long things actually last in a real cupboard.
The basics
A short note on salt
Diamond Crystal kosher, fine sea salt, flaky finishing salt — three jobs, three salts.
Oils
Olive oil: cooking, finishing, and the gap between
You probably want two bottles, not one. Here is how to choose them.
Acids
Vinegars worth keeping
Sherry, red wine, rice, apple cider — what each is good at, and what to skip.
Pantry
Choosing dried pasta
Bronze-die, slow-dried, rough surface. Three words that quietly explain everything.
Pantry
On dried beans (and why we have come around)
Texture, flavor, cost. The case is short. The cooking is patient.
Pantry
Canned tomatoes, ranked plainly
Whole peeled, hand-crushed. The rest is preference.
Dairy
Butter: cultured, salted, European
The differences, the price, and when each one is worth it.
Dairy
Eggs at room temperature, and other small mercies
Why temperature changes baking, and how to fake it in a hurry.
Produce
Storing herbs so they last the week
Parsley in a jar of water, basil on the counter, mint in a damp towel.
Baking
Flour: all-purpose, bread, semolina, 00
A short, useful glossary for cooks who bake occasionally.
Spices
The fifteen spices we actually use
A shorter list than yours, probably. And how to know when they’re too old.
Produce
Lemons: zest, juice, preserved
Three uses, three different fruits. We never have fewer than four on the counter.