My absolute minimum list (ie, "I just lost the entire contents of my kitchen and need to replace them"):

* 4-quart teflon pot, with lid
* baking sheet
* 9x6 glass baking pan
* 14" teflon frying pan, with lid
* plastic spatula
* chef's knife
* a strainer
* two-cup liquid measuring cup

My second-order of priority:

* Dutch oven
* Sauté pan
* Measuring spoons
* Measuring cups (dry goods)
* Vegetable peeler (on the second order because I can peel things with a chef's knife)
* One of those guillotine-like chop-things-up things
* cutting board (I'm totally willing to just use the counter until then)
* glass bread pans (I like baking bread, and they're useful for certain oven-based side dishes)
* mixing bowl (I will use the saucepans for mixing bowls until i really really need one and can't stop putting it off)