The Well-Stocked Pantry

Momma LegalFoodie taught me that a well-stocked pantry is the secret to being a good at-home chef. If you keep these ingredients on hand, with some veggies and cheeses in the fridge and meats and fish in the freezer, you can pull a great weeknight meal practically out of your ass and impress people! Here is what I keep stocked in the pantry:

Canned diced tomatoes in assorted flavors
Tomato sauce and tomato paste
Salsa
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Mild green chiles
Diced jalapenos
Black beans
Chickpeas
Cannellini beans
Chili beans in hot sauce
Great Northern beans
Broths - chicken, beef, veggie
Chicken boullion cubes
Canned artichokes
Water chestnuts
Baby corn
Jarred marinated artichokes
Jarred sundried tomatoes
Jarred roasted red peppers
Anchovies
Rices - brown, white and assorted rice pilaf mixes (I like the Near East brand)
Couscous
Egg noodles - skinny and wide
Pastas - one long (like linguine), one short (like penne), and one tiny(like orzo)
Panko breadcrumbs
Italian style breadcrumbs
Cornmeal
Flour
Sugar
Cornstarch
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Thai chili sauce
Sriracha
Asian fish sauce
Rice vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
White wine vinegar
Red wine vinegar
Pear or other fruit vinegar
Olive oil
Peanut oil
Dark sesame oil
Canola or vegetable oil
Pine nuts
Peanut butter
Maple syrup
Dijon mustard
Honey
A solid spice rack: fleur de sel, black peppercorns, cayenne, cumin, coriander, thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, dill, herbs de provence, an Italian seasoning blend, poultry seasoning, bay leaves, lemon pepper, seasoned salt, paprika, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, whole nutmeg, saffron, chili powder, vanilla extract