Great idea, I was just discussing this same thing with my daughter yesterday! She will need to outfit a kitchen in her apartment this fall, this will come in handy. Adding to your list:

Red Pepper Flakes

Pomi tomato products(we don't do cans)
Tube of tomato paste
Organic Mushroom Stock
Bouillon paste beef, chicken
Peanut Butter

Greek Yogurt plain
Parmesan Cheese

Red, yellow, orange peppers
Zucchini
Tuscan Kale
Mushrooms
Spaghetti Squash
Spinach
Lemons
Limes
Kiwi

Frozen Berry Mix

Red wine
White wine
Marsala Wine

Some additions

Kosher salt
A few different varieties of oil (peanut, grapeseed, walnut, sesame) and vinegar (red and white wine, rice)
Grey poupon mustard!!!
Anchovy paste
Agave nectar or honey
Organic chicken stock
Canned tuna and salmon
Almonds
Walnuts
Emergency pasta sauce (when no time to make fresh)
Chick peas for hummus
Mayo

Oh boy, forgot about nuts and jarred spaghetti sauce!

Pecans
Sunflower Seeds

Most of the above, plus:
Craisins
Celery
Chicken broth frozen in ice cube trays
V-8
Onion soup mix
Chocolate chip cookie dough wait that's a different thread

More cheese! The ones mentioned above plus

crumbled feta
crumbled blue
shredded Mexican blend for tacos, nachos and quesadillas

Always in my fridge.

This post was edited by deee on Fri, Apr 4, 14 at 8:12

bpathome- nah, CEFreeman will surely show up and cookie dough is always welcome!

I can't believe I forgot things on my list like
Peanut butter
Mayo
Ketchup
Mustard
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Lemon juice
Peanuts
Cashews
Onion soup mix
Taco seasoning
Peanut oil
Vegetable oil
Sesame oil

You know, its a good thing no one in my family has a peanut allergy! I probably wouldn't know how to run a completely peanut free kitchen.

Good vodka
lemon
ice
blender
Christopher Elbow chocolates

:)

"Good vodka"

Well, if we're going there, lol!

Mount Gay
Patron

I'm that house that would likely have none of your staples! We have a dairy intolerance and a nut allergy in our house, so our list is a bit different. We always have....
- the spices mentioned
- water
- tuna fish
- Dijon mustard
- olive oil
- Brianna's salad dressing
- hemp milk
- baking soda
- vinegar
- coffee
-tea

And that's it! We don't keep sugar or flour, butter or eggs, or any other baking needs. We've had people over to stay and I often have to go out in the morning to get sugar and creamer so people can have coffee! Part of it is that we have a small kitchen without much storage space, but the truth is that I find that I waste so much food unless I just buy what I specifically need. We are the family that has most "staples" go bad otherwise, because we just don't use them on a regular basis!

Chocolate chips
Ovaltine/ovamaltine (not for cooking, just 'cause we drink it)
S'mores fixin's
Flax seed (to counteract the s'mores)

I need to restock my kitchen so perfect timing on this post. Renovation was a year so I'm pretty much starting over.
Spices:
Ground mustard
Chili powder
Cumin
Belvita breakfast bars
Luna bars
Heinz ketchup - I bought Hunts once. DH asked "what's this bottle of divorce doing in the frig?"

Yes Hunts is pooh. I would rather go without ketchup and that is saying a lot.

Wow, your lists are a lot longer than mine. Like ktj459 we would have a lot of food going bad if I kept that much around. I'm sure I can't have a complete list because I can't remember it all.

Flour
Sugar
Baking soda
Baking powder
Olive oil
Vegetable oil
Balsamic vinegar
Spices
Salt
Oats
Raisins

Eggs
Butter
Milk
Yogurt
Ice cream

Peanut butter
Jelly
Cheese (the kind varies)
Bread

Frozen quiches
Jar of red sauce
Pasta
Two cans of chicken noodle soup

Pita chips
Popcorn

Three or four kinds of cold cereal

Fruit and vegetables (the types vary)

The funny part is my friend was missing most of the spices.

I wouldn't figure she would have as many food stores as I do, she lives alone and I cook for 6. I was just shocked when I opened her cabinet with spices in it. No parsley, oregano, basil, thyme, I don't think there were any herbs.

But she did have cookie dough...

Texas - if she had cookie dough...really, is there any need for ANYTHING else?

