- Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, and pine nuts. Keep these in the freezer so they won’t go rancid. Use in desserts and other dishes, or toast to serve with drinks. Added to a salad, they bring an interesting dimension to the fresh greens.
- Chickpeas: Canned and dried. Chickpeas are my favorite legume. I add whole chickpeas to salads, sauces, and soups. Ground, they are the basis for hummus and falafel (see page 90).
- Olives: Gaeta (small dark Italian), Niçoise, Kalamata (black Greek), and Arbequina (Spanish). Jarred or deli-fresh, a variety of olives will take you a long way, from snacks to flavoring sauces and salads.
- Phyllo Dough These tissue-thin sheets of dough, used in sweet and savory preparations in Greek and Middle Eastern cooking, are usually found in the freezer section of the grocery. Some markets in such ethnic communities as Dearborn, Michigan, and Queens, New York, still make fresh phyllo dough, so check them out if you can.
- Dates A quick, healthy, potassium-rich snack, dates also add a great sweet note to savory dishes. Once the package is open, refrigerate them to keep fresh.
- Dried Herbs: Oregano, rosemary, and marjoram. When adding dried herbs to a dish, rub them between your fingers to release the oils. If the bottles have been in the cupboard for a while, smell and taste before using.
- Anchovies: Brown and white, salt-packed, canned, or bottled in oil. Regular anchovy paste or fillets can be your true under-the-radar flavor weapon. A little bit sautéed with garlic in a tomato sauce gives it a deep, earthy bottom flavor that does not taste like fish. Or lay a few of the fancy white ones (available in specialty markets) over a salad—my mouth waters just thinking about it.
- Capers: Salt-packed. I’m a purist on this one. Capers packed in vinegar taste like vinegar to me, no matter how many times you rinse them. Salt-packed, once rinsed, taste like capers! Their wonderful, unique floral-herbal note is fabulous, especially when combined with olives and anchovies.
- Peperoncini These spicy green peppers sold pickled in jars add a zippy, crunchy, cool bite to salads or an antipasti platter. See also under Red Pepper Flakes, below.
- Pasta: Long noodles (spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, and/or capellini); macaroni (penne, rigatoni, and/or fusilli); lasagna (dried and no-boil). Look for pasta imported from Italy. Keep your pantry stocked with a variety. I buy double of a couple kinds in case I need to feed a group. For more on pasta, see page 187.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil Because extra virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing, it is the purest variety of olive oil, with the most complete natural taste. I buy it in 3-liter cans—it’s more affordable when you buy it in bulk—and fill a small cruet or clean bottle for everyday use. Store the rest in a cool, dark place. If you don’t use olive oil often, buy a smaller quantity. Always taste the oil before using it—rancid olive oil will ruin a dish. I also keep a bottle of premium extra virgin olive oil in the pantry to drizzle over fresh, uncooked dishes, like vegetables and salads.
- Dried Herbs: Oregano, rosemary, and marjoram. When adding dried herbs to a dish, rub them between your fingers to release the oils. If the bottles have been in the cupboard for a while, smell and taste before using.
- Polenta: Ground yellow or white cornmeal. Polenta is another one of my strategies for stretching a meal for a group. The instant variety is precooked before being dried so that it cooks in one-quarter the time of regular polenta. You can store dry polenta for up to several months in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dark place.
- Vinegars: Red wine, white wine, balsamic, sherry, and champagne. There are many levels of quality and flavor, so taste different varieties and don’t hesitate to splurge now and then. And if you’re traveling to the Mediterrean, it’s worth bringing back some local ones.
- Stuffed Grape Leaves: Best-quality canned. These are a fantastic addition to salads, such as Greek Salad with Fried Leeks (page 107), or a Middle Eastern mezze spread.
- Tomato Paste Once you open a can of tomato paste, you can store the extra by dropping tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet and freezing until hard, then transferring them to a resealable freezer bag. I must admit I do like the more convenient, though overpriced, tubes of tomato paste. Sun-dried tomato paste, available in specialty stores or online, brings a concentrated, rich flavor to recipes like Sun-Dried Tomato–Parmesan Crisps (page 130).
- Tahini Tahini is a thick paste made of ground sesame seeds. Thinned with water and lemon juice, it’s the base for the sauce called tahina served on Middle Eastern sandwiches. And it’s a major ingredient in hummus.
- Wine Use drinking-quality white or red wine for cooking. I like to purchase a mixed case (both in styles and prices), keeping the price per bottle under $15. Get to know the shops in your area: a good wine merchant can teach you a lot.
- Cheeses: Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, feta, ricotta, and mozzarella. Buy whole chunks of the hard cheeses if possible. Unless you know when or how the cheese was grated, buying pre-grated is like paying more for less flavor. Hard cheeses will keep almost indefinitely, well wrapped in the refrigerator. I keep all the wrapped wedges in the fridge in the same rectangular tub, along with a Parmesan knife to break off pieces to grate. Fresh cheeses should be eaten soon after purchase. (Perishable)
- Citrus: Lemons and oranges. Like vinegar, a little citrus juice brightens up almost anything. The oil-rich zest brings a deeper note of the same juice flavor, a very easy way to dress up a dish. (Produce)
- Fresh Herbs: Mint, oregano, parsley, basil, rosemary, sage, and dill. Fresh herbs play a huge role in Mediterranean cooking. You can extend the life of more delicate fresh herbs (like parsley, dill, and mint; not the “woody” ones like rosemary, sage, and oregano). Rinse, dry, roll up in a damp towel, and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Basil with its roots intact lasts longer if stored standing up in a glass of water at room temperature; the water should just cover the roots. (Produce)