We have aimed to use only widely available ingredients in this book, ones that you should be able to get at your corner shop or local supermarket. We assume you don’t want to expend energy on shopping around so our recipes are made from easy-to-get ingredients. In most cases I’ve also suggested variations or replacements for ingredients if you can’t pick them up nearby.

Ingredients

Below are the ingredients I always have in the house, which I think is good to get started, I’ve highlighted in the recipes which ones can be made from only the food in your cupboard.

Carbohydrates:

Rice
Risotto Rice (Arborio or Carnaroli) Carnaroli
Pasta
Cous Cous
Noodles

Fats:

Olive oil
Sunflower or Vegetable oil
Butter

Dairy:

Eggs
Milk
Cheddar cheese
Parmesan
Yoghurt

Tins:

Tinned Tomato
Tinned Tuna

Fresh Vegtables:

Garlic
Fresh Ginger
Onion
Fresh tomatoes
Lemon
Basil

Herbs and Spices:

Salt
Black pepper
Ground Cumin
Coriander Seed
Cinnamon
Vegetable Stock (cube or powder)

Baking:

Flour (plain)
Caster Sugar
Brown Sugar
Icing Sugar
Cocoa
Baking Power
Bicarbonate of Soda

Sauces and Pickles:

Olives
Mustard
White Wine Vinegar
Balsamic or Spanish Sherry Vinegar
Chilli Sauce
Capers
Soy Sauce

These are just ideas – experiment with new ingredients, explore your local area and find new things to replace the suggested ingredients.

Equipment:

Our recipes are based on cooking in a very basic kitchen with basic equipment.

Here’s a list of everything you’ll need:

2 x saucepans with lids
Non-stick frying pan
Casserole dish, i.e. any kind of oven proof dish that can also be used to cook on the hob.
Colander
Oven proof dish (e.g. a rectangular ceramic dish you would use to cook fish pie in).
Flat roasting tin.
Potato peeler
Grater
Sieve
2 x Mixing bowls
Cake tin (square or round)
1 lb Loaf tin (the sort of thing used to bake a loaf of bread)
2 x Tupperwares
Cutlery, plates, bowls, cups and glasses