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Few foodies can claim an imagination as lively as Alton Brown’s. The self-described “foodist” has made homemade yogurt using medicinal heating pads and rigged a pepper grinder to a power drill. But, this chef’s wide-ranging noggin and palette also appreciate the finer side of the culinary world, like oyster bars and caviar. Stocking a home kitchen to satisfy such a far-reaching realm of tastes seems like no easy feat. Luckily, Brown has cued home cooks in to his personal essentials for stocking an everyday pantry — and they’re staples likely already living in your kitchen.
As Brown shared in an interview with EatingWell, “We don’t ever run out of kosher salt, because I need my kosher salt.” He also expressed his affinity for quality olive oil. “I know it’s kind of boring,” shares Brown, “but good olive oil.” Admittedly, “boring” isn’t a word we would use to describe that versatile Nectar of Olympus. There are various olive oils that are great for cooking or finishing dishes.
Brown is all about kosher salt, good olive oil, mayonnaise, and a well-stocked spice cabinet
Also on Alton Brown’s go-to pantry list is a well-stocked spice cabinet. “I’m a big believer in spices and have a small collection of very high quality spices,” he tells Eating Well. For optimal freshness, quality, and price, we recommend buying your spices from specialty spice shops rather than the supermarket. To help get the most mileage out of lower-quality or older spices, try toasting ’em before incorporating them into your dishes.
It’s a pro move to keep essentials on-hand at all times, especially for making recipes out of “Good Eats 4: The Final Years” (our favorite cookbook in Brown’s oeuvre). But, as the foodie himself is quick to note, a larger amount of staples does not always equate to a higher-quality home cooking or dining experience. “More is not better, I want the good stuff,” Brown explains. “I think we have forgotten how to savor things.” Perhaps fittingly, the remaining staples in his fridge are a tad more pleasure-oriented and less conventional. “I also really hate running out of mayonnaise,” he shares. “because I use it as a little bit of a binder in a lot of things, including scrambled eggs.” His home fridge is also perpetually stocked with mustard and olives: “It’s funny, there are seven jars of mustard in my refrigerator right now, mostly French, but not all. Some German. And I probably have 12 jars of olives.”
