Here are the top 10 food staples I always keep around:

1. Salt: Cordelia, King Lear’s maligned daughter, had it right: everything is better with salt. Salt (in moderation, of course!) can enhance just about every savory meal. And, you may not know, there’s usually a pinch or two of salt in desserts to bring out the sweet flavors.

2. Olive Oil: At the start of many robust sauces is a good olive oil. It’s also great on salads, in dips, or drizzled over pasta (just add garlic for an easy aglio e olio sauce).

3. Dried Pasta: Speaking of pasta, there are few more versatile base foods out there. Just buy a few boxes of your favorite brand when it’s on sale and keep it in your pantry.

4. Red Pepper Flakes: Try just a few dashes of dried red pepper flakes to make things interesting. Red pepper flakes give off heat without imparting any flavor, which is why I prefer it over Tabasco sauce.

5. Garlic: Garlic gives sauces, stir-fries, stews, soups, and most any meal a little extra oomph. Sauted briefly, it still packs a kick. But let it slowly cook with other ingredients and it nicely mellows.

6. Flour: Try finding a baked good that doesn’t call for flour (okay, fine, besides flourless chocolate cake). Flour is the base of so many foods that it’s a great ingredient to always have around.

7. Eggs: Just like flour, eggs are in a lot of recipes for baked goods. Also, the fact that you can scramble, fry, poach, or hard-boil them means that you can get a variety of tastes and textures out of just one ingredient.

8. Bread: Can you think of a really good sandwich you’ve had that didn’t have two slices of bread? I doubt it. And, if you’re afraid you can’t eat an entire loaf before it goes bad, just put half of it in the freezer in a Ziploc bag. After a cycle or two in the toaster it’s as good as new.

9. Tomatoes: Light and refreshing, tomatoes brighten up any meal. And besides, it’s good to always have some kind of produce on hand. Just don’t store them in the fridge–they lose their flavor in refrigeration.

10. Parmesan Cheese: Perhaps a controversial choice, parmesan is versatile, has a strong flavor that means a little goes a long way, and keeps well for a long time. Sprinkle grated parmesan on pasta or soup, fold it into meatloaf, or stuff it into an omelet–it’s a great flavor booster.

Laura Troyani heads up Marketing and Business Development for Plummelo. Not content with just being another behind-the-scenes pencil pusher, Laura decided to give blogging a shot and writes practical, everyday tips for the home cook (or aspiring home cook). Laura’s favorite foods are ice cream, olive oil, ice cream, parmesan cheese, ice cream, and occasionally ice cream.

See below for photo credits

While I was at school in Sarasota, Florida, I was a member of a 12-person dinner group. Three nights a week on a two-week rotation, we’d gather together and be fed by whatever the pair of the evening had chosen as a menu. We worked hard to nourish and surprise each other, and the fact that we were all vegetarians was almost an afterthought to the pleasure of good food, good friends, and good conversation. That kind of vegetarian cooking doesn’t have an agenda–it’s just about combining good produce and simple techniques to provide a flavorful and satisfying meal.

A veggie-centric diet worked well for me as a college student and continues to do my current budget (and my health) proud: fresh vegetables can stretch a dime pretty far. And now that I live much further north, my love of all things leafy has the added perk of keeping my diet balanced through the winter. This is the time of year when many people vow to take control of their eating habits, and simplicity is a key factor in making that shift last all year round.

Almost no one does vegetables better than Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks. This is one of my favorite simple treats from the site; I love her delicious Kale and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes recipe because any leftovers can turn into a wonderfully warming bowl of potato soup the next day with the addition of some good stock.

Kale and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
sea salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (we recommend Biancolilla by Olio Taibi)
4 cloves garlic, minced (this is a great time to use that new garlic gadget)
1 bunch kale, large stems stripped and discarded, leaves chopped
1/2 cup warm milk or cream
freshly ground black pepper
5 scallions, white and tender green parts, chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish (optional)
fried shallots, for garnish (optional)

Full recipe is available at plummelo.com

Don’t be scared of vegetarian cooking; there’s nothing sneaky or secret about it. One of its many charms is that it’s simple: everyone eats vegetables (if they don’t want to get scurvy!). At my house it’s all about shamelessly picking favorites, and then exploring them in as many different recipes as possible. I decided on this recipe because I love kale and seem to be in a contest with myself to cook it as many different ways as possible.

Sweet potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, and even pomegranates are a few other staples of my winter diet. You can check out some other vegetarian gems, along with my notes, at my Plummelo profile. And stay tuned! In February I’ll get much more in depth about my old cooking group as we talk about sharing food with friends.

Do you have a veggie-centric favorite recipe? Share it in the comments.

Top photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_t_in_dc/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Second photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/galant/ / CC BY 2.0