What you NEED in your fridge and cabinet.

I will begin this post by saying: I have drank over half a bottle of wine.  Don't be concerned, even though I include some form of alcohol in many of my recipes and encourage copious wine consumption.

Anyway, here is a list I have compiled of essential ingredients/food items. You should have these things in stock at all times. Buy in bulk, if you must.

Alright:

To keep in the "hi-my-name-is-Sophia-and-I-am-a-lush" theme, always have wine. Wine wine wine. Red, white, and everything in between.  Buy it frequently or buy lots of bottles at once. Well, or buy lots of bottles at once frequently...like I do. Psych. (Sort of.)  Red and white wines are both good for making pasta sauces, marinades, dressings, etc.

Though I am partial to wine, I do not exclude other delicious and nutritious 21+ products.

Whiskey and rum are delicious with chocolate.

I haven't experimented with vodka to much, but it's best to have some on hand, you know, for emergencies. And Tuesdays.

Beer is always good to have, as well, especially if you live with da boyz, as I do. I'm really beginning to like darker beers lately (Porters/Scotch Ales).  Maybe I'll do a taste test post of different beers. That sounds like fun! Perhaps I'll slyly incorporate my "research" into the weekly celebration of "New Brew/(Wings) Thursday." Wings recipe to come soon. Get yer drool rags now.

Beer can also be used for, oh, I dunno. Marinades for anything. Fish, chicken, tofu...HELL! Go CRAZY!

Egg Whites

I eat eggs primarily for protein, and the protein in eggs is found in the whites, while the yolk contains all of the lovely LDL cholesterol that clogs arteries/makes us fatty McFatFats, etc.  So, while it's perfectly okay to have egg yolk in moderation, it's certainly healthier to eat the whites.  To avoid buying tons and tons of whole eggs, buy a carton of the whites to use for your scrambled eggs and omlettes.  And you can make fried (over-easy) eggs bigger with a splash of whites without adding any more yolk! Got it? Good.

Ground Turkey

Sounds weird, sure. But honestly, it works in everything.  It's a healthier alternative to ground beef, and I swear the flavor is better.  I use it in homemade baked egg rolls, and the boys use it to make turkey burgers...White Castle-style, of course.  It's a good thing.

Sour Cream

Holy shit. I can't believe I lived without sour cream until this year. Mexican food, potatoes, Buffalo Wing sauce... AHHH!  This stuff is craaaaaaazy-versatile! Buy some! And, though my roommates beg to differ, I swear the low-fat stuff tastes just the same as regular. 

Turbinado Sugar

Turbinado Sugar, or raw sugar (You know the brown-ish packets of "Sugar-In-The-Raw" at Starbucks...yeah, that's this), is better for you than regular sugar. Basically. It's less refined than white sugar, so it's more natural, so...DER...I like it more.  It's what I sweeten my coffee with.  And it's good in oatmeal and lots of other stuff. It gets a little expensive to bake with turbinado sugar, but it's definitely worth having around.  It tastes like mild brown sugar.  Just look at it!! How be-a-u-ti-ful!  Find it in the organic section or whatever.

Half&Half

Speaking of coffee with the turbinado sugar, buy some Half&Half. Just do it.

Put it in coffee instead of that fake-flavored-creamer-corn-syrup-baloney.

Oooh, and put it in oatmeal instead of milk.  I guarantee a climax, and yes, I do mean sexually.

Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

Frozen fruit and berries (blueberries, strawberries, and mango are my favorites) are fantastic smoothie-makin' components.  They also make for lovely little healthy snacks.  And, if you're neurotic and obsessive about your grapes being ABSOLUTELY CRISPY, you can also freeze "too"-mushy-to-eat grapes to munch on.  I mean, on which you may munch.

Frozen vegetables are imperative, especially when you know that you won't be able to make it to the store to buy the fresh stuff.  Frozen is always better than canned, nutrient-wise.

Organic Milk and Yogurt

Seriously, if you're still in, like, the 1990s and drinking cow's milk, buy it organic.  It's just one of those things, dude.  I know we're all in college and that bullshit, but honestly, do you want a mustache??? Because that's what gulping hormones down will give you.  Try your best to buy organic, hormone- and antibiotic-free milk.

Also, the Lowfat Vanilla Stonyfield Yogurt is BREATHTAKING. Not the Fat-Free French Vanilla. That stuff is bullshit.  Lowfat Vanilla Stonyfield.  Just go ahead and buy it by the bucket. You're not going to regret it.

Tofu

I know, I know.  You think I'm trying to convert you.  But I implore you, just try it.  The great thing about tofu is: not only is it the only plant-food with all 9 amino acids (thank you, soy!), but it's also super-easy to cook with and it will adapt whatever flavor you want it too!  It's just that flexible!  Buy extra-firm (which I realize is contradictory to the word "flexible").  Wait for my Buffalo Wings recipe to use it, if you're not feeling particularly adventurous.  Don't worry, I'll include real chicken flesh in my Buffalo Wings recipe as well.

