Right now, I have nothing particularly edible in my fridge. Eggs, okay. Some rind-bordering hunks of cheese. Milk and soda, which are not food. It’s pretty dire. When I shop for dinner, it’s different than shopping for the fridge. About once a month I make a separate trip just to insure that my greediness won’t force me into the warm, beckoning arms of Fred 62 at 2 AM; there is something that feels insanely luxurious about having a lot of options in your kitchen. I have a hard time keeping the razor-focus one needs when shopping this way (immediacy takes over; who cares about the fridge? I just want to get a chicken and leave this freezing grocery store), and I’ve noticed that it’s not always easy to think of “what would be good to have around.” Dinner requires interrelated ingredients, but snacking stands alone. In a weird way, maybe some primal cave-person ethic left over from earlier times, what we have stored to eat and drink makes us feel differently about our state of being; maybe this doesn’t apply to you high rollers, but there is something liberating about not having to buy things. What I have lying around can save me a suspenseful, ill-advised stoned drive or walk to Lamill to blow $26 on clam-based fritters and soups. And when I plan really well, I almost prefer what I have in the fridge (not always. Sometimes). So, here’s my ultimate “have around” list. It’s still evolving. It might not apply to you. But maybe it will give you some ideas? Boom, you gotta have soda. I like to get a six pack of ginger ale, some cola, maybe even something wacky like a Key Lime soda. Hoard these. Also, it’s great to have enough limes or lemons to whip up your own juice to mix in (ginger + limes + sugar + ginger ale = amazing). These are for when you aren’t hungry but are still greedy and want to feel beverage-rich. A frozen pie, or a package of pie crust and 2 packages of frozen blueberries (Trader Joe’s is the hook-up here. Trust). After you heat or make the pie (so easy to make: throw the berries in a bowl with a squeeze of lemon, sugar and cornstarch and defrost the crust. Press the crust into your pie pan, par-bake (directions on the package), fill with berries and cover with the other crust that came in your package, slap some egg beaten with water over the top and poke a few holes in, bake it and you’re done), you’ll have it to nibble on for a few days unless you’re a serious Pie Fiend. Lemons, limes and oranges. You need color in your fridge and you will be needing these things for cocktails anyway. 2 baking potatoes and 2 yukon gold potatoes, onions (great midnight snack: dice potatoes and onions; heat up some olive oil over medium heat and toss ‘em in, fry them, and serve them with a poached egg). Eggs Pancake mix Bacon Tabatchnik frozen soups. These are good, cheap, and always seem less pathetic than canned. Because I used to eat Tabatchnik soup when I was at death’s door, there’s an emotional response I have to it that can sometimes make me feel like I’m getting a cold. But this is a brain game and I am willing to ignore it while stocking the freezer. Frozen bread (La Brea makes good demi-baguettes) Butter, jam, peanut butter, and honey (powdered milk if you’re willing to be viewed as a renegade and want to be able to make the best snack in the world: peanut butter, honey, and powdered milk mixed together, formed into balls and chilled. I heard they give this to starving orphans because it’s so protein-y. It’s also really good with a cold glass of milk when you’re feeling 6 years old. I can of crushed tomatoes, 1 head of garlic, and pasta Maple syrup and honey Apples (first because I’ve done field research that shows that when you have the munchies and you’re plowing through all your food, eating an apple will usually cause you to be able to push the “pause” button on your binge, and second because you can nuke ‘em with butter and brown sugar and top them with vanilla ice cream for a good midnight snack) Popcorn Cheese When you’re in possession of these items, you have so many options, sweet and savory. Soup + bread and butter, eggs + cheese + bacon (you can also freeze half your bacon so you don’t demolish it immediately), a baked apple and popcorn, lazy-person spaghetti, hash browns, an entire pie. You can also just count these ingredients like Ebeneezer Scrooge, staring into your open fridge, cackling, and saying “Mine, all mine!” - Tess

Right now, I have nothing particularly edible in my fridge. Eggs, okay. Some rind-bordering hunks of cheese. Milk and soda, which are not food. It’s pretty dire.

