5 Things Every Kitchen Should Have

[jerry i h]

Saw Hell's Kitchen, and there was a great vignette on 5 things every kitchen should have. Problem: that SOB talks so fast, I did not get the whole list. Still, I agree 100%, and here is the list:
*dried pasta
*fresh tomato
*shallots
*extra virgin olive oi
*salt
with these, you can cook almost anything. What are your 5? BTW, what was Ramsey's 5?

[FoodFuser]

Ramsey is limiting my response with a ceiling of 5. Could I encourage us to lift the limit to 50?

[easily amused]

spinach
garlic
rice
shrimp
olive oil
pasta
Could NOT make a list without Garlic??...with Parmasan as an extra

[pikawicca]

Obviously, you can't have fresh tomatoes all year round, so your list doesn't work.

[chef chicklet]

chicken
eggs
lemon
soy sauce
potatoes

[lulubelle]

Personally, I would have to vote in favor of my maid/cook. It's much nicer having a kitchen where someone cleans up after you and does all the boring stuff like washing the veggies and peeling things.

[steve h.]

lulubelle,
washing/peeling things, cooking and then cleaning up is one of life's little pleasures. as a guest, i'll gladly wash dishes and swab floors if the cook is good and entertaining. i like to contribute.

[lulubelle]

You can come over any time and swab the floors, I am nothing if not entertaining!
(however, the maid is still going to wash the veggies, where I live, doing it wrong can result in SERIOUS health issues)

[jeremyn]

Where do you live?

[lulubelle]

Bangladesh.

[thursday]

Bread
wine
olive oil
sea salt
garlic

[jeniyo]

salt
garlic
olive oil or butter
eggs
anchovies

[Claudette]

soy sauce
kosher salt
garlic
olive oil
chocolate

[kubasd]

onions, eggs, cholula, spinach, cheese

ugh that sounds like one dish.... but it's true

[Sam Fujisaka]

rice
fish or soy sauce
green onions
toasted sesame oil
chiles
limes

[snoboardbabe77]

olive oil-full and extra virgin
garlic
kosher salt and pepper mill
cheese
pasta

[bayoucook]

no fair Sam, that's six things!

[Sam Fujisaka]

Good gosh, I can't count! And I can't get rid of one of the six either!

[jerry i h]

Ummm, Sam, you are cheating even more. You list:
"fish or soy sauce". Nukmam and shoyu certainly are NOT interchangeable. Would you use fish sauce for chicken teriyaki, or shoyu on Vietnamese beef soup??

[Sam Fujisaka]

I'm a known cheat!! I really did put up seven rather than five items. But I can get by pretty well with one of the other: I'd just have to make either lots of dishes that use nuoc nam OR lots of dishes that use shoyu. I would ever be able to choose one over the other, however.

[jmullen1251]

i feel so repetitive!
pasta
olive oil
canned tomatoes
cannellini beans
garlic

[jmckee]

Olive Oil
Salt
Lemons
Rice
Onions

[greygarious]

Eggs
Bacon
Cheese
Onion
Bread

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Olive Oil
Garlic
Dried Pasta
Canned Tomatoes
Kosher Salt

[opehlia payne]

Olive oil
sea salt
garlic
tamari
onions

[Phoo_d]

Mine would be:

Lemon
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Phoo-D
http://www.phoo-d.com

[six dower]

olive oil
eggs
sea salt
bread
wine

[NYchowcook]

Mine would be:
olive oil
garlic
shallots
canned tomatoes
and. . . a dishwasher!

[bayoucook]

Butter
Eggs
Salt
Pasta
Cheese

[PamelaD]

the basics...
olive oil
sea salt
garlic
fresh lemons
eggs

[salsailsa]

mine would be

eggs
garlic
onion
flour
butter