FOOD LOVER'S DIARIES: Stocking the pantry is key to success in the kitchen

Hello and welcome! My name's Amanda and I'm a food blogger turned newbie columnist. Why is this called a diary you might wonder? Well, these articles are based on years of observations, questions and memories working in the fast-paced world of food. I guess you could call me a fresh face as I am 23 years old and not that far removed from my university days, but that makes me all the wiser on kitchen basics.

When I started teaching students at McGill University how to cook, I realized shopping for basics is what cooks struggle with most. Regardless of age, the most common pain point is always the pantry. There are lots of opinions and it can be hard to show restraint in the grocery store. Mastering the basics of pantry staple shopping is incredibly rewarding and a great start for all new food lovers.

The equation I start with is simple - to cook you need food; to shop you need to know what to buy and to make cooking effortless, you should always have the basics.

This is not a question of the chicken or the egg, or for our purposes the recipe or the grocery list.

Pantry staples always come first because they are your foundation. These are the ingredients that get you nodding along to a recipe's ingredient list because you already have half of the ingredients. To set up your own pantry try these simple guidelines:

Pantry Staple No. 1: PICK A PLACE

Keep your kitchen organized by designating one cupboard and one spot in the fridge for all pantry staples. This way you'll be able to find things when you need them, and know when you need a refill.

Pantry Staple No. 2: MAKE A LIST

We've likely all heard the phrase, "Never go to the grocery store hungry" but what about with a list? Yes, make a list and guess what? There are apps for that. It doesn't matter if you put pen to paper, email, text, bbm or tweet your grocery list, just make sure you never go down the aisle empty handed. Lists keep you organized and avoid buying doubles or triples.

Pantry Staple No. 3: COOK FROM YOUR CUPBOARD

Get used to using ingredients you already have when choosing recipes. Try and pick recipes that use at least 60 to 70 per cent of ingredients you already have at home. This cuts down stress, time in the grocery store and cost. That doesn't mean you can't try tons of new recipes, but to keep you stress free day-to-day stick to the basics.

So what should you have in your pantry?

Oil: extra virgin olive oil and a high smoking oil like canola or vegetable

Vinegar: balsamic vinegar and white wine vinegar

Spices: Pick three dried herbs and one fresh herb

Canned goods: three types of beans, tins of whole peeled tomatoes, reduced sodium chicken or vegetable stock

Fridge staples: unsalted butter, milk, eggs, mustard and one type of cheese

Produce: onions, garlic

Other: all-purpose flour, honey/maple syrup, rice, pasta and one grain (quinoa, bulgur or other)

**modify this list for dietary needs

OK, you have your pantry, now what? Easy. Pick your recipes for the week and pick up only the extra ingredients needed to make great food and eat well at home. Remember, pick recipes that use the pantry staples you already have.

Here are a couple of my favourite pantry staple recipes:

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Roasted Red Pepper Spinach Frittata 

Top Sirloin with Mushroom Pan Sauce