project pantry 01

the kitchen is overflowing and i need to do something about it

If I could use three words to describe my pantry, it’d be “abundant yet incoherent”. I have lot of curiosities when it comes to cooking at home, so I allow myself the physical space to explore.

My apartment is an ingredients household. There’s Chinese, Japanese and Korean ingredients like fermented bean pastes, bags of dashi, black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, maltose, a 25lb bag of jasmine rice. Teas gifted from friends and family. Unopened jars of chili crisp. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) ingredients like lily bulbs, dried tremella mushrooms, ginseng, peach gum and jujubes. The pantry is also giving planning for the apocalypse. Cans of seasoned beans, 20+ tins of fish, and several varieties of dried noodles. And I like baking too! Two 5 pound bags of baking, citric acid, a few varieties of flour, pomegranate molasses, orange blossom water, coconut flakes, freeze-dried raspberries, dried flowers for decoration.

I’m not much of a snacker, but I do have a small basket of gifts from my boyfriend’s parents in the UK — biscuits, Heinz beans, Percy Pigs. To add to it all, I’m formerly a protein queen with beef jerky and David bars from the office, creatine gummies and whey protein.

Once or twice a year, the pantry and fridge are physically and visually overwhelming and requires a declutter. It’s that time of the year. Let’s talk about it.

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Here’s the plan:

1. Inventory and categorize.

   1. Make a list of every food item in my kitchen (I love spreadsheets!)

   2. Classify each item in categories (categories tbd)

   3. Toss items that are out of date

   4. Give away items that I will never use

2. Empty unfinished products to make space for fun new things:

   1. Research recipes that utilize my unloved items

   2. Cook and bake those recipes

What you can expect in the coming months:

• Empties - a la 2010 beauty videos. Using up an entire bottle of product whether you like it or not adds credibility to a review. And if I did like it, it’s a testament to its quality

• Recipes for unfamiliar pantry items - how many ways can I use peach gum, pomegranate molasses and lily bulbs?

• A spreadsheet template that you can use if your pantry is similarly busy!

Empties so far (and what I’m replacing them with)

• Zab’s Hot Honey* is sweet and not too spicy. I loved it on sandwiches and drizzled over salads and roasted veggies. This is not a direct replacement but I did pick up a bottle of Andrew’s Sourwood Honey from Union Square Farmer’s Market.

• For oils, I’ve been using Branche Olive Oil #1* and Huwa Tasty Olive Oil*. The former is farm-to-bottle, smooth and subtle, while the latter is a bit brighter and is cold pressed and single-origin from Palestine. I’ll be replacing them with Branche Olive Oil #3* for drizzling and Mosabi Leaf Lard* for cooking.

• Did you know that when you buy some spices from the grocery store, they could be 5 to 10 years old? Sourcery Black Peppercorns* are sustainably sourced from Chikmaglur Karnataka, India and are so fruity with notes of fig and red wine. In their stead, I’ve opened Van Van etc. Bazan Peppercorns* from Bình Phước, Viet Nam, equally aromatic and a little more punchy with notes of tart cherry and black tea.

• Kikkoman Soy Sauce, a classic, is getting replaced with the HEYDOH Soy Sauce* is made with black soybeans (soy sauce is traditionally made with yellow soybeans), which yields a nutty, natural sweetness.

[*] denotes an item that was gifted to me by the brand. No affiliate links here but I’ll let you know when there are!

If you made it this far, I would love to see a your pantry! If you’re open to sharing, please email them to joincookclub@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram.