The problem is that not everybody would agree with what you consider to be basic. To me, you would absolutely have to include soy sauce, for example. And I mostly use white vinegar for cleaning. Replace that with rice wine vinegar, however…

lol, you should see my pantry. I cook foods that have originated from all over the world. I have way too many “basic” ingredients stocked at all times.

Just a couple of days ago, I started to make a Thai curry, and then I was shocked to find that we were out of coconut milk. How can we be out of coconut milk?! We always have coconut milk!

So, I made a Japanese curry instead.

Also, having survived a natural disaster has left me with a tendency to hoard food. All of my cabinets are jam packed at all times. My house is the place to be if the next Big One hits and they are no groceries available.

Easy - funky tagine.

Roasted pepper soup

Okay, you continue to miss the point and I’m not sure if you’re doing it on purpose or not so I’ll make it as simple and clear as possible:

You said the challenge was hard mode because you had a well stocked pantry and some other stuff and asked what you could make. You were told you could make almost anything with a well stocked pantry and got upset that nobody understood what you meant. You were told politely that you could have been more clear, you continued to get upset and blame others. All you had to do was clarify and not blame everyone else and everyone (including you) would have been happy.

Now now, let’s not be reasonable. This is the internet.

Pepper and barley soup all day long.

I said the challenge was hard because barley and peppers are two flavors that normally are put together and barley is not an ingredient a lot of people have experienced with.

The first response where I was upset was because they said if they had a well stocked pantry they wouldn’t even use the ingredients shown. That defeats the entire purpose of the challenge.

In what country is barley not a common ingredient? Do they not really use it in the USA?

That sounds like better instructions.

I don’t have a pantry nor really grew up with one, so my idea of one is that huge one from The Shining

It’s pretty rare here. Most stores don’t carry it. I had to get this at a Mexican Tienda.

Pantry: The collective term for the things in your kitchen shelves, cabinets, fridge, freezer and and spice rack.

Okay. So what’s in there?

Challenge: “do something with a well stocked pantry”

What’s the challenge? Are you sure you don’t mean: “create a dish with no limitations but focus on X ingredient.”

Don’t be so vague. If you know cooking… then uh… “a well stocked pantry” = anything…

Duh everything in your kitchen!

What part of “all things in your kitchen, shelves, cabinets, fridge, freezer, and spice rack” sounds vague?

Why are you saying “anything and everything”… without recognizing how lame your challenge is by saying “anything and everything” ?

Because I’m not saying anything and everything. I’m saying stuff you generally have.

I think it goes by the name JD Vance.

I think the issue that people, including myself, are having, is that it’s undefined in such a way that is simultaneously too open-ended and also too restricted. Different people have wildly different pantry stocks and wildly different expectations for what is conventionally expected or keep on hand.

This is all extra so, when the question is for a fucking bell pepper and some barley. You could be anything from a farmer, to a chef, to a crazy person who doesn’t have black pepper and only eats canned hamburgers and pisses in bottles.

You need to realize that the notion of this question is deeply flawed, and that you can maybe try to compromise by just allowing everybody chef-show type freedom where as long as they use and feature these ingredients, or like just go rule-of-cool and let it breathe.

This all being said, I truly don’t care, I’m just trying to interpret where the top level comment may be coming from, because I’ve thought about these challenges before and held off because I know people can be difficult.

Personally… I’d probably see if I could deep fry or roast the barley to get it sweet, soft, and crispy, and spice it with like a light butter coating, and then mix that with slices of the bell pepper for finger food or a snack. Though, I’ve never had barley like that, so I don’t know what it tastes like or if it’s bitter or what cooking it would do, that’s just my instinct. Maybe try to find a dip that would synergize them. Probably try to avoid ranch though, that’s overdone and basic af

No you’re not!

“The collective term for the things in your kitchen shelves, cabinets, fridge, freezer and and spice rack.” Your words! That’s everything in the house man!

You literally cited anything and everything and later spelled that out. Look, just stop this shit and rephrase the question!

It’s not hard to say “okay make biscuits, but without buttermilk”…

Versus “make anything from your pantry, cupboards, shelves, spice rack, home or storage…but without buttermilk”

Can you not understand the difference? I could make a steak with your question, it’s not a challenge by the very nature of your own words.

Also do you not get a vibe from the sheer failure of a challenge this is? How many good recipes have you got in the comments, compared to folks reacting with… “what the fuck is so weird with this?”