A Pantry Without Borders
Robin Robertson has worked with food for more than thirty years as a restaurant chef, cooking teacher, and food writer.
When you master the secrets of the world’s cuisines, you open the doors to exotic new experiences in your own kitchen. The first step toward enjoying international cooking at home is to gather a pantry of global ingredients. Take a tour of your local ethnic markets, where you’ll discover fascinating culinary treasures and open your world up to a new realm of creative cooking possibilities. If you don’t live near ethnic markets, the miracle of online shopping means a global pantry is only a mouse-click away. Once you’re well stocked, you’ll be all set to transport your taste buds anywhere on the planet.
The key to cooking globally is in the spices, herbs, and other seasonings of particular regions because it is those flavor-makers that make each cuisine distinctive. Consider a simple pot of rice and beans. If you season them with garlic, oregano, basil, and olive oil, you have a Mediterranean dish. Cook those same rice and beans with ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce, and you’ve crossed borders into Asia. Simmer them in a curry sauce, and you know you’re eating Indian. When paired with paprika, sour cream, and onions, the same rice and beans have an Eastern European flavor. Season them with tahini, lemon juice, and za’taar spices, and you have a taste of the Middle East.
Any well-stocked plant-based kitchen should include a variety of vegetables, fruits, and herbs as well as a selection of dried or canned beans, pasta, rice and other grains, basic seasonings, nondairy milk, nuts, seeds, and nut butters, as well as flours and other standard baking items.
Beyond the basics, you’ll want to include the particular ingredients needed to cook in various cuisines. For Mediterranean flavors, for example, stock your shelves with artichoke hearts, olives, roasted red peppers, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, and dried porcini mushrooms. For those times when you want to cook with an Asian flair, keep flavor enhancers on hand such as tamari, toasted sesame oil, chili paste, sriracha sauce, fresh ginger, rice vinegar, and hoisin sauce.
When you stock your pantry with a variety of global ingredients, you’ll always be ready to create fabulous international meals whenever you want them. 
First published October 2014
International Pantry List
The following pantry list can be your gateway to the cuisines of the world. This list is organized according to general geographical region, since many cuisines in close proximity use similar sauces, herbs, spices and other ingredients. Also included are prominent herbs and spices used in each cuisine.
Europe
artichoke hearts- canned, frozen, or marinated
capers
grape leaves
olives
olive oil
polenta/ground cornmeal
roasted red peppers
tomatoes- canned (diced, whole, puree, paste)
tomatoes- sun-dried, dehydrated or oil-packed
Herbs and spices: basil, bay leaves, caraway seeds, cilantro, dill, fennel seed, Herbes de Provence, marjoram, mint, oregano, paprika (hot, sweet, and smoked), parsley, poppy seeds, red pepper flakes, rosemary, savory, thyme
The Americas
chiles- dried and fresh
chipotles in adobo sauce
coconut milk
corn and wheat tortillas
corn meal/masa harina
liquid smoke
nutritional yeast
quinoa
tomato salsa
Herbs and spices: annatto, allspice, bay leaf, cilantro, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, oregano, parsley, thyme
Middle East and Africa
bulgur
chickpea flour
chickpeas
chiles- dried and fresh
couscous
dates
dried apricots
harissa sauce
phyllo dough
pistachios
pita bread
pomegranate molasses
tahini
teff flour
Herbs and spices: cayenne, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, za’taar spice blend, berbere spice blend, baharat spice blend
India
basmati rice
cashews
chickpeas
chickpea flour
chiles- dried and fresh
chutney
ginger
lentils
pistachios
rosewater
tamarind paste
Herbs and spices: cilantro, curry leaves, cardamom, mustard seeds, coriander, cumin, mango powder, turmeric, curry paste or powder, garam masala
Asia
chili pastes/sauces- sambal oelek, sriracha, sweet chili sauce
chiles- dried and fresh
coconut milk, unsweetened (canned)
dried mushrooms
ginger
hoisin sauce
jasmine rice, sushi rice
kaffir lime leaves
lemongrass
miso paste
rice flour
rice paper wrappers
rice vinegar
sea vegetables- nori (for sushi); agar (thickener); kelp or kombu (to make dashi)
soy sauce- tamari, mushroom sauce (vegan oyster sauce)
tamarind paste
toasted sesame oil
toasted sesame seeds
unsweetened jackfruit (canned or frozen)
wasabi paste
Herbs and spices: cilantro, coriander, cumin, star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, Thai basil
Vegetable Paella
A variety of pantry ingredients are used in this voluptuous Spanish stew. If you’re not a fan of eggplant, substitute diced mushrooms. For a heartier dish, add 227 grams (8 ounces) of diced seitan, vegan sausage, or steamed tempeh.
- Servings Makes about 1 quart
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1.25 cm (½ inch) dice
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 210 grams (1 cup) uncooked short-grain white rice
- 355 ml (1½ cups) vegetable broth, divided
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 794 grams (28 ounces) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 246 grams (1½ cups) cooked chickpeas, or one 440 gram (15.5 ounces) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 170 grams (6 ounces) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 128 grams (1 cup) frozen green peas
- 114 grams (½ cup) sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon finely minced lemon zest
Preparation
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic, eggplant, and bell pepper and cook 3 minutes longer.
2. Stir in the rice, 237 ml (1 cup) of the broth, and the saffron, paprika, bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, and diced tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the chickpeas, artichoke hearts, peas, and olives. If the mixture seems dry, add the remaining 118 ml (½ cup) of broth. Stir in the parsley and lemon zest and cook until the rice and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes longer. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Serve hot.
Robin Robertson
Robin Robertson has worked with food for more than thirty years as a restaurant chef, cooking teacher, and food writer. She has written for VegNews Magazine, Vegetarian Times, and Cooking Light, among others. A longtime vegan, Robin is the author of numerous cookbooks, including the best-selling Vegan Planet, 1,000 Vegan Recipes, and Quick-Fix Vegan. Her newest title is Vegan Without Borders. Her website is www.robinrobertson.com.
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