Great home cooking is less about recipes than about a well-stocked shelf. A handful of good staples turn “there’s nothing to eat” into a proper meal — and make even simple food taste like you know what you’re doing.
The seven
- Good olive oil — one for cooking, a nicer one for finishing. It flatters everything.
- Flaky sea salt — the easiest upgrade in cooking; season as you go.
- Tinned tomatoes — the base of a hundred dinners.
- Garlic, chilli and lemon — the trio that wakes up anything bland.
- A hard cheese — parmesan or pecorino makes pasta, eggs and greens instantly better.
- Good stock — the difference between watery and rich.
- Something crunchy — toasted nuts or seeds add texture to almost any plate.
Keep these in and you’re never more than a few minutes from something good — no recipe required.
