What you should have in your kitchen

In order to cook, you need food! Yes I know, sorry.
You can get away with some very minimum ingredients, but it is pretty hard to cook with nothing on your shelves! The following is what I'd put in a bare kitchen to start out.

So go to your local supermarket (print and take the list if you'd like) and get:

Salt - regular table salt
Pepper - black pepper and a grinder
Garlic - you can use powder but real is way better
Dried herbs - oregano, basil, thyme, sage, and dill would be a good start
Spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cumin, coriander, cardomom, chili and cloves
Oil - olive oil and a vegetable oil
Regular flour and some whole wheat flour - get a small amount if you don't like to bake, or else keep it in the freezer
White sugar, brown sugar
Baking powder
Baking soda
Butter - unsalted is good for baking, but salted lasts longer if you don't bake much
Tins of tomatoes (whole or chopped)
A tin of tomato paste,
A few tins of beans you like (lentils, kidney beans or chick peas)
A jar of pasta sauce
Tins of black olives, artichoke hearts,
A few tins of fruits you like such as pineapple and pears
Dried pasta in two or three shapes
Rice -try two varieties to start from white, brown (takes longer to cook but good for you), basmati (for indian), jasmine (smells nice), short grain (such as sushi rice), arborio (for risotto)
Potatoes - keep in a thick paper bag in a cool dark place and they'll last a month or so