Home Economics

[poliphilo]

Ourdert invited herself to lunch at short notice- but instead of panicking as I would once have done- or suggesting we race off to the chippie- I reached for a cook book and the store cupboard and- in about 40 minutes-  threw together a very interesting little stew containing chicken, potatoes, tomato and lots of coriander. Where I lacked ingredients I improvised, throwing in a couple of chillies instead of a splash of tabasco sauce. This was a test of my confidence and resilience- and I believe I passed it.

I've learned how important it is to have a well-stocked kitchen. There are certain things one should never be without. They include chicken, vegetables in season, fresh herbs and a wide range of sauces and seasonings. The challenge- and this is going to take some smarts- is to balance the need to have all this stuff to hand against waste. I despise waste.  I think it's immoral to throw food away. 

But it must be doable. Our mother's couldn't afford waste- and they managed without fridges or freezers. I'm just old enough to remember a time when perishables were stored in a cool room- a sort of walk-in cupboard- called the larder. I guess I must have eaten  a lot of rancid butter in my time. 

We went shopping yesterday afternoon. We spent more than usual because it was a store-cupboard shop. I bought a chicken because I need to have chicken in the freezer.  Also some lamb steaks and a piece of basa- also for the freezer. The basa (cheapest fish on the block) will go to make a fish curry or something along those lines. And I now own a bottle of tabasco.

Comments

[glitzfrau.livejournal.com]

Ooh, congratulations! That sounds like an ace dinner, and you're right, it's the mark of true cooking confidence to be able to throw something together from what's in the house. Here's what we always have in the storecupboard:

- tins of beans/chickpeas
- tins of tomatos
- olive & vegetable oil
- pasta, rice, nuts, seeds, cous cous
- herbs & spices
- salt & pepper
- soy sauce, hot chilli sauce (insert whatever magic condiment works for you here, whether it's Maggi or ketchup or whatever)
- vegetable stock (Marigold is best, it's brilliant for pepping up risottos and soups)

Veg-wise we always have onions, spuds, garlic & carrots in the fridge. Usually courgettes and peppers, and then as you say, seasonal veg. I find we get through a LOT of butter, so it doesn't go rancid. But yes, I do think people were happier with more elderly goods in the past. I also think they shopped more frequently, so stuff didn't have time to go off. I lived without a fridge for a year once, and it was instructive - I completely broke the habit of the weekly shop, and just bought as much milk & veg as I needed daily. The supermarket and the weekly shop are the door to waste, if you ask me!

[glitzfrau.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, and freeze your leftovers, as soon as they've cooled! Don't give them time to go off in the pan or in the fridge. That way you've always got lunches in the freezer, too.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I freeze leftovers- but rarely straight away. Thanks for the tip!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think we've got everything on your list of essentials. The fridge and the freezer are full to bursting.

I find it hard to remember what things were like in the days before the supermarket. I have vague memories of going with my mother to the local shops- and of a butcher's shop with sawdust on the floor- but nothing that's in sharp focus.

We went through a phase- about a decade ago- when we didn't have a car- and I was walking up to the shops- and back again with my arms aching under the strain- several times a week.

[glitzfrau.livejournal.com]

Yeah, carrying is a killer. Particularly for potatoes. Have you ever tried online supermarkets? I haven't, but I suspect they might transform my life.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, after my arms gave up, we relied on online shopping for a year or two. There are distinct advantages. One is that you're less likely to buy things you don't really want on impulse