Rolls Royce Food

For those lucky folks with an unlimited (or nearly unlimited) food budget, only the best will do. And while many of these items listed below aren’t necessarily the most expensive, they certainly cost more and are generally considered higher quality, compared to budget brands and foods that just don’t measure up in taste tests. For professional chefs and bakers, they’re staples, and for major foodies, they take up a good chunk of pantry space in their kitchens. Of course, in many of these categories there are various private labels and local shops (especially for candy and ice cream) that are more expensive, but this list is made up of brands that are available nationwide (individual prices and tastes may vary). ):

better 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 – 8oz – $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

Blue Jersey – $45/pound

Caciocavallo Podolico – $50/pound

Wyke Farms Cheddar – $200/pound

White Stilton Gold – $420/pound

Pule: made with Serbian donkey’s milk from the Balkans (don’t ask) – $600/pound

imported biscuit – Finn Crisp Fine Rye – 7oz – $4.95

champagne –

Dom Perignon Champagne: from $150 and up

Champagne glass – $199

Ace of Spades Champagne – $299

Moët and Chandon Dom Perignon Oenenotheque 1992 – $452

Krug Vintage Brut 1988 – $949.99

France’s number one selling champagne, Nicolas Feuillatte

(well hey, who tastes better than the French and only $35 a bottle, a steal, seriously)

Caviar – Beluga Sturgeon Caviar Metal Can 17.6oz – $2,049

Locust – Fresh Lobster Tail Meat – 1 lb $79.99 (may vary)

Beef – Wagyu Beef (Japanese) Rib Eye – $89/pound

Kobe Beef – (Japanese) – $110/pound

Steak Cuts – Porterhouse, filet mignon – $7.99/pound and up

ice cream – Gelato Talenti – $8/pint

Haagen Dazs: About $4.98/pint

Ben & Jerry’s – for the same price – $4.98/pint

Butter cookies – Imported Walker Assortment (17.6 oz) $14.99

Coffee – 12 oz. packing several brands of French or Italian roast, or many of the South American roasts can cost between $12 and $24.00

Peanut butter – Peanut Butter & Co. 16 oz jar $4.79 or ground fresh at some specialty stores

Best Jam (imported) – Bonne Maman (French) 13 oz Jar – $5.99

Saffron – pure Spanish 1 oz $117.86 (use sparingly)

English sauce – Lea & Perrins 10 oz bottle – $5.00

Salad dressing – (if it’s not in the refrigerated section, you can forget about it) Jar or 12 oz bottle of Marie’s or Litehouse $3.75; in the same vein, Hellman’s Mayonnaise and Heinz Ketchup continue to dominate

Mustard – (no list would be complete without this author’s favorite mustard, which she sometimes eats straight from the jar) – Gray Poupon Dijon (8 oz jar) – about $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 the best cuts of meat or fish, and for fans of coffee, a higher-priced roast will be chosen over the typical supermarket brands. But let’s not forget that Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, drove an old pickup truck and Warren Buffet lived in the same house in Omaha for nearly 60 years. Seven-figure executives frequently dine at fast food. It’s all about priorities. What’s in your pantry?