Ask A Nice Vegan
Which Spices Should I Have on Hand?
A pared-down list of recommendations for anyone getting into cooking for the first time
Ask A Nice Vegan is a weekly advice column by Summer Anne Burton, a nice vegan who is also the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the magazine you are reading right now. She can answer questions about any topic that you could use a nice vegan’s advice on, be it food, animals, etiquette, philosophy, gifts, dating, family, weddings, parties, or friendships. Email your questions to advice@tenderlymag.com
Dear Nice Vegan,
I’m a vegetarian-trending-vegan and I just moved out of my parent’s house into my first apartment. Right now I mostly eat MorningStar corn dogs, pizza from my favorite local place, and 50 cent “oriental” ramen. I can cook a few things — scrambled eggs, grilled cheese, and I’m an excellent cereal pourer — but I’d like to start cooking for myself more, especially as I try to eat vegan more often.
However, I’m not sure where to start when it comes to outfitting my pantry. I have salt and pepper, but the rest of the spice aisle feels overwhelming. Where should I start? I don’t want to buy a bunch of stuff that I won’t use, but I’d like to have some basics that will take my culinary experiments to the next…