For those fortunate people with an unlimited (or kind of unlimited) food budget, only the best will do. And although many of these items listed below are not necessarily the most expensive, they certainly cost more and are usually considered higher quality, compared to budget brands and foods which just don't measure up in taste tests. For professional chefs and bakers, they are staples, and for major foodies, they comprise a good portion of pantry space in their kitchens. Of course, in many of these categories there are multiple private labels and local stores (especially for candies and ice creams) which are more pricey, but this list is comprised of brands which are available nationwide (prices and individual tastes can vary):
Best Vanilla – Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract 2 oz bottle – $14.95
Baking Chocolate – Lindt Swiss Baking Chocolate -1.8 oz bar – $3.99
Valrhona (French) – 9 oz jar of cocoa powder – $11.25
Ghirardelli Cocoa Powder – 8 oz – $5.95
Eating Chocolate – Lindt Swiss Chocolate – 1.8 oz bar – $3.99
Amadei Italian chocolate – 1.8 oz bar – $18.99
Godiva – chocolate truffles 36 piece box – $78.00
Cheeses –
Rogue River Blue – $40/pound
Jersey Blue – $45/pound
Caciocavallo Podolico – $50/pound
Wyke Farms Cheddar – $200/pound
White Stilton Gold – $420/pound
Pule – made from the milk of Balkan Serbian donkeys (don't ask) – $600/pound
Imported Cracker – Finn Crisp Thin Rye – 7oz – $4.95
Champagne –
Dom Perignon Champagne – from $150 and up
Cristal Champagne – $199
Ace of Spades Champagne – $299
Moët et Chandon Dom Perignon Oenenotheque 1992 – $452
Krug Vintage Brut 1988 – $949.99
France's number one-selling Champagne, Nicolas Feuillatte
(well, hey, who knows better than the French and only $35 a bottle, a bargain, seriously)
Caviar – Beluga Sturgeon Caviar Metal Tin 17.6 oz – $2,049
Lobster – Fresh Lobster Tail Meat – 1 lb $79.99 (may vary)
Beef – Wagyu Beef (Japanese) Rib Eye Steak – $89/pound
Kobe Beef – (Japanese) – $110/pound
Steak cuts – Porterhouse, filet mignon – $7.99/pound and up
Ice Cream – Talenti Gelato – $8/pint
Haagen Dazs – around $4.98/pint
Ben & Jerry's – about the same price – $4.98/pint
Shortbread Cookies – Walkers imported assortment (17.6 oz) $14.99
Coffee – 12 oz. bag various brands of French or Italian roast, or many of South American roasts can run up from $12 to $24.00
Peanut Butter – Peanut Butter & Co. 16 oz jar $4.79 or fresh ground at some specialty stores
Best (imported) Jam – Bonne Maman (French) 13 oz jar – $5.99
Saffron – pure Spanish 1 oz $117.86 (use sparingly)
Worchester Sauce – Lea & Perrins 10 oz bottle – $5.00
Salad Dressing – (if it's not in the refrigerated section, you can just forget it) Marie's or Litehouse 12 oz jar or bottle $3.75; along these same lines, Hellman's Mayonnaise and Heinz Ketchup still rule
Mustard – (no list would be complete without this author's favorite mustard, which she sometimes eats straight from the jar) – Grey Poupon Dijon (8 oz jar) – around $3.00
For many shoppers, priorities dictate which of these items are purchased. For some, nothing less than premium baking ingredients will do, for others top cuts of meat or fish, and for coffee fans, a higher priced roast will be chosen over the typical supermarket brands. But let's not forget, Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, drove an old pick-up truck, and Warren Buffet lived in the same house in Omaha for almost 60 years. Seven-figure executives frequently dine on fast food. It's all about priorities. What's in your pantry?