Truth be told, I don't always keep dried basil or thyme around. Although I do usually have some basil growing. :)

I believe in a well-stocked larder and have most of what's already listed and will add a few:
Dried ancho, chipotle, habanero peppers
Chipotle in adobo
Pre-mixed blackening and Cajun seasonings
Green chiles
Clams
Water chestnuts
Bamboo shoots
Campbell's Tomato soup
Walkers Jerk marinade
Variety of hot and BBQ sauces
Mango chutney
Capers
Frozen or tubed pesto
Garlic heads
Lemons, limes, oranges
San Marzano tomatoes
Linguini, fettuccine, capellini noodles
Wide variety of canned beans: canellini, garbanzo, red, northern
Frozen ginger chunks, pignoli nuts, home made chicken stock
Tortilla wraps, pita bread
Dried, tart cherries, apricots
Cranberry juice
Dry vermouth, brandy, dark rum

My mom is one of those who never keeps what I would consider "staples" on hand but always has cookies, ice cream, etc. I don't expect her to have the variety of flours I have, but a little AP flour and some spices besides garlic and onion salt would be nice.

My staples (going off OP's list):

Spices (either dried or fresh):
Rosemary
Oregano
Garlic
Basil
Oregano
Cayenne powder
Various dried homegrown peppers
Salt (iodized, sea salt, and pickling salt)
Ground black pepper
Marjoram
Thyme
Bay leaf
Cumin
Celery seed
Coriander seed (homegrown)
Mustard seed
Dry mustard
Dill weed
Dill seed
Peppercorns
Stick cinnamon

Edited to add baking spices I keep on hand but only really use at holidays:

Ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg
allspice
ground and whole cloves (I use these in pickles too)
anise seed (usually buy this once a year - not really a staple like the others)

Dry goods:
Flour (white, white bread, wheat, and wheat pastry)
Bisquick
Shortening
Sugar
Brown sugar (not a staple but I have it)
Powdered sugar (not a staple but I have it)
Mini Wheats and Special K
Quick and steel-cut oats
Penne
Rotini
Egg noodles
Rice (white and brown)
Canned tomato sauce (both storebought & homemade)
Canned whole tomatoes (homemade)
Canned pinto, black, and white beans
Peanut butter
Various homemade jams and jellies
Homemade applesauce and apple butter
Homemade pickles (sweet, dill and pickled peppers)
Various teas
Oh, and I do have some canned beef chunks I did in new pressure canner just in case we lost power this winter - which we didn't
And home-canned, chlorinated, and store-bought bottled water for emergencies

Refrigerated goods:
Milk
Butter
Eggs
Deli meat
American slices
OJ
lemon juice
Nellie and Joe's lime juice

Fresh fruits/veggies:
Garlic (minced, in water)
Apples
Carrots
Whatever else is in season - usually fridge is stuffed in the summer, we're considering an overflow fridge for the farm

Frozen goods:
Chicken thighs
A whole chicken or 2
A turkey or ham
Usually pork chops or small roast
Chili/stew beef
Ground Turkey
Salmon and/or tilapia filets
Shrimp and sometimes scallops if I catch them on sale
Clams or chowder if the guys dig a lot over the summer
Shredded mozzarella and Mexican blend
Peas
Green beans
Broccoli
Edamame
Tomatoes and sometimes peppers
Blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries and sometimes elderberries
pecans, walnuts, almonds and hickory nuts
Some kind of broth (though now that I have a pressure canner I may be canning more than freezing - but we tend to eat most as I make it, freeze the leftovers)
Try to keep coffee but keep running out since DH doesn't tell me until we're totally out
Cookie dough!
Usually a couple of pies, maybe some Christmas stollen

Miscellaneous:
Sunflower oil
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Red wine vinegar
white vinegar
cider vinegar
malt vinegar
rice wine vinegar
homemade raspberry white wine vinegar
Salsa (homemade)
Ranch dressing
Italian dressing
Homemade bread (always have a batch of dough going)
Baking powder
Baking soda
Cornstarch
Molasses
Candied ginger
Craisins
Raisins
Gulden's mustard
Heinz ketchup
Dried salmon flakes
Soy sauce
Hot pepper sauce (Frank's, Sriracha and homemade)
Quaker chewy granola bars
Goldfish and/or pretzels (though I'm out of both at the moment)

I also always keep frozen kielbasa, pre-cooked meatballs and breaded chicken breasts for Scout or track nights.

I'm not counting the quinoa pearl barley or bulgur as staples since I just bought them to try after DD liked a new hot cereal she sampled.

This post was edited by ajsmama on Sat, Apr 5, 14 at 9:24

There are lots of things that I have just because they last a long time, like brown sugar or various spices, but I don't consider them "have to haves". Going off the OP's list:

Deletions: oregano, bay leaf, brown and powdered sugar, white flour, most of the pasta, canned tomato sauce, canned pintos, cereal, deli meat, bananas, cheeses except mozzarella, cooking spray, white bread, ranch dressing, salsa. Not to say I don't buy these sometimes, I just don't consider them staples to always have and quickly replace.

