Yes, you'll need certain pantry staples on hand. These—plus a few tips and recommendations—are listed below.
Vinegar
A splash of vinegar’s acidity helps brighten flavors. We recommend keeping apple cider, white wine, red wine, and balsamic kinds of vinegar in your pantry.
Neutral Oils
For cooking at high temperatures, such as stir-frying or shallow frying, we like vegetable, grapeseed, or safflower oil.
Olive Oils
Quality olive oil should taste great on its own because you won’t just be using it for sauteing and frying. It’s also used for vinaigrettes and drizzling over finished dishes.
Ketchup
Sweet and tangy flavors make ketchup a great condiment, and also a subtle flavor enhancer for some sauces.
Salt & Pepper
Season with coarse kosher salt (we recommend Diamond Crystal brand) and freshly ground pepper for maximum flavor.
Flour
Keep an eye out for unbleached, all-purpose flour. Fluff it up with a fork to ensure there are no clumps before measuring.
Sugar
Sugar works to balance out a dish. We generally reach for raw or white sugar.
Milk
We opt for full-fat milk for a light creaminess in sauces and mashed potatoes, but low-fat milk will also work.
Butter
There’s no real substitute for the flavor you get from a little bit of good-quality butter. That can be either salted or unsalted - your choice.
Eggs
The humble egg is a pantry staple. Any color will do. We always use large eggs.