Top 5 Essentials You Couldn't Cook Without

When whipping together dinner over the weekend, we got to thinking... what are the 5 top things we just couldn't cook (read: live) without?  We asked around, and found some really interesting things.

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Stephanie: 

- Olive Oil

- Salt

- Pepper 

- Garlic (whole, not minced) 

- Cheese

Lauren: 

- Butter 

- Garlic

- Eggs

- Cream

- Pepper

Super foodie friend:

- Pork fat

- Butter

- Salt

- Heavy cream

- Pork belly/bacon 

P: 

- Tomatoes

- Salt

- Olive oil

- Onions 

- Water

Super nutritionist: 

- Bananas 

- Oats

- Walnuts

- Olive Oil

- Spinach

Isn't it interesting?  I love the range, and thinking about all the dishes one could come up with with just a handful of dependable ingredients.  Olive oil is really important across the board (so make sure you have plenty on hand), while some of these (hello, anchovies and pork parts) seem very specialized and niche-y. 

What are your cooking essentials?