Nancy Kay's Rockin' Recipes

I first got my inspiration to cook at the tender age of 9 when I said to my mother, Dory, "e;Mommy, can I make soup?"e; She didn't hesitate and asked me what kind of soup did I want to make and I responded with "e;what do we have?"e; I had a small pot, chicken stock cubes, water and access to whatever was in the fridge. I CUT UP AND PUT EVERY VEGGIE I COULD FIND INTO MY SOUP plus pasta shells...From that moment on, in that Eichler kitchen, on my mother's stove in Foster City, CA I fell in love with cooking and what I could create just using my imagination and what was in the cupboards... I have learned over the years that if I don't have a few basic things on hand I couldn't come up with a new culinary creation when the inspiration struck me and it would drive me crazy. So as a prelogue I would like to outline the 'I gotta have it on hand at all times"e; pantry list so my creative cooking soul feels safe and content to cook or not to cook...