A Fall Pantry Checklist
Is Pantry porn a thing? A video tour of my cook-friend Colu's 4-star pantry, why it's time to throw out your expired beans, and honoring the one tiny space that's a microcosm of HOME.
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This is not my pantry, but I wish it was.
When the seasons change, no closet, cabinet, or cupboard is safe from my prying/tidying/organizing mania. Because this newsletter is inspired by my most beloved tiny Brooklyn apartment, I’m never not exploiting surveilling every little spec of space and how we live here with both efficiency + expansiveness in mind. And, also how completely satisfying this way of life can be, too.
Most often, this comes down to: How do I make a small, inconvenient, or awkward space more useful + more pleasing if I have to see it or use it everyday? This is the drill for my foyer, my closet, my medicine cabinet, bookshelves…and definitely, my pantry, too.
My fingers, my pantry 😬. Background 🎼 courtesy of a nearby airplane.
I 100% dream of someday having a floor-to-ceiling kind of TV show pantry—where every member of the family can, at any point in the day, reach in and grab their favorite bag of snacky things. For now though, we have three small separate cabinets where I keep all my shelf-stable foods and anything else my disaster-proofing heart absolutely MUST have on hand if, for some reason, I can’t get to the store (ie: organic instant coffee, the best gluten-free spaghetti, the hot sauce that makes ANYTHING taste smoky/spicy/yummy (links ⬇️).
Since running out of tomato sauce always seems to be on my mind (and I just discovered a coterie of expired bean cans that were lurking in the back), I decided with the change of season, I wanted to get more serious about making my pantry more efficient + more resourceful in giving me the basics but ALSO a few new things I could use to make week-day meals a little more sexy. So, I called my friend Colu Henry—an award-winning recipe creator, cook, author, and world-class friend, too. Someone who can whip up a Spaghetti Antalina with her eyes closed…or just with bean goggles on. Watch me and Colu, below, in a deep pantry discussion, which also includes vintage Ferragamo, and the importance of a bean club (which comes with a calendar, too!).
You might remember a few summers ago, we visited Colu and her husband Chad at their 200-year-old farmhouse on the edge of the ocean in Nova Scotia.
They’ve been lovingly renovating their home there for several years now, and we were lucky to see it in process, eat their beautiful food (using an outdoor pizza oven!). Colu also gave me permission to clean up a little corner for her so she had a peaceful and pretty spot to write.
But back to pantry priming, especially NOW as the seasons/temps are officially shifting. I asked Colu to share all the notes on what makes her top pantry staples as well as what makes her pantry so inspiring and rife with meal-making magic. So, let’s get into it…:
The Short-List of Colu’s Pantry Staples
Mutti or Bianco DiNapoli—”Both wonderful options for canned/tinned tomatoes.”
Rancho Gordo Beans—”The very best dried beans! With a bean club! The Royal Corona are my absolute favorite, which I use almost weekly.”
Rummo Pasta—”Not only amazing pasta, but the best gluten-free I’ve encountered.”
California Olive Ranch—”The greatest/most versatile olive oil for everyday cooking.”
Tonnino and Fish Wife—”Two incredible brands of tinned fish to keep on hand for salads, toasts, mixing in with pasta.”
Mary’s Gone Crackers—”Along with always having some kind of Mariani dried fruits and nuts on hand, this is my go-to cracker for adding to my lunch or having around for last-minute cocktails with friends.”
Parmesan cheese—”Parmesan can stay fresh for a longtime in your fridge, and when you’re done with a hunk, throw the rinds in the freezer for adding to soups and stews this winter, too. They add tons of flavor, so never throw them away!”
ATA: I’m kind of shit at food shopping, so where are your favorite places to shop for your pantry? IE: What are the best things to get from places like Costco and what are the best things to buy when you travel (ie: bags of beans?? spices? Coffee?).
Colu: “I’m always dropping in at local food or specialty markets either in my town or when I’m on the road. It’s a nice practice to support local businesses with an expertise or specialty in something like wine or fish when we can. On the flip side, Amazon can sometimes be most ideal because it’s enormously helpful to have special items delivered that might not be available at your local grocery store. I live in Hudson, New York, and Amazon can be the only accessible resource for locating obscure items that I often need and can’t find locally for recipe development. I’m not a huge Costco person, but we do have a membership in Nova Scotia, mostly for jars of Mutti passata, which we use a lot when we're making wood-fired pizzas.”
ATA: I know you travel a lot, do you like to bring any kinds of foods home with you routinely from other cities/places?
Colu: “Truthfully, when traveling, it’s usually wine I’m bringing home—I once made it back from Provence with a case of wine smuggled in my suitcase. But, I also do love grabbing tinned fish, and yes, if there is a spice that is known for being from a specific region I’m visiting, you bet your bottom dollar I’m taking some home with me.”
ATA: For beginner or home cooks like me who are really most wanting to have a handful of dishes we can make quickly and really well from our favorite pantry things, what are a few of your recipes that you would recommend? And maybe make for me the next time we come to dinner?
