What’s in
my kitchen.

I use extra virgin olive oil for almost everything. Costco’s Kirkland Organic is one of my favorite buys for the quality and the amount you get. Vegetables, pasta, dressings. It gets a lot of use.

Buy an amount you can use while it still tastes fresh. Keep it away from heat and direct light.

This is the other big bottle I keep around. When I’m searing meat hard in a Dutch oven, I reach for avocado oil. Olive oil handles most of the rest.

Choose refined avocado oil for high heat. No oil needs to be smoking heavily.

Diamond Crystal is the salt I use. Get familiar with your salt and taste as you cook. That last little adjustment can make you want another bite.

Salt brands differ by volume. Weigh it when a recipe gives grams, especially for doughs and rubs.

Honey is my go-to sweetener, and bettergoods makes a raw honey I like. It brings floral flavor along with sweetness and mixes nicely into dressings and sauces. Start with a little and taste.

Honey brings flavor as well as sweetness, but still counts as added sugar. Never give honey to a child under 12 months.

Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons got me paying closer attention to vinegar. I bought some from KATZ, and they’re fantastic. A small splash can change the whole dish. I get a little extra with vinegar. Bear with me.

Grocery-store vinegar works too. Start with what you have, add a little, stir and taste.

This is one I keep coming back to. With my sloppy joes, I made several small additions until the flavor was right. One big pour is harder to fix.

Rice vinegar goes into my Asian dishes and cucumber salads. Red wine vinegar works in savory dressings and with meat. Sherry vinegar brings deeper flavor to beans and pan sauces. White wine vinegar is what I reach for in quick refrigerator pickles.

Start with one or two. Unseasoned rice vinegar lets you control the sugar and salt.

The organic chicken bone broth from Costco is in my pantry all the time. I use it constantly. It gives rice and beans a better starting point and is handy when a braise needs liquid.

Regular chicken broth works well too. Check the salt level before seasoning the dish.

I like the organic roasted chicken and roasted beef bases from Costco. They’re useful for building up a braise or giving a sauce a little more depth.

They bring salt with them. Let a small spoonful dissolve and taste before adding more salt. Refrigerate after opening as directed.

I buy the tubes in a multipack on Amazon. Push your softened vegetables aside, spread the paste onto the pan and cook until it darkens. Keep it moving so it browns without burning. A splash of broth loosens all that flavor.

The tube is handy when you only need a spoonful. Follow the label for refrigeration after opening.

Hear me out on this one. A little anchovy paste makes food taste deeply savory without turning dinner into a fish dish. I throw it into braises and sauces that need something. Tomato paste, anchovy paste and Parmesan are great ways to build that umami flavor.

Start small. Anchovy paste contains fish. Tell anyone with a fish allergy and leave it out when needed.

At school I use the big cans from Nina. At home I look for whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes at a good price. Read the label. “Italian style” tells you very little about where the tomatoes came from.

For certified San Marzano origin, look for the full protected designation and DOP seal. Other good whole peeled tomatoes still make a good sauce.

There’s always a bag around. Cook it in broth when that fits the meal, then taste at the end. A little salt or acid can make a big difference.

I like chickpeas a lot. The flavor and texture work for me, and there’s plenty you can do with them. Dry beans deserve a spot on the shelf too.

Canned chickpeas or beans are a good shortcut. Drain and rinse, then season for the dish.

The bettergoods bucatini makes me want to do the whole Italian finger kiss. It’s that good. Their radiatori is awesome too. I like the price, and I really like how these noodles eat.

Cook to al dente and taste a noodle before draining. The package time is a starting point.

Lucky Penne and Loopdy-Loos are favorites. Their Curveballs are the curved pipette shape I think of with elbow noodles. I like getting more protein and fiber in a bowl of pasta, and my kids like the noodles.

Compare protein and fiber per equal serving size on the labels. Cook to al dente, then use your favorite sauce.