Additions: In the pantry: jerk seasoning, curry powder, chili powder, vegetable/whole grain noodles or spaghetti, WW couscous, WW flour, lemons, cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, chicken broth, tuna, canned salmon, soy sauce, sesame oil, black tea including decaf; a variety of canned ready to eat soups (what I usually take to work for lunch) and condensed cream of mushroom/chicken/bean/pea, ground almonds, walnuts, sports drink mix, pizza crust mix
Oh, and just recently added cherry juice since it seems to reduce my arthritis

In the frig: feta cheese, parmesan, marinated vegetables, olive oil spread, yoghurt, lowfat sour cream, rice milk, mustard, mushrooms, squash, olives, multi grain bread or baguette

In the freezer: frozen vegetables (peas, haricot verts, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, mixed oriental style, spinach, turnip or other greens, field peas, pumpkin, fish, chicken thighs, bacon, some kind of beef (whatever was on sale) or pork tenderloin cut up into serving size pouches, frozen mixed fruit, polish sausage. I chose my refrig to get the largest freezer I could for the space I had.

I don't keep peanut butter simply because if I have it I will eat it, and only it, until it is gone.

Various flours
a bunch of spices
fresh parley
cilantro
mint
dill
peanut butter
Justin's chocolate hazelnut spread
in shell peanuts
pecans, walnuts
white sugar, brown sugar, splenda
ground coffee and espresso beans
tea
olive and grape seed oil
red, white and balsamic vinegar
brown and white rice
lentils, split peas (dry)
quinoa, couscous
canned garbanzo beans, chili beans, kidney beans, and black beans.
canned tuna (though dh doesn't want to buy anymore because of fukushima and radiation
some type of hot cereal (no cold cereal)
cocoa powder
chocolate chips, chocolate bars (for baking)
diced tomatoes and tomato paste
fresh garlic
potatoes
onions
some type of cracker
some type of granola bar
baking powder, baking soda, corn starch, bread crumbs
Refrigerator
Cream cheese
apples, oranges,
celery, cucumbers lettuce, bell peppers,
hummus,
american cheese slices
feta cheese
block of parmesan or romano cheese
various other cheeses
mayo
ketchup
soy sauce, rice vinegar,
variety of mustards
milk
butter
eggs
sour cream
plain greek yogurt
greek olives
lemons
sirracha
Freezer
Chicken (boneless skinless and whole chicken pieces)
ground beef
salmon
variety of frozen veggies
frozen pizza
ice cream
chicken stock
cooked chicken (for dog)

I thought my list would be short until I started writing this out.

We're mid-renovation, down to a bare-bones temporary kitchen with mini-fridge and no running water at hand (have to go upstairs for that). I've really narrowed down our staples to what we must have on hand to supplement our diet of takeout, restaurant leftovers and ready-to-eat foods (pasta salad, hummus) from the grocery stores:

Fridge: milk, half-and-half, 2-3 bottles beer, wine, yogurt, Parmesan, salad greens

In the plastic storage bin (aka "the pantry"): salt, pepper, three kinds of bottled salad dressing, mustard, ketchup, maple syrup, at least two types of nuts, dried fruit, oatmeal, a box of dry cereal, balsamic vinegar, cinnamon, one random can of soup, peanut butter, soy sauce

On the side table: crackers or rice cakes, bread, three or four different fresh fruits, tomatoes, an occasional avocado, coffee, tea, white potatoes, sweet potatoes

in the front vestibule, which is a secondary fridge space until the weather gets warmer: the rest of the beer, bottled water

This post was edited by zeebee on Fri, Apr 4, 14 at 21:07

romy718 Heinz ketchup - I bought Hunts once. DH asked "what's this bottle of divorce doing in the frig?"

That is hystericaI, am crying laughing!

Things that you will always see in my kitchen:

Spices/BakingStuff
-Coleman's Ground Mustard,Old Bay
-David's Kosher Salt,Peppercorns
-Italian Seasoning,Herbs de Provence,Cumin, Chili Powder, Pico de Gallo, Stubb's Spice Rub,Red Pepper Flakes, Coriander, Turmeric, Cinnamon S(sticks and ground), Whole Nutmeg, Parsley, Tarragon, Cloves (ground and whole), Ginger, Allspice,I could go on...
-Vanilla Extract, Almond Extract, Rum Extract, Molasses, Karo (Light and Dark), Powdered Sugar, Sugar, Flour, Corn Meal, Brown Sugars, Baking Powder and Baking Soda

