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Pantry Staple "Scrap" Meals

Pantry Staple "Scrap" Meals

+ Izakayas, perfect fried rice, a winning picante de camarones, & more

Jess McIntosh, Ethan Chlebowski & Keith McBrayer
August 03, 2025

Good morning. Last week, we talked about different ways to scramble eggs. Today, we're exploring staples you should always have on hand so that when you're running low on groceries, you'll still be able to throw something together (an essential skill).

LIFESTYLE PROTOCOL 🤝

Reliable pantry/fridge staples

Having staple pantry/fridge backpocket meals are essential for any home cook. They're perfect for when you're running low on groceries, clearing out the fridge before vacation, or just don't feel like shopping.

Here are our top 4 base ingredients that we turn to for a filling meal before having to run to the store:

1) Eggs

With their neutral flavor, eggs are the ultimate base ingredient. That's why omelets, quiches, and egg bakes are perfect for transforming fridge scraps and leftovers into heartys meals.

Our favorites: frittatas, chilaquiles, Spanish tortilla, shakshuka, quiches, skillet scrambles, & omelets

2) Cheese

Most of us have cheese odds and ends in the fridge. Cheese turns simple ingredients into satisfying meals— you can make quick quesadillas, sandwiches, or nacho type platters.

Our favorites: quesadillas, grilled cheese, flatbreads, pita ‘pizzas’, 3 ingredient mac & cheese, nachos

Rice

Rice is the ultimate blank canvas. Nearly any ingredient can transform it into a complete meal. Cook it down into a congee/risotto style meal or throw it in a wok and make fried rice.

Our favorites: congee, fried rice, rice-egg-&-furikake snack, bibimbap, dirty rice, onigiri, risotto

Pasta

Simple pasta dishes can be both delicious & filling. Even with just olive oil and herbs, any pasta shape can become a satisfying aglio e olio type dish.

Try: aglio e olio, cacio e pepe, pasta salads, no cook sauce (alla checca), or even butter noodles!

RECIPE RECOMMENDATIONS ✅

Scrap meals

Need ideas for other scrap friendly meals? Don’t go to the grocery store quite yet and check out the collection here:

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

Izakayas

What’s an Izakaya & why am I seeing them everywhere?

An izakaya is a traditional Japanese bar where drinks are served alongside various small dishes and snacks like gyoza, yakitori, karaage, and sushi. Many people compare the experience to tapas-style restaurants.

In Japanese, "izakaya" translates to "dine-in sake shop." These establishments originated as sake-focused venues where people gather after their work for affordable drinks. Many izakayas are famous for their "all-you-can-drink" specials, but US versions are more food focused.

So why are they popping up across the US?

1 — Current Japanese influence on culture

Izakayas have spread beyond Japan's borders—a reflection of the growing Japanese cultural influence from an increase in travel to the country and diffusing traditions back home.

2 — Variety of dishes for dynamic dining

The wide range of small dishes on their mensu makes them appealing to a wide range of diners. Go for a snack, a group dinner, or just drinks.

Bigger picture: The global food scene in the US is expanding rapidly. Diners are increasingly eager to explore new cuisines, and the growing popularity of izakayas reflects this broader consumer appetite.

READER Q&A 🧠

Perfect fried rice

Question: “What makes perfect fried rice? Mine never turns out at home.” - Kay T.

Answer: Think about these 5 concepts when making fried rice:

1 — Properly cooked rice → Air on the side of less water during cooking and make sure the grains are separated. That’s it.

So long as it’s not soggy or clumped up, it can work — fresh or day old, short grain, long grain, etc.

2 — Properly diced additions → the classic novice mistake is cutting protein and veg in huge chunks.

Instead, shoot for everything to be similar in size to the rice grains. Bonus points for color contrasting ingredients.

3 — High heat stir frying → At home, this means cooking in small batches on max heat to get browning or light charring on ingredients.

If you add everything at once, it’s gonna steam together and get soggy, and might actually take longer to cook through.
It’s near impossible to get the takeout wok hei flavor with home gas ranges. For lightly smoked charred bits, you can replicate this with a torch.

4 — Added umami → This is the signature flavor of fried rice, not necessarily soy sauce.

You could use fish sauce, maggi, chicken powder, even just MSG. Every country seems to add a different umami booster in their versions.

5 — Final flavor adjusters → Taste your rice and think about what it needs.

This could be a sprinkle of sugar, toasted sesame oil for aroma, or raw scallions for pungency. Some people even add minced garlic or a pad of butter to make the rice shine.

Check out our version on Cook Well.

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