The Storm Gourmet

[quislet]

When I was growing up, my mother kept a wonderful pantry. It was stocked with all of the things that she wanted us to eat, including the hippie staples of granola and homemade fruit leather that I look back on so fondly. There were row upon row of her finest pickled beets, Granny Smith applesauce, and sublime raspberry jam. As I've said here before, I learned to cook after leaving home, so I never really learned to plan a pantry like that. I learned to cook in a modern, suburban kitchen. I learned to cook with a megamart down the street and a snooty foodie grocery within a 20-minute drive.

When we moved to Florida, we had to learn pantry discipline fast. It was like re-inventing the wheel on a deadline. When we went through our first hurricane season back in '99, I was overwhelmed by the instant need to stock a storm pantry. We were new, so we didn't know to prepare until after every news channel was telling us we were going to die and showing video footage of empty grocery stores. We went shopping and bought what we could. Thankfully Floyd turned to the right and bit into North Carolina instead. After the first year of SPAM, we learned that you don't have to stock your storm pantry with disgusting food. No offense to SPAM-lovers out there (including Sam Choy), but my dearly departed mother-in-law was known for crimes against humanity that involved SPAM and Velveeta.

If you're going to keep stocked up on canned goods that have a two-year shelf life, they might as well be fun to work with. That way, you're more likely to cycle through them before they get gray and funny-tasting. You also have the decided advantage of eating the finest food in town when that inevitable week-long power outage hits. Your storm pantry becomes a tool for lifting your spirits at a time when you need it most. I say it's worth a little extra investment for the dried figs, hearts of palm and the roasted yellow peppers (if your tastes run that way).

Thank you, ladybarnard for the inspiring cookbook recommendation! On your recommendation, I went and found a copy of The Storm Gourmet at Amazon, and it arrived today. It's a great read, and the recipes are both fun and creative. I'm already looking forward to my next hurricane party!

I give the book my strongest recommendation. I shall cook from it. ;)

Comments

[crowitch.livejournal.com]

::makes a note for herself to just stay at the Bovine Bungalow the next time a hurricane threatens::

Instead of a 10 minute drive, to go two miles! =/

YAY!

<3

[ladybarnard.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to tasting some of your creations! Yum.