Pantry Essentials Shopping List

As soon as you get the cooking bug, you're going to want to become as good at it as you can get and to eat food that tastes as good as you can make it, as quickly as possible.

To do that, you'll need the right kitchen equipment, plenty of practice and cupboards full of good, basic ingredients. All that nonperishable stuff that sits in your cupboard, waiting for you to come home and cook, is really important because that's what's going to help make your food taste great. If you buy yourself a nice piece of cod, beef or chicken, you can take it to Spain, Italy, Morocco or China just by using certain herbs or spices from your cupboards. That's what's so exciting about cooking.

It's good to remember that there's nothing substandard about canned tomatoes, canned tuna or frozen fruits and vegetables. Things like frozen peas are picked at their best and preserved that way until you use them. Unless you're picking them from your garden, you'll have to go a long way to get a tastier and more nutritional pea than a frozen one.

The moral of the story is: Use the list. Go and buy it all. It won't cost the earth, and it's not going to go bad. It will sit happily in your cupboard or freezer for months. Having these basics will allow you to do more exciting things with your food. The truth is, there should be enough in your stores to get you out of trouble if you get snowed in...so stock up!

Get the complete list

Whole grain mustard Extra-virgin olive oil Sesame oil White wine vinegar Bread flour Whole wheat flour Baking powder Dried yeast Superfine sugar Brown sugar Confectioner's sugar Unsweetened cocoa powder Chow mein noodles Canned cannellini beans Canned kidney beans Canned tuna Canned coconut milk Anchovies Quick-cook couscous Basmati rice Brown rice Oatmeal

Honey Maple syrup Almonds/hazelnuts or mixed nuts Mixed seeds Chicken, vegetable and beef broth stock cubes Jarred pesto Ketchup Tabasco sauce Mayonnaise Dijon mustard English mustard Olive oil Canola oil Red wine vinegar Balsamic vinegar All-purpose flour Cornstarch Dried pasta Canned garbanzo beans Canned tomatoes Baking powder Soy sauce Worcestershire sauce Plain crackers—unsalted saltines

SPICES Ground cinnamon Chile powder Dried oregano Ground cumin Ground coriander Curry powder Smoked paprika Five-spice powder Sea salt Black peppercorns

FROZEN STUFF Peas Sugar snap peas Green beans Sweet corn Fruits Raw shrimp

Get Jamie's must-have kitchen utensil list