We all have our favourites; whether it’s films, pets, Quality Street, fanatical dictators or even related children.
It’s always going to be the same with food.
Ever visit one of your favourite restaurants, all fired up to have your favourite dish, the one you always order?
You tried something different once, thought you’d be a bit wild and take a break from habit.
A foolish move.
Every mouthful of that meal a bitter lesson in loyalty.
Even now you regret it.
This time you know better, you’ve been looking forward to it, “I don’t need a menu thanks, I know what I’m having”. However tonight something’s changed, maybe it’s a different chef, maybe the chef’s got all inspired or the management wants to head in a new direction…..? The plate of food arrives.
“That’s not what I ordered.”
It’s changed.
Evening ruined. Restaurant blacklisted.
It always surprised me how common this mistake is made in restaurants.
As a chef I rarely felt valued in a role, always replaceable (understandably exacerbated by the transient nature of chefs), but as a customer I’m acutely aware of the importance of a kitchen’s stability. We’ve had favourite restaurants fade into distant memory as the chefs, formats or menus change. Consistency is probably one of the most fundamental pillars of customer loyalty to a food business, trumping qualities like creativity and ambience. Of course people like to experience something different and new, but as far as I’m aware, the ‘Big Mac’ never leaves the menu, an industry example of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Logging my meals and looking over the photo diary gives me a glimpse of my own weekly cupboard challenge heroes that I turn to regularly when creativity or time is short.
These are just a few of my cupboard heroes who lead the charge on a meal; the faithful, the dependable, the sure thing in a world of hype, pizzaz and anticlimaxes.
1. Falafel
It’s junk food but not as we know it
Falafel, one of the great vegetarian ‘junk’ foods, has a permanent place on our weekly shop. A solid freezer staple that takes 15 minutes in a hot oven, it’s an easy lead for a quick meal. It feels like a fast food but being made predominantly from chick peas, has a good protein profile and is actually pretty good for you. It’s only caveat is that it’s often drier than the Atacama Desert, but bring along some hot sauce and a moist garnish and it’s a winner.
2. Baked beans (are they even actually baked?)
A classic of British culture
Very little to say here but this humble tinned food has been by side since a child. Despite a bit of gas, it’s never let me down and always delivers when your options are thin. Sometimes joining forces with eggs, toast or cheese, there are few things as quick and easy that will sit in your cupboard through a nuclear apocalypse and still actually be good for you.
3. Eggs
Eggs – a culinary chameleon
We sometimes daydream of an idyllic rural cottage we own one day, with two dogs, a goat, maybe a pig and of course chickens. I’m sure the reality isn’t quite as rose tinted, but I do like the thought of a constant supply of fresh organic eggs.
Eggs feature a lot in our diet and are an extremely versatile ingredient to have around. They are pretty incredible ingredients when you think about it, so much so that the great Michel Roux even wrote a cookbook dedicated to them.
(A true visionary he had the foresight of SEO before it even existed, giving it the incredibly searchable title of…… ‘Eggs’.)
They are an ultimate fast food, equally great boiled, fried, scrambled even the cursed poached. Omelettes, frittatas or tortillas are one of our go-tos for a quick meal and the perfect place to fill whatever lingering leftover bits you might have around.
In the world of baking and patisserie, humans are yet to find a true substitute for the malleable qualities of the humble egg.
4. Stir Fry
A benevolent dish that welcomes all
A stir fry is the ultimate saviour when you know that your five-a-day is getting out of reach. It’s a true champion of the cupboard challenge, happily taking any lingering bits of veg without judgement.
All you need to do is chop a load of stuff ( either by hand or with any number of kitchen gadgets), throw in some protein ( eggs, tofu, meat, fish…..it will welcome whatever you choose) and season it up with a sauce or just a bit of soy sauce and a stock cube.
It works surprisingly well on its own with maybe a bit of extra body from cashews and soy beans, or if you need the extra carbs, a few noodles or some rice does the trick.
This template usually makes an appearance most weeks in our house, with a few variations depending on the resources.
5. Curry
A versatile and adaptable base
I’m an avid fan of the genre that is often referred to as curry and my exploration of the subject has revealed only a glimpse of the layers and complexities that lie within it.
It’s this incredibly rich palate that makes it an amazing theme when hustling for a tasty meal. Spices are a more resilient cupboard resource that whilst not impervious to age can still provide some support even after lingering for some time. A tin of coconut milk can nudge towards Thai or Sri Lankan styles, whilst robust stores like onions and tomatoes (fresh or tinned), with a general curry powder point you towards the styles of India and Pakistan. Dry stores of lentils or split peas provide protein and body without worrying about their ‘Best before’ dates and themselves can become the stars of Daals, a style of dish all of its’ own.
A curry can happily hoover up any bits of veg lying around and even in a pinch the welcome resource of frozen peas can give you all the veg you need.
Rarely will I cook a specific recipe of a curry, preferring to cook instinctively towards a style or theme, but a tip is to always cook double, as curry is always better the next day and a champion leftover.
A few mealtime heroes can be all the support or inspiration you need through a challenging week, without making you stagnate in the kitchen. You could eat eggs every day and mix up the context or technique so you never have the same thing twice. With a freezer staple like falafel (which could easily be replaced by your own alternative) you can vary the accompaniment with whatever the fridge or cupboard allows. I like to serve it with a big shredded salad of whatever I find, cabbage, carrot, beetroot, peppers, courgette, apples, herbs, salad leaves etc…..add a some spice with pickled chillis or sweet chilli and maybe a wrap or some tabbouleh.
Boom!
With an element or style of your meal a sure thing, it gives you a bit more confidence to experiment; you can tackle the cupboard challenge knowing you are already on the right track.
