Good morning. Last week we explored different ways to use up bread. This week we're looking at how to transform pantry ingredients into simple, delicious meals—a time-honored cooking tradition.

COOKING PROTOCOL or OTHER 🍳

Savory pancakes of the world

Even though your Instagram feed might be full of tomahawk steaks, you don’t need expensive ingredients to eat well. In fact, some of the heartiest dishes were borne in times of need, and with scarce ingredients.

1. Okonomiyaki, a cabbage pancake, came to life during the rebuilding of Hiroshima when people were figuring out what they could cook on corrugated metal over charcoal (creating an entire culture of teppan griddle cooking).

2. We’ve covered the tortilla española in the past, which has fed Spaniards for centuries with just 3 ingredients: potato, egg, and onion.

3. Another example is bubble & squeak — the UKs method of turning similar cheap ingredients (cabbage, potato, and onion) — into a filling staple.

Why does knowing about these dishes matter?

When you’re out of meat, protein, or fresh ingredients, you may be able to scrape together just one more meal before running to the store. Think of how various cuisines have dealt with scarcity for centuries, and reference their dishes.

• Do you have any starchy vegetables left in the crisper drawer? Potatoes in the pantry? Half an onion? Some eggs? Can you make a street food type meal inspired by these dishes?

How do I do it?

All of these are more or less constructed the same way — using leftover or cooked starches & vegetables, bind them with egg or flour, press them into a cohesive shape, and then sear to set the mass into a sliceable meal.

• You could make a variation of these dishes with many different ingredients.

Check out our Tortilla recipe here.

RECIPE RECOMMENDATIONS ✅

Pantry friendly meals

Cabbage and potato pancakes aren’t the only examples of filling meals you can make with minimal ingredients. Here are other dishes you can throw together with pantry staples:

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

Youtube vs mainstream TV cooking shows

Where have all the mainstream TV cooking shows gone?

The original format of TV cooking shows, first pioneered by Julia Child, then popularized by Martha Steward, no longer have the cultural relevance they once did. Even up until the last decade, everybody across the country watched the same few hosts or Food Network shows.

• Now, a growing majority of food media has moved to the internet: YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. These platforms have created a new wave of how people consume food media — on demand, at any time, and from a multitude of creators instead of from one authority figure.

Several hosts have recreated this TV format on YouTube, making a recipe from a cookbook and sharing tips on the way. And while this is helpful at teaching you the hard skills of cooking (making a roux, best ways to chop an onion), we’ve still felt like something is missing from the format: The soft skills of cooking.

• These “soft skills” are what help you with everything before and after the cooking process: looking into your fridge and understanding what you could throw together. Knowing how to confidently choose substitutions. Putting away leftovers and being inspired for the next meal.

That’s what we’re trying to show more and more of on the Cook Well channel (and future projects we’re working on 👀). which has elements of a live cooking show but is more geared to real world, lifestyle driven home cooking.

If you’re not following along the weekly videos, subscribe here!

READER Q&A 🧠

Cooking without garlic or onions?

Answer: Although alliums like onion and garlic are a common aromatic base in many dishes, they aren’t your only option. You can add aroma to your food in many other ways:

• Non-allium aromatics like ginger, lemongrass, or chilies

• Spices, dried or whole

• Fresh herbs

• Aromatic oils (like toasted sesame oil)

• Fermented foods & sauces (ponzu, bean paste, gochujang, soy sauces, etc)

• Infused vinegars

And so much more —most of what we register as flavor is actually smell, not just taste. That’s why on every Cook Well recipe we included the aroma profile, which lets you see which ingredients are contributing aromatic qualities. Browse our recipes for more inspiration.

Have a culinary question? Reply to send it in for a chance to be featured and get your question answered.

WINNING READER SUBMISSION 🏆

Beef soup

This week’s winner is Anu K., who made Taiwanese beef noodle soup to celebrate the lunar new year at the start of 2025.

Reply with your best home-cooked food photos for a chance to win & be featured!

EXTRA HELPINGS 🍽️

A read: How to Order Wine in a Restaurant

In a minute or less: Cocktail shaker iced coffee

What we’re watching: The Dive for Sea Urchins

Food science: Stir Fry Basics

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