We cook with Barilla at school. Their classic penne uses non-GMO ingredients. It works well for the chicken Caesar pasta salad, and regular pasta is absolutely fine at home too.

Salt the pasta water and taste a noodle before draining. For pasta salad, leave enough bite for the dressing.

I keep yellow onions, a couple of shallots and a bag of whole peeled garlic cloves around. The garlic stays in the fridge. Finely diced, sautéed shallots added so much flavor to my breakfast burritos.

Keep whole onions and shallots in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate purchased peeled garlic and follow its use-by instructions.

I look for the 36-month-aged wedge when Costco has it. It’s one of my favorite values there. A little Parmesan brings a lot of flavor kids like. Run it over a fine grater and it lands on the food almost like feathers.

Check the label for the actual age. A good younger Parmesan works too. Wrap the wedge well and refrigerate.

I like buying grass-fed butter when it fits the budget. Costco is usually where I look. Regular butter will do the trick too. No worries.

Look at butterfat percentage when comparing richer butters. For baking, match the butter called for in the recipe. Higher butterfat can change the result.

Keep these around and you have a starting point for just about any kid-approved sauce. Garlic, lemon, herbs, a little seasoning. Now you’ve got something to put on chicken or tuck into a pita.

Use plain, unsweetened yogurt. Taste for salt and acidity after mixing. My shawarma sauces are a good place to start.

This is one of my favorites. Grate a peeled garlic clove and it practically turns into paste. For Parmesan, you get that fine, feathery texture over the finished dish.

Watch your fingertips as the garlic gets small. A knife works for the last little piece.

The small one gets a lot of use. Cut an onion or shallot into smaller chunks first, then pulse. You want even little pieces, not onion mush.

Work in small batches. A sharp knife does the job if you don’t have a processor.

I’ve had my Vitamix at home forever. It’s a great blender. If you make a lot of sauces, a good blender is nice to have.

Start with the blender you own. Follow its instructions for hot liquids.

My old immersion blender from Amazon gave up while I was making Caesar dressing. I have a Cuisinart now. This is handy for whole peeled tomatoes when you’re building a sauce.

Transfer canned tomatoes into a deep container before blending. Keep the head submerged to limit splashes and away from the sharp can rim.

I first used HexClad knives on Next Level Chef, where they sponsored the show. I got a chance to cook with them, and I’m hooked. They’ve been great for me.

You can start with one comfortable, sharp chef’s knife. Hand-wash, dry and store the blade safely.

The Amazon Basics scale does the job in our kitchen. Cups can fool you, especially with flour. Put the bowl on the scale, zero it and weigh what goes in.

For tiny yeast or spice amounts, use a scale with finer resolution. A normal kitchen scale is enough for most everyday recipes.

I like my HexClad cookware. It cleans up well, and being able to move a pan into the oven is useful. Check the oven limit for your exact pan and lid first.

Coatings vary by model and generation. Current TerraBond cookware is described by HexClad as PTFE- and PFAS-free ceramic. Check your own model, avoid overheating empty coated pans and follow its care instructions.

I like my Lodge skillets. After washing, dry them completely and wipe on a very thin coat of avocado oil. Over time you get that smooth, almost satin finish that makes a well-seasoned pan so nice to cook with.

Wipe away excess oil. You want a thin film, not a sticky coating.

I use a fish spatula a lot on the stovetop. The thin edge gets underneath food without tearing it up. It’s useful for much more than fish.

Use a utensil compatible with your pan’s surface. Choose a coated or silicone option when metal is not recommended.

A good Thermapen is handy. Check the thickest part of the meat, away from bone, so you know what’s going on inside.

A dependable lower-cost instant-read thermometer is a useful place to start too.

I use a MEATER at home. It helps me out a lot with longer cooks, especially pork on the smoker. I can keep an eye on the temperature without opening everything up.

Follow the insertion markings and heat limits for your model. Pulled pork still needs to be tender, not just at a number.