Project Pantry Raid 2011

Despite the fact that I'm pretty good at keeping an accurate mental inventory of my kitchen cupboards' contents, I have a bad habit of opening pantry doors and staring mindlessly at the food inside for minutes at a time, as if something I want to eat might magically appear if I stare long enough (I also do this in front of the refrigerator, letting all the cold air escape…oops).  Last week, something hit me – my pantry shelves are completely packed, yet I constantly complain that I have no food...Project Pantry Raid, Go!

Pantry Raids aren’t a new concept to me.  I’ve done them in the past, mostly in college when I had to choose between eating well/eating Kraft Dinner and using the money I didn't spend on food to pay for a night out at a trendy bar.  I’ve done Pantry Raids before moving into a new apartment, and I've done them in response to articles I’ve read about food waste (click here for a good one).  But this is the first time I’ve decided to do one simply to challenge myself! 

I decided to go forward with this challenge just before bedtime on the evening of Tuesday, April 5.  I began the challenge the very next day, and the project officially ended last night at 11:59pm.  Woohoo, time to go food shopping!  For the past two days I’ve fantasized about spending this evening meandering through Boston with my reusable bag over my shoulder, stopping into Savenor’s, Mercato del Mare, Boston Olive Oil Co., Salumeria Italiana, and Las Ventas, that wonderful little Spanish market next to Estragon on Harrison Ave.  I could stroll down Boston’s cobblestone sidewalks wearing a cute hat and carrying a navy and white striped canvas tote containing fresh bunched carrots and a baguette, maybe stop at a bar with patio seating for a glass of red wine, maybe take up smoking cigs and download Putamayo’s “French Café” album and pretend I’m in Paris…

When my brain finally landed back here on earth, I realized that most of these places will be closed by the time I leave the office, so I’ll probably end up inadvertently spending another day cooking with pantry food.  But that’s fine and dandy, because I completed my challenge - not only did I last an entire week without buying groceries; I did it without gaining or losing weight, getting sick of pasta/polenta/rice, and/or developing scurvy.  In fact, I made some really delicious dishes!  Sure, I did the tried-and-true beans & rice, spaghetti with olive oil and garlic, pasta salad with canned tuna, quinoa pilaf with herbs…but I made some standout dishes as well!  Granted, I’d purchased a large bunch of asparagus on the Tuesday I hatched this plan, but I managed to stretch those spears across several recipes.  If you want to stay true to Pantry Raid-style cooking, you can substitute canned or thawed frozen asparagus for fresh in any of the recipes below. 

Without further ado, here are the three best recipes to emerge from Project Pantry Raid 2011. 

Ronini with Crab and Asparagus

1 box rotini

1-2 T. bacon fat

½ stick butter (can use olive oil if saturated fat concerns you)

1 lb. asparagus spears, sliced

Pinch chile flakes

2 cans (4-6 oz. each) crabmeat

Handful chopped mint leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta.  In the meantime, melt the bacon fat and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan large enough to accommodate all the cooked pasta.  When they have melted, add the thawed asparagus slices and chile flakes.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is tender but still crunchy and completely coated with butter.  Now, add the crabmeat to the pot, stirring to break up any lumps until it is completely blended in.  Finally, add the cooked pasta to the pot, stirring until the pasta is completely coated with the butter and the crab and asparagus are mixed in well, then add the mint, salt, and pepper, giving it another good stir.  Serve hot, garnished with a sprig of fresh mint.

Grilled Asparagus with Nutmeg Brown Butter

½ lb. asparagus spears

1 t. olive oil

1/4 stick butter

1 whole nutmeg

Heat a grill pan until it is completely hot and a bead of water sizzles and evaporates instantly.  Drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus.  Roll the asparagus spears through your palms so that each spear is coated with olive oil.  Place the spears on the grill pan in one even layer, and cook for about 3-5 minutes, using tongs to turn them occasionally (depending on the size of your grill pan, you may have to work in batches).  Remove from pan and set aside on a warmed plate. 

While the asparagus is cooking, heat the butter in a small, heavy frying pan.  Heat it until it starts to froth and give off its fragrance, then use a microplane grater to grate about 1 teaspoon of nutmeg into the butter.  Stir the nutmeg into the butter, then pour over the grilled asparagus spears. 

Spicy Kedgeree

2 cups cooked rice

1 T. butter

¼ cup milk or half & half

1-2 t. curry powder (plus extra for dusting)*

Pinch chile flakes

2 T. minced canned jalapenos

1 7-oz. can smoked whitefish

2 T. dehydrated onion flakes

1 hard-cooked egg, quartered

Preheat the oven to 400.  In the meantime, place the rice, butter, milk, curry powder, and chile flakes in a saucepan over low heat.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until all the ingredients are heated through and well-blended.  Add the smoked fish, stir a few times until the fish breaks into flakes and combines thoroughly with the other ingredients, then transfer this mixture to a shallow baking dish.  Sprinkle the onion flakes in an even layer on top of the rice and fish mixture, then bake for 15 minutes or until the top layer is crunchy. 

When baking is complete, you can serve it one of two ways:  1) for no-frills presentation, simply scoop the kedgeree onto a plate, top with one hard-cooked egg quarter, and sprinkle the egg with a little extra curry powder, or 2) for artistic presentation, use a silicone ring mold (you can also use double layer of waxed paper or cardstock paper) to create an oblong, egg-shaped mold (see photo).  Pack the kedgeree into the mold until it is about 2 inches high, then press the back of a spoon into the top layer to create a concave surface.  Carefully remove the ring mold so that the molded kedgeree does not topple.  Now, place one of the quartered hard-cooked eggs in the concave bed, and dust with extra curry powder. 

* To make a curry powder that works great in this recipe, combine 1 t. each ground cumin, dry mustard, and turmeric, and ¼ t. each ground ginger and ground cardamom.