Staples

[sibyllevance]

I'm very much a beginner in all things kitchen so I tend to stick to recipes for the most part but obviously I can't work on recipes every day. I've just realized today while cooking 'by myself' (i.e. without a recipe) that I had some habits I frankly never realized I even had.
I almost always start by melting onions in a good chunk of salted butter, especially when I have no idea what I'm going to do. It seems like the right thing to do somehow (one of my housemates melts his onion exclusively in oil but I think I won him over just with the smell of mine).

So, what are your staples? Can be an ingredient or a 'foundation' for a recipe (frying onions for me)

Comments

[killing_rose]

I'm a college student, so my staples (usually) are shelf-stable or something that doesn't quite get icky in two weeks or so. Two weeks, by the way, is because I only get to the store that often.

I keep chickpeas for extra protein (when they're not making me sick) and nut butters of various flavors (at the moment, two different types of dark chocolate peanut butter, chunky pb, cinnamon raisin pb, and dark chocolate and cherry almond butter) for sandwiches, for adding to fruit, to thicken soups, for adding to stir fries and mock curries.

I try to keep eggs on hand, not for using on their own, but because even though I usually only cook vegan desserts, I've been caught without eggs a couple times and it's been...problematic for the dessert.

I always have celery, carrots, and onions. Also garlic, though I usually buy a jar at the beginning of the year because it's cheapest. I don't care what I'm making--those three things often complement whatever it is.

And I always have olive oil and white wine because between the two, I can cook just about anything.

Oh! Also, coconut milk for a variety of uses.

Hopefully, some of those help. (And lo, but I miss onions sauteed in butter. The oil/white wine combo provides really good flavors though.)