A jar of martini olives, a tin of cocktail peanuts and a bottle of vodka stashed in the freezer are all essential tools for the socially ambitious man about town. Face it, though, these days you are going to have to deliver a lot more to earn your entertaining cred.You don’t have to turn your man cave into Martha Stewart’s house. A few pieces of equipment and a cluster of trusted recipes you can ace even when blitzed on Schlitz are all you need. But you’ll have to stock your pantry and fridge strategically.Enter Ian Stone. This 42-year-old former Marine from Scottsdale, Ariz., created The Bachelor’s Kitchen (thebachelorskitchen.com) to help clueless men figure out what they need to score in the kitchen.“It’s not rocket science,” he says. “If you’re a guy, your job is to hunt, forage and provide. This should be totally in your lane. Most guys have a tremendous sense of pride. They want to be proud they can provide for their wife or girlfriend.”Yet the cooking mojo just isn’t there for a lot of men.“They don’t want to make an error,” Stone says. “Who wants to make a mistake 45 minutes before your date shows up?”Stone began cooking for himself while a student at New York University. Later, he started shopping in restaurant supply stores because he could buy professional-grade equipment for less. Friends started asking him for help.“So, I started drawing up a list of things you definitely want to have, a list of things that would be nice to have, things that would be useful for more interesting dishes,” he says.Stone, who married last year, started up The Bachelor’s Kitchen about six years ago to share what he learned. The website offers lists of “essential” equipment and ingredients, recipes and menu ideas. He also has an e-store selling equipment, including a 39-piece set called “The Basic Bachelor” for $399.His tone is very personal and direct. What to do when you’ve ruined a dish? Don’t worry about it: “This is part of learning, so get used to it happening from time to time. Just admit defeat and order pizza or Chinese.”Recipes are delivered in a similar style. For artichoke bacon dip, “put EVERYTHING in a food processor, blend until all the big stuff turns into much smaller stuff (about half a minute), then cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, uncovered in pan or oven-safe dish.”“Everything,” by the way, is one 14-ounce can of artichoke hearts, 4 slices of cooked bacon and 2 teaspoons salt.Stone is a big fan of cooking extra portions and freezing leftovers. “It doesn’t take any more energy to boil an extra half-pound of spaghetti and make double the sauce,” he said.He’s also no snob. Store-bought rotisserie chicken, franks and canned baked beans and packaged ramen noodles all get the thumbs up.To arm yourself The Bachelor’s Kitchen way, stock up using Stone’s pantry and gear lists. And try his version of roasted rack of lamb. Plenty of bold flavor, just like Stone’s approach.

GEAR UPQuality pots and pansQuality knives and a sharpening steelRoasting pan and rackPie plateAluminum cookie sheetsMixing bowlsSmall glass bowlsMeasuring spoonsMeasuring cupsWhisksSpatulas and spoonsPastry/basting brushesCutting boardColander/strainerPeelerCheese graterIce cream scoopKitchen scissorsCorkscrewCan openerShrimp deveinerTongsLadle

THE GUY’S PANTRYThe basicsFlourSugarHoneyMaple syrupButterVegetable shorteningEggsHeavy creamButtermilkCornstarchBaking powder and baking sodaCocoaWhole dry powdered milkSweetened condensed milkRaisinsOatmealPlain yogurtPreserves and jamNutsRicePastaCans of crushed tomatoesTofuBaconCanned salmonDried mushroomsHard cheeseStock

Spices, herbs and suchOnionsGarlicGingerMarjoram, rosemary, basil and oreganoCinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, corianderColman’s dry mustardOld Bay seasoningPaprikaHorseradishOils, vinegars, et al.Olive oilVegetable or canola oilToasted sesame oilBalsamic vinegarWhite vinegarCognac and rumSoy sauceGravy MasterLiquid SmokeMarsala, dry and sweetDry sherry

This quick dinner recipe is from Ian Stone of The Bachelor’s Kitchen, written in his own distinctive style. You can also experiment with pomegranate molasses instead of cherries. We would cut the salt in half, but hey, it’s your lamb.

CHERRY ROASTED RACK OF LAMB—Yield: 2 servings

1 cup pitted cherries, preferably fresh1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary2 teaspoons each: salt, freshly cracked pepper1 rack of lamb (1-1 1/4 pounds)Procedure:1. OK, first heat the oven to 500 degrees or as hot as it will go (minus if you’ve got one that will cremate human remains). Take the cherries and put them in a food processor, blender or something that will crush the little (suckers) to a pulp. Add rosemary, salt and pepper.2. Now, with the rack of lamb standing up straight (by the way, make sure your date is way hot … a rack of lamb is expensive!), cover with the cherry sauce. Now roast 15-20 minutes, depending on how rare you want the meat.3. I like to serve this with basmati or jasmine rice … balances the dish nicely, especially if you use some garlic.

Artist Christo talks about his ‘Over the River’ project for the Arkansas River on Wednesday at The Gazette in Colorado Springs. The project would suspend 5.9 miles of fabric across eight spots along a 42-mile stretch of the river between Canon City and Salida. Photo by CHRISTIAN MURDOCK, THE GAZETTE

Christian murdock