All about staples. The food kind, not the office supply.

A couple weeks ago, I had a conversation with my friend Christian after he Googled “standard groceries” and “well-stocked kitchen” and came up empty-handed. I suggested “pantry staples” and did some searching on my own as to what a well-supplied pantry should have.

And when I saw Rachel of Food Maven had posted what she keeps her kitchen stocked with, I decided to do the same — because, again, I just love lists.

Not counting standard condiments and spices, we always have:

• coffee pods
• evaporated milk
• juice
• sugar (white and dark brown)
• unbleached white flour
• honey
• teas
• milk
• sandwich bread
• peanut butter
• Marshmallow Fluff
• carrots
• salted and unsalted butter
• garlic
• onions
• Parmigiano Reggiano
• 2 or 3 other cheeses
• seasonal fruits/vegetables (apples, potatoes, and winter squash, currently)
• cat food
• cereal and/or oatmeal
• medium-grain rice
• baking powder and baking soda
• olive and canola oils
• vinegars (usually balsamic, red wine, cider, and rice)
• canned beans
• canned tomatoes
• eggs
• peanuts and/or almonds
• some sort of meat
• tomato paste
• red wine

We usually have:

• Stella D’Oro breakfast treats
• cocoa powder and/or chocolate chips
• shallots
• sour cream
• brown rice
• guava paste
• Jarritos soda
• canned chiles
• jam/preserves
• dried pasta
• canned tuna
• lemons/limes
• kid-sized yogurts
• fritessaus
• bottled water
• lunch meat
• crackers
• bananas
• popsicles
• olives, pickles, cornichons, and/or capers
• candy

We sometimes have:

• tortilla chips, Kettle chips, or Pirate’s Booty
• frozen bagels
• whipped cream in a can
• ice cream

We rarely, if ever, have:

• fresh fruit/vegetables out of season (except bananas)
• frozen food/vegetables
• canned food/soup/vegetables
• pasta sauce in a jar
• salad dressing
• whole wheat flour
• soy “meats”
• anything with hydrogenated fat
• anything with high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweetener

We definitely never have:

• anything with red dye in it
• a reduced-fat or fat-free version of a regular food
• turnips

I really hope more people post this on their own blogs — it’s like an authorized snoop into your friends’ cabinets.