When I shop for dinner, it’s different than shopping for the fridge. About once a month I make a separate trip just to insure that my greediness won’t force me into the warm, beckoning arms of Fred 62 at 2 AM; there is something that feels insanely luxurious about having a lot of options in your kitchen. I have a hard time keeping the razor-focus one needs when shopping this way (immediacy takes over; who cares about the fridge? I just want to get a chicken and leave this freezing grocery store), and I’ve noticed that it’s not always easy to think of “what would be good to have around.” Dinner requires interrelated ingredients, but snacking stands alone.

In a weird way, maybe some primal cave-person ethic left over from earlier times, what we have stored to eat and drink makes us feel differently about our state of being; maybe this doesn’t apply to you high rollers, but there is something liberating about not having to buy things. What I have lying around can save me a suspenseful, ill-advised stoned drive or walk to Lamill to blow $26 on clam-based fritters and soups. And when I plan really well, I almost prefer what I have in the fridge (not always. Sometimes).

So, here’s my ultimate “have around” list. It’s still evolving. It might not apply to you. But maybe it will give you some ideas?

  • Boom, you gotta have soda. I like to get a six pack of ginger ale, some cola, maybe even something wacky like a Key Lime soda. Hoard these. Also, it’s great to have enough limes or lemons to whip up your own juice to mix in (ginger + limes + sugar + ginger ale = amazing). These are for when you aren’t hungry but are still greedy and want to feel beverage-rich.
  • A frozen pie, or a package of pie crust and 2 packages of frozen blueberries (Trader Joe’s is the hook-up here. Trust). After you heat or make the pie (so easy to make: throw the berries in a bowl with a squeeze of lemon, sugar and cornstarch and defrost the crust. Press the crust into your pie pan, par-bake (directions on the package), fill with berries and cover with the other crust that came in your package, slap some egg beaten with water over the top and poke a few holes in, bake it and you’re done), you’ll have it to nibble on for a few days unless you’re a serious Pie Fiend.
  • Lemons, limes and oranges. You need color in your fridge and you will be needing these things for cocktails anyway.
  • 2 baking potatoes and 2 yukon gold potatoes, onions (great midnight snack: dice potatoes and onions; heat up some olive oil over medium heat and toss ‘em in, fry them, and serve them with a poached egg).
  • Eggs
  • Pancake mix
  • Bacon
  • Tabatchnik frozen soups. These are good, cheap, and always seem less pathetic than canned. Because I used to eat Tabatchnik soup when I was at death’s door, there’s an emotional response I have to it that can sometimes make me feel like I’m getting a cold. But this is a brain game and I am willing to ignore it while stocking the freezer.
  • Frozen bread (La Brea makes good demi-baguettes)
  • Butter, jam, peanut butter, and honey (powdered milk if you’re willing to be viewed as a renegade and want to be able to make the best snack in the world: peanut butter, honey, and powdered milk mixed together, formed into balls and chilled. I heard they give this to starving orphans because it’s so protein-y. It’s also really good with a cold glass of milk when you’re feeling 6 years old.
  • I can of crushed tomatoes, 1 head of garlic, and pasta
  • Maple syrup and honey
  • Apples (first because I’ve done field research that shows that when you have the munchies and you’re plowing through all your food, eating an apple will usually cause you to be able to push the “pause” button on your binge, and second because you can nuke ‘em with butter and brown sugar and top them with vanilla ice cream for a good midnight snack)
  • Popcorn
  • Cheese

When you’re in possession of these items, you have so many options, sweet and savory. Soup + bread and butter, eggs + cheese + bacon (you can also freeze half your bacon so you don’t demolish it immediately), a baked apple and popcorn, lazy-person spaghetti, hash browns, an entire pie. You can also just count these ingredients like Ebeneezer Scrooge, staring into your open fridge, cackling, and saying “Mine, all mine!”

- Tess

    2 years ago