From the Pantry: Freezer fruit + almost-instant dashi
Ideas for what to cook in the week ahead, inspired by my (actual, chaotic) home pantry
Hi and welcome to another Sunday evening edition of what I’m calling “From The Pantry,” where I share a few ideas for what to cook in the week ahead, inspired by all the shit I’m trying to use up from my very full, very chaotic home pantry. This series will always be free to all subscribers and non-subscribers (though hopefully you are a subscriber?). FYI these are not sponsored product placements, nor do I earn income from anything you purchase via links in this newsletter.)
Here’s what I’m cooking from the pantry this week:
Almost-Instant Dashi
Making dashi is neither difficult nor time-consuming, but I still appreciate a good shortcut here and there. These dashi bags from Dashi Okume ($22 for 15 bags of standard dashi) are my kind of convenience food: I toss one of these tiny sachets of shaved fish, seaweed, and other savory flavoring agents into a small pot of water, bring to a simmer, and five minutes later I have flavorful dashi in the time it takes to make a cup of tea. Once the dashi is prepared, I can either stir in a spoonful of miso for miso soup or doctor it up with a splash of usukuchi soy sauce (more of a seasoning soy sauce than your run-of-the-mill sushi counter soy sauce). Simmer some mushrooms, greens, and cubed tofu in the seasoned broth, slip in some cooked udon or soba noodles and a soft-boiled egg, top with sliced scallions, and sprinkle with a little shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice) for a very fast, very good dinner on a cold night.
Freezer Blueberry Compote
Blueberry compote? In the dead of winter? Groundbreaking. Okay, maybe not groundbreaking, but a welcome sight in my breakfast bowl nonetheless. When I crave nonseasonal fruit during endless NYC winters, I turn the bag of frozen blueberries I always have in the freezer into a quick compote (always this method), which is a fancy way of saying I dump them in a little pot with some water or juice and some flavorings and simmer for 10 minutes or until the blueberries are nice and jammy. This keeps for a week in the fridge and freezes well, too. Swirling a spoonful of the inky purple compote into a bowl of hot oats or thick, snowy white yogurt is a therapeutic way to start the morning—highly recommend.
That’s all for this Sunday—see you for your regular Gentle Foods dispatch on Thursday. Have a great week.
–Chaey