Basics or Must Haves in the Kitchen ... Ingredients!!

When I migrated it was a bit of struggle to find out the basics that I needed to cook, because it seems that back as a kid everything was at home.  Also, being in a very "macho" society a boy is not expected to learn to cook, as they would marry and the wife is expected to fill the role of the cook.

When I lived n my own in this newly adopted country of mine, where it maybe one of the most densely populated per square kilometer, space is gold and keep the stuff out of sight is another, I tried my best to take a great deal of consideration to these two points (space & esthetics), making my kitchen renovation budget a third of the amount for the whole apartment.

With just a cabinet for food storage, not including the fridge & freezer (they are the two lowest doors on the left), what can I "hoard"?

I thought of a few ingredients, that I must have (reason will be noted when I write about the basics that I learned in cooking ... From all the trials and errors, and unexplainable facial expressions from my most beloved ex-guinea pigs - another term for ex-bfs ... HAHAHAHA):

• oil - Have you ever heard about cooking with out it? I am sure you would definitely not have a wide array of recipes ... Or are you still in the Stone Age or are you just nuking them all the time?
• onions - I know there are more than just one onion kind, which is why I keep the white ones ... And buy the others when needed or mixing a bit of raw onions when you need them to be stronger.
• garlic - Yes, GARLIC.  They just complement any dish ... I still have issues when I do not have the, in my dishes, it just misses something ... And I do not mean the taste (see tips on ways to store them in http://asiantune.blogspot.com/2013/08/garlic-ways-to-store-them-plus-steak.html). 
• creme fraiche (or cream substitute) - Need I say why?
• vinegar - it is not just for cooking, but good for cleaning too. 
• soya sauce - If I cannot have all the types, I would have the dark one as you can dilute it.  I am not talking about the "ketchap" type which seems to originate from the Indonesian kitchen (will have to investigate this further). 
• pepper corns - They can be used as crushed or whole, from the kitchen to the table. 
• bay (laurel) leaves - Have them in dried form, but if you get them fresh then be able to dry them ... Go for it!
• flour - I use this to thicken sauces, it clots lesser than cornstarch.  Also mixed with bread crumbs, egg and spices, makes the best meat breading. 

Then I have my personal basics:

• lemon (or lime) juice - It just enhances the flavour, mainly the salty taste without making it too salty. 
• tomatoes (or purée/paste) - Sautéing with tomatoes give that soft sharpness, plus adding colour to the dish. If you are using the purée/paste, makes your sauces a bit thicker without using starch (or flour). 
• citrus juice - I usually have orange juice at home now.  When I was in the tropics, we would use pineapple juice.  It doesn't have the same acidity level, but creates a twist to the Western recipes that calls for orange juices as an ingredient.
• mustard - Lately, I found out how diverse this simple condiment, because I used to use it on,y for my hotdogs or making homemade mayonnaise. They come from the ready-made type, from the bit sur tasting to the strong (wasabi or horse radish type) taste, from the smooth ones to even the grainy ones.  I usually try to keep a small can of the powder form, wherein I can adjust the strong flavour or soften it .... And even better make variations to how to mix it. 
• milk - Being from the tropics fresh milk is a bit hard or expensive to keep (aside from the fact that it keeps only for a few days in the fridge, a great of majority of Filipinos are lactose intolerant ... And I am leading that list ... HAHAHAHA), my alternative is coffee milk (or we would call evaporated milk - this is real milk where 50% of the water is taken out ... So just add in the water to restore to a regular milk ... And using this kind, you can store them longer too, which is why this is a must have for me. 
• coconut cream & milk - You can always use the regular milk or cream, but having the coconut variety just gives the right twist to regular dishes, or the proper taste for recipes that require coconut cream or milk in them.
• fish sauce - Just like the well-known Thai dishes, Filipino or any Southeast Asian dish uses this salty condiment.  Some say this condiment would require getting used to, but how would I know when I have grown-up with this always on the dinner table, with salt, pepper, soya sauce

Of course, I did not list the usual basics, like:

• coffee - yes, I am a coffee drinker ... !!!
• tea - rarely touch the stuff, but always have to have one, at least.
• sugar - let us be realistic what house does not have any sugar??? 
• honey - just to have it, since it tastes better on tea ... Yeah, when I drink it ... Hehehe!!! Also, it is good for those days when I get the cough.
• artificial sweetener - when you don't want the calories ... Yes, they can cause cancer ... So, does breathing!!!
• butter - never been to a family home that doesn't have this one ... Or at least margarine. 
• salt & pepper - another one that a home is never out, right?

The list will definitely change on my mood for the season, like the time I was into baking ... All the baking ingredients and paraphernalia were a MUST.  So, nothing would be final, even those things written in stone can be grounded away ... !!!

Just keep reading and let me know what you enjoy!!!