Not surprisingly, my kitchen pantry is an odd mix of Turkish kekik and pul biber, Iranian saffron, New Orleans' spices, Spanish condensed milk and American ranch dressing.
During some recent internet surfing, I stumbled upon a blog called The Perfect Pantry. This blog, written by Lydia in rural Rhode Island, features many recipes and special sections such as Other People's Pantries.
I missed the deadline to submit my pantry photos to the site, but the idea prompted me to write this blog post instead. My kitchen pantry is full of Turkish spices and dry goods, missed items from the U.S. and special foods/spices from our travels. Since I do a ton of cooking in my kitchen, I thought I'd share with you what my pantry looks like.
My spice rack is perfectly placed just to right of my stovetop. This way when I'm cooking all my spices are within an arm length's away.
I also have a bit of OCD because I've relabeled all my spices in Turkish to help me memorize them better. So for those rare weekends when my husband cooks dinner, he has to ask me when he's looking for thyme or oregano.
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| Small jelly jars and glass containers from Pasabahce make new homes for spices. |
Every time I buy my bulk spices from Ucuzcular Baharat in the Misir �arsisi, I put them in individual glass jars or containers once I get home.
My main kitchen pantry contains 7 shelves. I'll go down the list.
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| These clear storage containers help keep my pantry organized, and I can see what staples I have or need. |
2nd and 3rd shelves: baking supplies such as candied ginger, dried fruits, dark, milk and white chocolate, powdered sugar, flours, granulated sugar, condensed milk, marshmallows, corn syrup, golden syrup, dried coconut, pan spray, yeast, etc. Specialty pastry items such as vanilla beans and decorating sprinkles/candies are kept in plastic tubs in our storage closet.
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| A better view of the baking shelves |
4th shelf: cereals and dry goods such as rice, beans, bulgur, canned tomatoes and tuna
5th shelf: various foreign condiments such as rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, Tabasco, tahini, fish sauce, coconut milk, liquid smoke, etc.; boxed pasta, risotto and packaged soups.
6th shelf: honey, jams, peanut butter, crackers, snacks and beverages. This one tends to get a little messy.
7th shelf: teas, coffee, hot cocoa and our American toaster
There you have it! I hope you enjoyed peaking inside my kitchen pantry here in Istanbul.
What unique items do you have in your pantry?