Pantry
-Tomatos and potatoes (usually red skinned and not baking), Vidalia Onions (I grew up in GA, accept no substitutes), shallots, garlic
-Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves and Fig Jam, Orange Marmalade, Local honey
-Canned and Packaged Soups(for "sick" nights), Beef/Chicken/Fish Stocks (I'm lazy), Bottled Pasta Sauce (lazy nights)
-Canned Whole San Marzanos, Packaged Crushed and Diced San Marzanos, La Seur Young Peas, Corn, Various beans (pinto, black, chickpeas, etc)
-Panko and Bread Crumbs
-Rices (whole wild, white, Spanish for paella), thin spaghetti, couscous
-Raisin Bran, Grape-Nuts
-Peanuts (no salt), pistachios, almonds, local pecans
-PAM
-Thomas Gourmet Foods Marinades, Marsala Wine, Various Olive Oils, Balsamic Vinegars, Rice Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Truffle Oils, Almond Oil, Fish Oil, Vegetable Oil, Chili Oil, Lea&Perrins (Light and dark), Tabasco, Cholula (Regular and Chipotle), Soy Sauce
-Canned/Bottled San Peligrino, Club Soda, Dewer's, Stoli, Pinot Grigio (to be moved to fridge), Red wine

ALWAYS in my Fridge
-Bacon, Prosciutto
-Eggs
-Organic milk, creamer, butters
-Crumbled bleu and feta cheeses, block Cuba Cheese Shoppe Extra Sharp White Cheddar (thank you, Daddy!), mozzarella, block of Parmeggiano-Reggiano, shredded Parm
-Capers, prepared horseradish, pesto
-Duke's Mayos (my entire family is from Richmond, VA and I lived in SC for 20 years. I'd probably get arrested if I had anything else in my fridge), Heinz Ketchup, Grey Poupon, Ranch dressing, plain Chobani, Hummus, Robert's Famous Chicken Salad (from Robert's Market of course), Palmetto Cheese pimento cheese
-Carrots, celery, blueberries, strawberries (I freeze fresh ones for the off seasons), various fruits and veggies (lettuces, kale, melons)
-Chicken breasts and thighs
-Fresh caught salmon, drum, shrimp. Jumbo lump crab in the summer. All either from the dock or the seafood shop by my house.
-Homemade cheese straws and Callie's biscuits are in the freezer in case we have unexpected company.

Good thread Texas! I think if I had a kitchen at this moment, I'd have just about everything that's been mentioned already, including Mt. Gay & cookie dough! However, I'm where you're at Zeebee, but I think you have a lot more on hand than I do. I'm good w/ cream for my coffee, salad, avocado's, tomato's, roasted bell peppers, salad dressing & 2 gallon water jugs! Grab a roasted chicken or a pizza on my way home & I'm set.
Texas, I'm in Austin & if you're anywhere near & like cooking for others, when my kitchens finished, you're more than welcome to visit anytime. Fully stocked kitchen!!

bicyclegirl- keep it weird!! I'm about 7 hours away but I do have a cousin in law that is a trained chef living there. Sad thing is he makes more money working for Apple than he could starting as a chef.

HA!!! I hate that saying! Who makes that up for the city you live in?!?! I will say, we have a great many weird to go w/ that saying, tho!! That's too bad your cousin in law makes more money at Apple, than cooking...doing something he loves to do. Since you're not so close & he is, if he gets the itch to whip something up in a brand new kitchen, tell him to contact me!!

I don't know...he is pretty weird! ;). Sorry, couldn't help it.

"what's this bottle of divorce doing in the frig?"

that'd be me if I saw Heinz in the fridge!

I have olive oil, salt/pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and poultry seasoning

crackers, v8 juice, kidney beans, spaghetti and sauce, vegt refried beans

eggs, butter, cheese, chicken noodle soup, hunts ketchup, mayo

donuts or PNB cups - or both, pepsi

I've recently added tea bags, some sugar (1 lb bx) and some dairy creamer

I usually have some frzn rice and veggies, cooked chicken and a fzn dinner or 2 in the freezer. plus some leftovers from my sister

oh, I also now have powdered kale and chia seed 'flour' (powdered) - I put those in soup or mix in with a veggie burger mix.

yrs ago I kept more around but I seldom cook anymore.

Well, now I am thoroughly embarrassed. I've been priding myself on having a pretty good but not excessively stapled pantry, until DS and friend came by to bake cookies, and I had NO sugar. Huh? So off to the store they went. They came came back, start mixing, then...NO vanilla. Huh? These are STAPLES. Not like, oh, gee, I have no Belgian endive, no sorrel. SUGAR.

They should have gone to CEFreeman's, at least she has cookie dough already. Unless it's gone...