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For those fortunate people with an unlimited (or kind of unlimited) food budget, only the best will do. And although many of these items listed below are not necessarily the most expensive, they certainly cost more and are usually considered higher quality, compared to budget brands and foods which just don't measure up in taste tests. For professional chefs and bakers, they are staples, and for major foodies, they comprise a good portion of pantry space in their kitchens. Of course, in many of these categories there are multiple private labels and local stores (especially for candies and ice creams) which are more pricey, but this list is comprised of brands which are available nationwide (prices and individual tastes can vary):

Best 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 – 8 oz – $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

Jersey Blue – $45/pound

Caciocavallo Podolico – $50/pound

Wyke Farms Cheddar – $200/pound

White Stilton Gold – $420/pound

Pule – made from the milk of Balkan Serbian donkeys (don't ask) – $600/pound

Imported Cracker – Finn Crisp Thin Rye – 7oz – $4.95

Champagne

Dom Perignon Champagne – from $150 and up

Cristal Champagne – $199

Ace of Spades Champagne – $299

Moët et Chandon Dom Perignon Oenenotheque 1992 – $452

Krug Vintage Brut 1988 – $949.99

France's number one-selling Champagne, Nicolas Feuillatte

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

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

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

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

Kobe Beef – (Japanese) – $110/pound

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

Ice Cream – Talenti Gelato – $8/pint

Haagen Dazs – around $4.98/pint

Ben & Jerry's – about the same price – $4.98/pint

Shortbread Cookies – Walkers imported assortment (17.6 oz) $14.99

Coffee – 12 oz. bag various brands of French or Italian roast, or many of South American roasts can run up from $12 to $24.00

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

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

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

Worchester Sauce – Lea & Perrins 10 oz bottle – $5.00

Salad Dressing – (if it's not in the refrigerated section, you can just forget it) Marie's or Litehouse 12 oz jar or bottle $3.75; along these same lines, Hellman's Mayonnaise and Heinz Ketchup still rule

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

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Source by Dale Phillip