[Sca-cooks] Setting up a new kitchen

[Juliann]

Greetings!

I am Brygyt, located in the Thamesreach shire of Drachenwald (London,  
UK) but with frequent visitations to the Canton of Elvegast in the  
Barony of Windmasters Hill in Atlantia (Raleigh, NC).  I am fairly  
new to the SCA although I have done historical cooking from other  
eras beyond the SCA period.  I'm also very experienced in mundane  
cooking and have a plethora of gadgets, pans and other collections,  
plus in America I have a Wolf range to play with and do large roasts,  
etc. there.

I find myself in need of a total revamp of my mundane pantry and  
spice rack and thought this is as good a time as any to get started  
with gathering materials for period cookery.  At this time I am most  
interested in English, Italian and French cuisine.  I'm building my  
library but have plenty of cookbooks and theory treatises to borrow  
in the meantime.

My question is thus: what would you recommend as essential to own for  
someone new to period cooking?  What spices are essential, what  
pantry items so necessary that you'd hate to be without?  (Bonus  
points for sources to purchase :) ).

Many thanks in advance!  I look forward to really diving in head  
first :)

--Brygyt Strangewayes
(mka Juliann)