Maryland Food Worth Shipping Home: What to Stock in Your Pantry Best Maryland food is mostly about the pantry, not just the crab feast. A few well-chosen tins, mixes and jars can turn an ordinary Tuesday dinner into something that tastes like the Chesapeake. At The Maryland Store, we've been helping people stock those shelves since 1999, from our shop on Route 32 in Westminster and from our online food and drink collection. Here's where we'd start. Old Bay, obviously Every Marylander has a tin of Old Bay within arm's reach of the stove. The 6 oz. can is the classic. It goes on steamed crabs and shrimp, and it also goes on fries, popcorn, deviled eggs and corn on the cob. If you've only ever used it on seafood, try a shake on scrambled eggs. You'll thank us. The J.O. Spice shelf Plenty of locals will tell you J.O. No. 2 is the better crab seasoning, and they'll say it with a straight face. We stock the whole J.O. Spice line, including the crab cake mix and the soup mixes for both Maryland-style crab soup and cream of crab. One customer told us she came in for exactly that list, plus brown table paper and a dozen crab picking knives. That's a woman who knows how to host. Snacks and sweets Not every good bite involves seafood. Wye River's white cheddar Crabbers crackers are a favorite in our candy and snack aisle, and Goetze's caramel creams have been a Baltimore candy-counter staple for generations. Chewy, a little messy, gone in a day. Breakfast and the cold-weather cupboard Our shelves also hold Maryland jam and jelly, honey and maple syrup, tea and cocoa, and a good range of salsas and dip mixes. Dip mixes are the secret to easy hosting. Stir one into sour cream, set out a bowl of chips, and nobody asks if you cooked. Can't decide? Let someone else pick If you're buying for a person and not a pantry, the Taste of Maryland gift basket is one of our most popular items. It's the easiest answer for a new neighbor, a relative who moved away, or a corporate contact you want to remember at the holidays. One of our business customers recently told us the gifts we put together were "beautiful and so well received," and we'd like to keep earning that. Orders over $125 ship free, and we'll add a gift message at checkout. A tip for cooking from the shelf Pick up one of our crab cookbooks along with your seasonings. Whitey Schmidt's crab cookbook is a good one, and having a recipe in hand makes it much more likely the tin gets used and doesn't sit in the cabinet for a year. Come see the shop in person Our store at 2200 Sykesville Rd. (Rt. 32) in Westminster is a former chapel, which still surprises first-time visitors. Walk in and you'll find the food, the crab gear, the flag apparel and the ornaments all under one roof. Hours are 11 to 4 Monday through Thursday, 10 to 5 on Friday and Saturday, and 12 to 4 on Sunday. Call 410-751-2050 if you want us to check that something's on the shelf.