Wheat Germ/Oatmeal/Flax Seed meal

So you NEED oatmeal. The real stuff.  It only takes like, one minute longer to prepare than the instant shit.  Add it to baked goods.

Flax seed has Omega-3s. Mix it in stuff if you, like, don't hate yourself.

Wheat germ is excellent for smoothies or for baked goods like muffins or bread.  And while we're on this subject, are you eating whole grain wheat bread? Because if you're not, I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.  (Thank you, Billy Madison.)

The Holy Four-gy

Flour (wheat and white (all-purpose))

Sugar (brown and white (and turbinado!), mostly brown)

Baking soda (You really do need it.)

Baking powder (Really, you do.)

If you bake ANYTHING, you need these four ingredients for most recipes.

Huile D'Olive

Err...olive oil.

I hope I remembered my French class enough to spell that "huile d'olive" correctly.  Merde.  Tete de merde.  (Look it up, shit-heads.)  Anyway, OLIVE OIL.  Buy some, and buy lots.  See this 3-liter beaut?? It's lasted me about a week. Yeeeah.  Dats right.  Three cheers for healthy fat.

'Shrooms

Speaking of olive oil, how about some things to saute in it?? Mushrooms are always good.  I'd say especially the magic kind, especially when they make the ceiling turn into Easter colors and move like a kaleidoscope, but don't want to condone any bad behavior.  They go with EVERYTHING.  And, like tofu, they adapt whatever flavor you want them to.  The roommates and I prefer "Baby Bellas."

Onion

Just like wine, there are white and red.  And white and red onions are definitely both not only desired, but required for cooking. Cooking with me, at least.  If in doubt, buy a white onion because they tend to be more versatile.  But red onions definitely have a more distinct taste when you want an onion with, well, a distinct taste.

GARLIC

Oh Lawrd, oh Lawrdy Lawrd!!! I'm havin' the palpitations! I would put garlic in my cereal, my muffins, my smoothies, my PB&J for Christsakes, if I could! Hell, I'd put it on my friggin' vah-jay if Zach didn't complain!  There is just something about garlic.  It goes in anything.  And if you share my ideologies on the subject, it goes in EVERYTHING and IN ABUNDANCE.  Buy a big jar...not the little pussy-ass glass thing...the big motha-fuckin' plastic JAR...of minced garlic.  If you have the patience to buy fresh cloves, they're super cheap and even more flavorful than a jar of minced.  Prepare to have your LIFE changed.

Butter

Remember The Lion King? You know the song Can You Feeeeel the Looooove Toniiiiight? Okay, well, I think of that song when I am subjected to the evils of margarine, only the lyrics are Caaaaan You Taaaste the Chemicaaaaaaals Toniiiiiight? Because seriously, EW.  Get a life.  Butter is one of those things that is just not meant to be healthy.  Don't settle for that margarine shit.  Use butter.  Use it sparingly if the thought of clogged arteries gets your skivvies in a twist.  But for the love of all things holy, just don't use margarine. Plus, sticks are easier to measure when you're BAKING! Yeeeee-uh!

Sh-pices

This little dude (and by "little dude," I of course mean "rotating spice rack) is from Pier One.  It has twelve different spices that spin around quite conveniently for mommy.  It does what its told.  It puts the lotion on its skin. ANYWAY, spices, like garlic (some consider garlic a spice...I guess it's a seasoning...anyway...) are imperative.  You need them if you're ever going to be worth a damn. Here's a list of essentials:

Cinnamon (Amish flair... duh. Try it on yo cereal.)

Cajun Seasoning (Good on err'thang.)

Allspice

Garlic POWDER (You can just add salt to make "garlic salt.")

Basil (I have a BO-ner!)

Italian Seasoning (Versatile and fantastic in general.)

Parsley

Ginger (Homeopathic remedy for ouchy tummies.)

Rosemary (PFS.)

Curry Powder (Uh hu hu hu hu (Beavis and Butthead laugh).)

Black Pepper (with a grinder)

Sea Salt (with a grinder)

Hot Sauce

Frank's Red Hot

Louisiana Hot Sauce (*Super cheap!)

Tabasco

Corn Tortillas

Tabasco reminds me of Mexico which reminds me of tequila which reminds me of Cancun which reminds me of riding a bus saying "Como se what the fuck??" with two of my best friends when we were 18 years old which reminds me of the buffet at our resort which reminds me of Mexican food which reminds me of corn tortillas, which are one of the best things to ever happen to mankind.  They are just SO much more flavorful than flour tortillas, and the mere thought of them whips me into an ay carumba mexicana espanol-speaking frenzy.  And, they're like a dollar for a dozen of them. OLE!!!!!

I'll probably post more essential food items later, but until then,

GO GROCERY SHOPPING!

-Sophia

Coming up...

White wine cream sauce pasta

Frozen-pizza-on-amphetamines-in-a-good-way 

Chiggin Wangs 

&

Feckin' Franch Toast of the Gods!