#caringforyourselfwhenyourparenssuckatit

[el-the-cell]

Stuff to have at home at all times for cooking masterpost (from an italian student).

FRESH

For whatever's sake BREAD. Always have bread. You can make it yourself, you can buy a gigant loaf and stick it in the freezer or buy it every morning together with the paper like ur grandpa, idc just have bread.

Olive oil and butter. Stock-buy both: you can put the butter in the freezer. You can also buy 5l canisters of olive oil.

Onions, or spring onions, when available: they are the official 2 for the price of 1. Prepare soffritto with the white part, add the green part in the end. Also garlic.

Eggs. Easiest thing to cook (just boil them, no need to make a pan dirty just to scramble them). Are also useful for a lot of other recipes. Also, if your eggs are fresh and you are tired, not disgusted and not afraid of salmonella you can wash an egg, poke two holes on both ends and drink it.

Buy whatever vegetables you can get your hands on; it doesn't matter which. Try to find cheap fresh things at ur supermarket, and buy seasonal fruits and vegs. Try not to buy the pre-packaged ones, because you cant choise exactly what u want and the older or crappier things will be stuck in pre-packaged stuff. If you want you can go to the farmer's market. This can be tricky because there are two types of farmer's markets: the fancy ones and the reasonable ones. If there is a big immigrant community (for example from turkey) in your city, just go to the markets they go to, there will most likely be good quality food at a decent price. Be careful with mushrooms, they're always a scam.

You should strive to never run out of salad greens, potatoes and carrots. Buy zucchini, aubergines and tomatoes whenever u get a chance.

Fresh lemon, then any fuit that is not too messy to eat: apples, and oranges in winter, whatever u like in summer. (I vouch for grapes)

BTW, make jam, kompott and stuff like that if u want, then give it to neighbors, flatmates, friends and family in winter: it helps your social status more than u would expect.

For fresh spices: buy a BIG bunch of parsley ONCE, cut it, put it in a jar in the freezer and scrape it off when u need it. Now u dont have to deal with cutting parsley. Ginger is good. Also, have a basil plant .

Have parmigiano, pecorino, some fresh spreadable cheese, and ham/diced pancetta. Also milk for or yogurt for breakfast and cooking if you want. And remember: buy mozzarella; the caprese is your friend in hot, lazy summer days.

Also: buy ground meat, make ragout, stick it in the freezer, survive, thrive, enjoy life.

NOT FRESH

Boullion cubes: always have them, if you want to add the right amount of tastiness and salt just crumble it into the pan and add the water later.

At least some pasta, for when u dont have time. Then rice, and cereals that u can boil and eat like emmer, barley and (personal niche preference) buckwheat; these serve as perfect side carbs to your boiled vegs.

Olives and dried tomatoes in olive oil, and salted capers.

canned tuna, canned or bottled tomato sauce.

Dried beans, lentils, chickpeas.

A shitload of salt, sugar, and flour.

oregano, pepper, dried chilli peppers, soy sauce (if u like), baking powder, + any spice u use a lot.

Great, now you only need to buy the fresh stuff and whatever runs out, and you are settled.