Here's how to stock your kitchen pantry

I am a big believer in planning your menus and knowing what's for dinner (good thing because I am the Dinner Diva!), but sometimes, even best intentions get thrown to the wayside. Stuff comes up. You need a plan B. I'm not talking drive-through!

Go to the pantry! If you use my list, you'll walk away with ingredients for a quick, satisfying dinner and if you're able to scrounge up a reasonable facsimile of something resembling a vegetable, it will even be a balanced meal. But before we go there, let's build that pantry.

Canned items and jarred items: all manner of tomato products, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, spaghetti sauces, pizza sauce, tomato paste, salsas. I keep a variety of sizes available, too. Canned beans: black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, whatever bean you can find that you'll eat. It's less expensive to use dried beans, but these are still cheap and will work in a pinch. I'm also fond of already canned baked beans and bean dips. You can doctor them with a little bacon and some brown sugar and they taste like homemade. Canned fish: tuna, salmon, crab, clams. Canned fruit and vegetables: stock the ones you like and will use. I have pineapple, applesauce, mandarin oranges, pears, peaches, whole cranberries, cranberry sauce, pumpkin, corn, olives, roasted red peppers, jars of tapenade, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, pesto (tomato and basil), canned chilies, tomatillos, anchovies, capers. Canned soups and broths, stock the ones you use. I use a lot of chicken broth (low-sodium has more flavor), beef broth, vegetable broth and bottled clam juice. Enchilada sauces (green and red), jars of gravy (great for extending what you made), Canned milk: sweetened condensed, evaporated — all work great in baking.

Condiments: ketchup, mustards (yellow, Dijon, whole grain), pickles (dill and sweet), relish, mayonnaise, A-1, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, stir fry sauces, soy sauce (low-sodium, if you can find), teriyaki sauce, horseradish, cocktail sauce. (Once opened, store in fridge, except soy sauce.)

Oils and vinegars: vegetable oils of choice (I like a cold pressed safflower or sunflower oil by Hollywood), olive oil, sesame oil for stir fry. All oil will go rancid staying out. After it is opened it has to go in the fridge, except olive oil. White and red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar and balsamic vinegars.

Nut butters and jelly: Peanut butter (crunchy or creamy), almond and cashew butters, jelly, jam and fruit spread or conserve, honey. My peanut butter needs to be refrigerated after opening. Check your label to be sure.