Colu: You bet! My Pasta e Ceci is one of my most popular recipes, and it all happens in one pot, which is the holy grail of everyday cooking for most of us. Also, my recipe for White Bean and Savory Cabbage Stew with Big Cheese Croutons is always a hit, especially with the colder months on the way…it’s both comforting and very riff-able.”
ATA: Speaking of our pantries, the fridge is an extension of that, so what are some things (with links if you don't mind sharing) that you always have in your fridge? For me it's good mustard, capers, anchovy paste, butter, fresh lemon juice, gluten-free bread and an assortment of hard cheeses that work for cocktail hour or a quick/yummy grilled cheese sandwich.
Colu: “I couldn't agree more, our fridges sound very similar. I always have a variety of citrus, pecorino cheese, as well as some other hard and soft cheeses, cornichons, Maille Dijon mustard, a variety of chili crisp—this is currently my favorite, pickled peppers, pancetta ’nduja, fresh/frozen ramen noodles, good butter, Chinese black vinegar, and good eggs. Stocked with enough to pull together a last-minute cocktail party or make pasta Carbonara.
ATA: “Any other pantry wisdom you can share, organizationally or otherwise?”
Colu: “Well, I think it’s a wonderful practice to clean and tidy your pantry like you might with your closet at the turn of every season, the way we unpack our sweaters or break out bathing suits when it gets hot. You want to be aware of what’s in your pantry, and also going in there for a good clean-out provides all this FRESH inspiration for cooking and revamping your usual go-to meals (which we know can get really, really boring). It’s also important to stay on top of/dispose of those expired cans of whatever. A working pantry should feel tight, and knowing what ingredients are in there—as well as what you need/are craving—is half the battle of making good use of them.”❤️
Last but not least! My own favorite pantry things, too. The stuff I ALWAYS have on-hand, foods/ingredients that make me feel most at home, no matter what season it is. Clockwise from top left…
Momofuku ramen noodles—The most beautiful and flavorful ramen noodles I make pretty regularly for Kevin and Raffi…it’s comfort food at its best, especially adding in some fresh spinach, peas, and scallions.
Kettle & Fire bone broth—Growing up, my mom was always cooking soup for the week ahead. And, like most of us, making a big pot of soup when it gets cold out is more of a meditation than anything else (it also makes great use of older veggies you want to use before you lose). Having this broth on hand, especially in the smaller boxes makes it super easy to whip up a quick/hearty soup without going crazy if I don’t have tons of time to make broth from scratch, which let’s be honest, I rarely do:).
Peanut Butter & Co. Crunch Time—I’ve tried them all, and this one is my favorite. I am a huge PB&J eater, and love adding spoonfuls to ice cream, too. I never want to live in a world w/out crunchy peanut butter…NEVER.
Eden Organic Garbanzo beans—My Italian grandmother always made me pasta e cice and these beans are the most similar to the ones she used. I miss her and her cooking all the time…hence, I ALWAYS have several cans on hand.
Sahadi’s dried Fava beans & nuts—The Middle-Eastern market around the corner from us in Brooklyn is a mecca of delicious, beautiful foods and ingredients for any pantry. Their dried beans and roasted nuts are must-haves.
UnReal Peanut Butter Cups—I love this company of slightly more virtuous (ie: healthier) sweets and chocolates, and we basically always have these in stock or floating around in my handbag for hangry humans.
Mount Hagen Organic Instant Coffee—One of the things I love most in the world is morning coffee. This instant version is truly delicious and critical to have on hand if we accidentally run out of fresh coffee beans.
Tsubi Yellow Miso Soup w/Veggies—These dehydrated cubes of WONDER add deliciousness and delight to a pot of rice or a quickie lunch. I am obsessed with them and always bring a few packets on plane rides, too, for having something nourishing if nothing nourishing is available.
Fish Wife Tinned Fish—In ALL the varieties. I also love Matiz and Patagonia for other tinned treats, too.
Solely Dried Pineapple—I’m not sure how, but dried organic pineapple has become one of my favorite things to eat when I want something sweet that’s not chocolate. Raffi now adores it, too.
Aplos Chili Margarita—This non-alcoholic elixir is a special treat in the afternoon when I’ve been writing all day and need a little replenishing moment to myself. I’m obsessed with it…and it’s equally delicious if you fancy a splash of tequila in it, too.
Shaquanda Will Feed You Hot Sauce—My very dear friend Andre created this line of sauces that are truly BEST-in-class when it comes to delicious, complex artisanal hot sauce. I always have a few different kinds of in my pantry and often buy it for friends, too.
Sogno Toscano Gluten-Free spaghetti—I’ve tested them all, and this one has the most rich flavor and a solid al dente consistency. Such a winner if you favor gluten-free like me.
Of course, if you’re more into cool, essential clothes than Pantry things these days, we’ve got those, too, right here in A Tiny Shop, and on my brand-new ShopMyCloset, too. Don’t forget, if you buy something we might earn a (tiny) commission. If you made it this far, whoa, huge THANK YOU, and see you next week! xxCb
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I love you, I love this! The most fun with the bestest. Let's do it again!
May I add Trader Joe's tinned fish to this list? It is SO good and the price is kind of insane for that quality. Smoked Trout and Lightly Smoked Salmon are my favorites.