21. Fresh garlic,fresh black pepper, grey seasalt, olive oil, tuna fish in oil, canned tomatoes crushed and petite diced. Red potatoes. rosemary, toamto paste, pasta, onions, butter ,sugar, tea and coffee.

Posted at 10:07PM on Sep 10th 2007 by MJ

22. Must. Have. Butter. (and heavy cream)

Weird how the picked beets thing is so common. They're my favorite packaged vegetable, bar none. I always pick up a can when I go shopping, and I never get into a situation of having more than four cans on hand.

Alexia frozen garlic bread. *surprisingly* good, a nice elegant size.

Frozen brown rice.

But when it comes to quirky, I absolutely *MUST* have Aji-No-Moto MSG.

*hangs head in shame*

It's just *SOOOOO* good.

E

Posted at 12:00AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Eric

23. Wickles. Unbelievable pickles. You should google them.

http://www.reciperate.com

Posted at 1:32AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Noah Oliphant

24. I have an advanced case of condimentia, so I have virtually every interesting bottled condiment I come across (chutneys, marinades, sauces, demi-glace, etc).

I'm never without various kinds of mustards (sweet and hot, chinese, horseradish, stone ground, dijon, yellow, what's your pleasure), butter, assorted cheeses and cans of white albacore tuna.

For the past year, I've been on a spike kick. Having read the cookbook from the now-deceased chef who ran China Moon Restaurant in San Francisco, I really admired her staunce resolve that I *had* to make my own schezwan pepper salt before I attempted a single recipe in her book, so I ordered the whole schezwan peppercorns (which are not really pepper, but that's a story for an other time), got the kosher salt she recommended, and toasted and made my own pepper-salt blend in a bullet blender.

She was right. I use Schezwan Pepper Salt on everything from my turkey sandwiches to fresh sliced tomatoes. It is simply the most piquant blend I've ever tasted, and I use it for salt, pepper, and in anything I would have formerly used Lawry's seasoned salt (and I admit it I used that fairly often).

Posted at 2:59AM on Sep 11th 2007 by k

25. Spam, and I'm not ashamed to admit it!

Posted at 4:26AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Angela

26. We ALWAYS have in the pantry or fridge: dried mushrooms, Kalamata olives, tins of beans, vegetarian bouillion cubes, rice, pasta, eggs, tins of evaporated milk, dried milk powder, dried fruits, nuts, tins of smoked fish, tins of anchovies, soy sauce, several types of vinegars, several types of cheeses, honey, an orchard and vegetable/herb garden of ready-to-pick goodies

Posted at 4:43AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Bunny

27. Annato seeds, or at least some pre-made achiote powder/paste. You can mix the pre-made paste with orange juice, and then put it on anything that used to walk, fly or swim and it will make it better.

Posted at 6:43AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Gregory Morris

28. damn, I came in here to say Nutritional Yeast but I've been soundly beaten several times over.

Anyway, I love that stuff and I'm not even vegan. Eggs just don't taste right without it, and I prefer it to parmigiana on pasta. Everyone always asks what 's with the "fish food" in the jar, though...

Posted at 7:00AM on Sep 11th 2007 by melissa

29. matzo meal and balsamic vinegar. not together of course, but i always have to be able to make matzo ball soup and a salad.

and i agree with #18 about the lotus root. its amazing fried, but no one in my area sells it in any way shape or form.

Posted at 8:06AM on Sep 11th 2007 by hannah

30. I have to have Desert Island Spice's "Survival Spice" on hand ................it works on everything

Posted at 8:08AM on Sep 11th 2007 by jb

31. Peanut butter for sure. An onion, garlic, olive oil, kosher salt...herbs of course. All pretty standard.

Can someone tell me what nutritional yeast is/what it tastes like??

K- Comdimentia!! Oh, I'm so glad you also use this term. I, too, am afflicted!

Posted at 9:32AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Adriane

32. Dried peas, dried lima beans, dried pink beans, dried black beans, bay leaves, whole allspice, rosemary. Homemade chicken stock in the freezer.

Posted at 9:34AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Susan

33. I always have to have garlic. Chopped, fresh, crushed, and any other way I can find it. I also have to have the three basic spices for any Italian meal: Oregano, Thyme and Basil. As to quirky, I also keep lots of lentil and big jar of Saffron.

Posted at 9:43AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Dan Tannenbaum

34. Avacados, cilantro, onions, and tomatoes--and some chips, of course. If we don't have the ability to spontaneously make some guacamole I go into a cold sweat.

Bananas. This one is frustrating, since I never manage to eat a whole bunch before they get overripe, but ever since I was a kid there's always been a full bunch of bananas in a bowl on the counter, and it'll stay that way til I'm in my grave.

Refried beans, because it's one of those things you always forget to buy at the store and it's CRUCIAL in my mind for good fajitas.

Posted at 10:20AM on Sep 11th 2007 by jsmylie

35. I'm a sucker for grains and always keep many different types in the pantry. Quinoa, millet, farro, forbidden rice, japonica negra, basmati rice, jasmine rice, barley, arborio, and polenta are all snuggled together right just waiting for some chicken stock and some simmering!

Posted at 10:44AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Camilletwhite

36. Lowry's Seasoned Salt.
Old Bay.
Powdered chipotle pepper (instant spicy smokiness, it's wonderful).
My stash of odd hot sauces.
Kosher salt in an Alton Brown flip-top thingie.
Mirin.
Fish sauce!

Posted at 11:11AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Gobo

37. SURVIVAL SPICE! It's saved many meals at my house.

Posted at 11:38AM on Sep 11th 2007 by Julie

38. Is that the new, outdoorsy member of the Spice Girls, Julie? :P

Posted at 2:13PM on Sep 11th 2007 by eva

39. Demiglace Gold is always in my fridge so I can whip up a sauce when needed. I always keep whole cumin seeds on hand to toast and put on chicken or pork, or throw into a sauce as well.

Posted at 2:50PM on Sep 11th 2007 by HORNS

40. Demiglace Gold is always in my fridge so I can whip up a sauce when needed. I always keep whole cumin seeds on hand to toast and put on chicken or pork, or throw into a sauce as well.

Posted at 3:07PM on Sep 11th 2007 by HORNS