Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
The Flexible Pantry
Once upon a time, in a charming (or perhaps alarming, from a mother’s point of view) walk-up, in the hippie-haven of Rogers Park, Chicago, there lived a young actress who would not deign to spend her money on cleaning supplies, particularly when there were shoes, restaurants and acting classes competing hard against the omnipresent rent and cab fare. Who needed those special little sprays, after all, when I – yes, it was me – could clean my entire apartment with Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap, baking soda and white vinegar?
Wasn’t I frugal and environmentally aware? Well, yes. But primarily, this was more of a display of my penchant for multipurpose living.
Multipurpose is always appealing when you are trying to be organized, but I must admit, as I’ve grown older I’ve felt that “multipurpose” is often code for “not so good at anything.” So, while I still use love baking soda, I also have surrendered to glass cleaner and wood polish.
Where multi-purposing is key is in the kitchen. All real ingredients, such as eggs or vegetables, are inherently multipurpose. Per food guru Michael Pollan, if something has more than five ingredients, don’t eat it. As you can see, I’m circling around those seemingly convenient, processed, packaged foods that are taking up space in your kitchen cupboards and freezer. It is amazing all the things you can whip up if you have an onion, eggs, beans, cheese, tomato, spinach and rice on hand. The possibilities are endless. Add salami and it’s a feast.
Packaged foods are like a road-block in your kitchen. Eliminate the single-purpose foods and your pantry immediately becomes more flexible. You have more space for real food that can be prepared in a myriad of ways.
I’ve found that although my family (and corresponding appetites) has grown larger, I have less waste than I used to because I buy the right kinds of food. Not only do I eschew anything that can only be one thing (my exception to my rule is boxed mac & cheese), but I am very careful with specialty ingredients. If I buy coconut milk to make Thai curry- I make Thai curry. I don’t want to be the mother sending coconut milk and artichoke hearts to the holiday canned food drive at school.
One way I keep my cabinets orderly is by having glass jars for the dry goods that I like to keep on hand at all times. Nature abhors a vacuum, so I fear that if I don’t allocate that shelf space to steel-cut oats, lentils and brown rice, it will mysteriously be overrun with half-eaten bags of ginger snaps. Plus, glass jars are pretty.
Part of what makes a lean larder work is rotation. If I’m not cleaning out my pantry through regular use, then it either is stocked wrong, or I’m not cooking enough. I have a general meal plan for the week that mostly has to do with our schedules: Farmers market is Saturday, so generally fish from the farmers market gets eaten on Sunday which is also grocery store day. My husband is home Tuesday and Wednesday, so those are the big protein nights. I work late on Thursday, so that is leftover night. I have room for flexibility, often either Friday or Saturday we either order in or go out, but most nights, I cook and most weeks I go through my groceries with hardly any waste.
In your kitchen, you want to decommission stuff that is getting dusty. Goodbye to cake mix bought in a moment of panic and amaranth flour bought in a moment of culinary ambition. An organized pantry is simple, fresh and moving. Just like with your tchotchkes: stagnation is the enemy. Do yourself a favor this week and check your pantry. Let me know what you find.
My larder looks pretty spartan by Friday night, but I always have enough. I could whip up dinner for eight on any given day. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, I’m ready.
So, who’s coming for dinner?