Chef, restaurateur and Food Network star Geoffrey Zakarian knows the pantry is the backbone of any kitchen and the place from which every great meal starts.

Forget exotic condiments and specialty foods. With a working base of 50 readily available ingredients, from oats and honey to olive oil and canned chickpeas, you will always have the makings of a delicious home-cooked meal. In My Perfect Pantry, Geoffrey shows you how to use your pantry to jump-start any meal. When you bring home your fresh produce and proteins, you’ll have 150 recipes at the ready, and a number of these can be made with pantry ingredients alone.

You’ll learn to see a simple can of beans as a Smoky Black Bean Bisque or coconut milk as Spicy Coconut Tempura Shrimp. Standard back-of-the-cupboard fare like almonds become the crisp crust on a broiled pork chop; peanut butter lends itself beautifully to a spicy slaw; cider vinegar gives great flavor to a chicken main as well as to doughnuts; and mustard transforms a pot roast. Throughout, you’ll find quick but ingenious tips for each of the 50 profiled ingredients, like how to use Earl Grey teabags to infuse ice cubes or a syrup for French toast.

My Perfect Pantry makes it easy for your everyday staples to lead, rather than support, the creation of extraordinary meals. Geoffrey gives you the shopping list you need, as well as the road map for making the most of what you have on hand.