Yahoo! posted a short list of the Seven Things Every Kitchen Should Have, and the list is good, but not comprehensive, and tends to focus on rather high-end gadgets. Many of the story responses asked for information about foodstuffs that are essential for a kitchen. I thought that this was a good opportunity to take the task of the well-stocked kitchen.

Before I share my list, I think it's important to make some distinctions between a standard American/European kitchen and kitchens from other parts of the world. An American kitchen would have some 'staples' that would not be found in kitchens from the Middle East or Asia. However, now that people are cooking outside the box, these ingredients have become far more easily available. To be inclusive of other cultures' foodstuffs, I'll provide a secondary list of essentials that come from other countries.

Essential American/European kitchen:
The Pantry:

• All purpose white flour
• Cake flour
• White granulated sugar
• Confectioners sugar
• Brown sugar
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Free-flowing salt
• Rock salt (large grain, usually sea salt)
• Cocoa powder
• Good quality chocolate for baking
• Vanilla extract
• Almond extract
• Lemon extract
• Molasses
• Maple syrup
• Light corn syrup
• Tapioca flour
• Corn starch
• Jasmine rice
• Potatoes
• Variety of pasta

The Spice Shelf:

• Bay leaves
• Whole black pepper (to be ground fresh)
• Cinnamon
• Oregano
• Chipolte peppers (whole)
• Peppermint
• Crushed red pepper
• Cloves
• Coriander seeds
• Dill seeds
• Viet Sin powder (MSG-related flavor powder)
• Powdered dried ginger
• Nutmeg
• Dried red chilies
• Red pepper flakes
• Celery seed
• Basic sweet curry powder
• Sage
• Rosemary
• Thyme

Cans, bottles, boxes and tins:

• Quality tomato paste
• Crushed tomatoes
• Ketchup
• Balsamic vinegar
• White vinegar
• Apple cider vinegar
• Sweet cucumber pickles
• Apricot preserve or jelly
• Raspberry preserve
• Unflavored gelatin
• Soy sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Olive oil
• Peanut oil
• Sesame oil
• Green peppercorns (in brine)
• Peanut butter
• Pineapple (in juice)
• Green olives
• Black olives
• Bread crumbs
• Honey

In the Icebox:

• Eggs
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Cream (when needed)
• Butter
• Lemons
• Limes
• Shallots
• Onions
• Garlic
• Hard cheese (provolone, romano)

For those who want to have non-American/European staples on hand, here are some essentials:

• Hot chilie paste
• Fish sauce
• Hoisin sauce
• Rice wine vinegar
• Chinese or Japanese noodles
• Fermented black beans
• Salted (preserved) lemon
• Chickpea flour
• Fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, basil)
• Chili oil
• Tahini (sesame paste)
• Garam masala (Indian mixed spices)
• Pistachio nuts
• Walnuts
• Coconut milk
• Roasted peanuts
• Roasted sesame seeds

I hope that this list is in some way helpful, although I'm sure there are some items that others would find to be even more essential. However, this is a good way to start anyone off in the great world of cooking.