From The Pantry: A new (free!) Sunday evening offering
Ideas for what to cook in the week ahead, inspired by my (actual, chaotic) home pantry
Hi everyone,
I’ve been thinking of ways to bring more of myself into this newsletter as our little community continues to grow (Gentle Foods now has more than 7,000 subscribers, thanks to all of you!!!) I’ve been wanting to find a way to regularly share more about the products I like to use in my cooking, the brands I love and trust, and other peoples’ recipes I love, all in a way that doesn’t feel too gross or “sponcon”-y.
So starting today, I’ll be sending out a weekly Sunday night dispatch called From The Pantry that’s free to all, inspired by all the shit I’m trying to use up from my currently chaotically full pantry. I’ll highlight a few products that are currently in my pantry (with sourcing info where applicable if you want to buy), talk about how I’m using them in my cooking repertoire for the coming week, and include links to relevant recipes, tools, etc. This is as much an accountability exercise for myself as it is a hopefully-useful font of cooking inspo for you, because when I say this is not even a quarter of my pantry:
I mean…I need help!
I hope you’ll find some ideas here to inspire your own cooking in the week ahead. I see this Sunday offering as a place to share products I like and the brands that make them, spotlight great recipes from folks I admire, and other things that don’t neatly fit under the identities of “essay” or “recipe,” this newsletter’s two main offerings. (Nb: These are not sponsored product placements, nor do I earn income from anything you purchase via links in this newsletter.)
So without further delay, here’s what I’m cooking from the pantry this week:
Rancho Gordo King City Pink Beans ($7.25 for 1 lb., ranchogordo.com)
I currently have a pot of these simmering away on the stove (using the method described here) along with half an onion, a carrot, half a jalapeño, some smashed garlic, a chile de árbol, a big sprig of old-but-still-good thyme, a few black peppercorns, and a glug of olive oil. I made less than half a bag because I’ve learned that cooking the whole pound is the surest way to guarantee I will throw out old, forgotten cooked beans in two weeks’ time, and I’m trying to…do that less. Some will go into simple tacos tonight with homemade tortillas (see below) and lime-y shredded cabbage, and the rest will become a brothy lunchtime soup later in the week with chunks of carrots or squash, wilted spinach, and maybe a poached egg.
Masienda Heirloom Blue Corn Masa Harina ($12 for 1 kg, masienda.com)
It’s hard to describe the intoxicatingly corny smell of this blue masa harina. I’m using some to make these 50/50 Corn and Flour Tortillas from my dear pal Sarah Jampel on King Arthur’s website. I don’t own a tortilla press (maybe I’ll scout for one on my upcoming trip to CDMX), but this recipe is designed with those of us who don’t in mind—a rolling pin will do just fine. I also don’t own the refined coconut oil called for in the recipe, but I have a feeling the little jar of schmaltz in the fridge is gonna wow in these.
Farmer Ground Whole Spelt Flour (about $7 for 2 lb., local to the Northeast)
Farmer Ground mills wonderful, organic stoneground flours from grains grown by farmers in New York State, where I live. After taking a class on whole grain baking with the inimitable Sarah Owens last year, I became interested in learning more about flours grown and milled in my region. I regularly use many Farmer Ground flours in my breadmaking, but the nutty-flavored whole spelt flour (whole meaning every part of the grain is ground into the flour, including the bran and germ that are often sifted out of many commercial flours) is a favorite for baked goods, too. I made these incredibly easy and delicious Spelt Banana Walnut Muffins I had bookmarked on
I’ll send a new From The Pantry next Sunday night, and this week’s regular Gentle Foods dispatch will arrive in your inbox on Thursday. Have a great week.
–Chaey