Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I don't keep mustard in the fridge

homemade croutons
noodles
penne
tinned tomatoes
curry powder (for emergencies!)
red lentils
cous cous
dried chestnuts
miso
tinned anchovies

Wow--I had no idea this many people were excited about Sonic! I live in Oklahoma City where Sonic is headquartered and my entire life myself and everyone I know has gone to Sonic, but no one is that excited about it. It is really not that great, there are just so many of them everywhere (about four near my home now!) that it is mainly just out of convenience. They really are not as good as in the "old days" -- they just have a fantastic marketing department (believe me, I have a friend who works there). But as other posters have said, the cherry limeade is the thing to get if you go. Just don't expect a great burger. Most people here prefer Johnnie's Burgers.

Jello is good stuff when it's made perfectly, where everything about it is firm; the kind only found at Chinese buffets, at least in Cleveland. Every time I see the sheen of these vibrant cubes calling out to me, I just want to grab the entire display of different colors, pile them in a big bowl, take them to my table, and shake them to watch them jiggle in all their glory.

When I'm done marveling at their dance, I partake in their cool, firm texture, the giggling sound they make in my mouth when I'm chewing, the burst of fruity flavor, and then the tiny cubes of firmness rolling in my mouth...so heavenly.

count me out on the jello as well. i think the last time i allowed it to pass my lips in any form was in 1974.

i've got a fair amount of the things already mentioned, plus matzo meal. nothing makes me happier in the winter than a bowl of soup with matzo balls.

ditto on the israeli couscous
pimenton...Spanish smoky paprika
couple of varieties of olive oil
black beans
2-3 varieties of Goya salsitas
various whole wheat pastas
freezer items to include: boneless/skinless chicken breasts, organic cornmeal pizza crusts, quart bags of crushed tomatoes from the garden

The main places I've seen Sonic ads on cable in NYC has been on the Atlanta-based Turner channels (TNT, etc), and it sounds like the ads are part of the satellite feed for those channels. The space they set aside to sell to local businesses in the markets they service tends to get filled with spots that are *really* local.

I totally agree with the siracha (although we call it rooster sauce).
I tend to have 2 types of beans, rice, tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and perhaps the most disgusting thing: kraft dinner, because it is literally the only thing I can taste when I get my frequent sinus infections.

My most versatile must-have items are:

-Mirin
-Soy Sauce
-Miso, tofu (firm and silken) - although these are technically "fridge items"
-Dried Shiitake
-Brown Rice
-Couscous (whole wheat)
-Quinoa
-Dried beans - garbanzo, kidney and white
-Soba noodles
-Whole wheat pasta
-Whole wheat flour
-Honey and molasses
-Several varieties of mustard (including Colman's, whole grain, several kinds of dijon, etc.), oil (olive, sesame, grapeseed, canola, walnut) and vinegar (white, various kinds of rice, various kinds of wine, apple cider, black, pomegranate)
-Tinned tomatoes
-Sea salt, pepper (whole peppercorns) and spices (sweet and smoked paprika, cumin, Chinese 5-spice, turmeric and saffron, red pepper flakes and some others)
-Fresh herbs.

Israeli couscous is a favorite in our house. We also always have the standards in the pantry- beans, rice, pasta, soba and udon noodles, lots of oils and vinegars, stocks, canned tomatoes, and a new favorite is dried apricots.

I like to have stock, different types of oils and vinegars, nuts, canned tomatoes, arborio, pasta, and i'm adding quinoa to the mix now.

Soy sauce, olive oil, brown rice, pasta, ham, eggs, tofu, frozen peas, bran oats, bananas.

from a strictly pantry perspective: bulgur, good prunes, good Moroccan sardines and Spanish tuna in olive oil, Chinese preserved radish or mustard greens (great in a stir fry with pork), capers, Herdez tomatillo salsa, coconut milk, and lots of almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios.