We always pack pasta, canned tomato, beans, a five-liter can of our favorite olive oil, the largest saucepan I have, risotto rice, wine, booze, a set of kitchen tongs, and my favorite knife. (I stupidly forgot to pack Parmigiano and kosher salt.) We do this because those foodstuffs are our staples, and we bring the kitchenware because most houses, no matter how grand they are or how much you pay for them, have kitchens that are usually poorly outfitted, and inevitably we end up buying pans, colanders, etc., so now we just pack our own.
