Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

The Secret to Cooking on a Whim

Spinach-starter
Photos and text by Corey Amaro.

What to cook for dinner? That is the question that haunts me every single day around seven in the evening and not a second before. That is my problem not thinking in advance what to cook for dinner like let's say around nine or ten in the morning. I do not know what is wrong with me? I never think about dinner until it is time to think about it or when my stomach hollers out: Food. Or worse when I open the fridge, and it is empty, and it Sunday, and the grocery stores and markets are over and out when it comes to Sunday in France and when the family comes in like happy puppies with friends in tow singing, "What is for dinner Mom?"

Lovely, simply lovely, as I stare into the empty fridge.

Spinach-amuse-bouche

 

There is another problem I cannot cook until I set the table, which is one of my most favorites things to do. So while I am setting the table my mind calculates what I can whip up out of nothing.

Last night as it was Father's Day I wanted to set the table extra special. The funny thing is there wasn't much in the fridge except for a black forest cake that I daresay I did not make.

There is always a bottle of champagne in our fridge, and milk. What is a staple in your fridge?

 

Spinach-pesto

 

While setting the table I took out the extra small, white porcelain dishes that I had found the other day at the brocante. They hold about two large tablespoons of whatever.

Perfect! I had little in the fridge and these extra small dishes would serve it up big.

"It is a feast!" I declared, then laugh and wondered if my family would notice.

 

Small-serving-dish

 

 

Sesame breadsticks, on a silver hotel dish, set the stage for the first and only course I teased.

In the freezer, shrimp smiled with their black pepper eyes. Frozen Julienne vegetables jumped up and cheered, "Take me!" In the cupboard, I found some coconut cream. I added garlic, and hot chili paste and called it, "Entrée!"

 

Beginning-appetizer

 

Spinach Pesto:

Take a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach,
Add a chunk of Roquefort,
and a handful of walnuts (thanks to my Aunt Louie!) which I grilled.

Blend with a few quick zaps with the Cuisinart (my very best friend in the kitchen) without making it a mush!

Scoop two spoonfuls on a small plate, add a touch of olive oil, balsamic and salt, and pepper.

Serve with sesame bread sticks.

________________________________

P.S. The secret to cooking on a whim, is knowing there isn't anything to eat for twenty miles around and not worrying about it.

 

Comments

37 responses to “The Secret to Cooking on a Whim”

  1. Chris Wittmann

    Gee, looks like I’m the first to comment here….well half and half (for coffee) and yogurt are staples in my fridge and there’s always gotta be some icecream in the freezer! And of late, elderflower syrup, which makes the most fantastic summer drinks. Your shrimp dish sounds lovely, I would’ve substituted a good curry paste instead of the chili though.

    Reply
  2. Kathie B.

    We keep a well-provisioned larder! Always in the fridge:
    milk
    sliced bread
    butter
    cheddar cheese
    mozzarella cheese
    feta cheese
    cottage cheese
    eggs
    fruit-flavored yogurt cups
    sour cream
    mayonnaise
    flour (it keeps the weevils out)
    matzo meal
    salad dressings
    shelled walnut halves, almonds, pecans
    at least 2 kinds of salad dressing
    carrots
    onions
    popcorn (kernels) for popping over the gas flame in an old-fashioned camping-type air-popper (basket at end of long handle)
    Always in the freezer:
    frozen cheese or spinach/cheese-filled ravioli
    large bags of frozen spinach, peas, French-cut green beans, cut-corn kernels
    small bags of frozen blueberries from our garden
    homemade basil pesto

    Reply
  3. Sharon, Morrison Mercantile

    It worked. That’s all that matters.
    Sounds yummy!

    Reply
  4. Kathie B.

    And, of course, pure Pennsylvania maple syrup — yummmmmmm!!!!!!!

    Reply
  5. Beachy

    I’m right there with you, Corey… though my on-the-whim entrees aren’t nearly as enchanting as your own! And mine are just usually served on random pieces of Emile Henry. 😉

    Reply
  6. Margaret Sequeira

    well there is usually chicken in the freezer and some shrimp along with the required ice cream. There is milk and juice, eggs, bagels and cream cheese in the fridge along with salad makings of some sort (our daughter adores Caesar salad – so romaine lettuce is a staple). Coffee, always coffee(we have become addicted to Cafe Du Monde)! There is cereal and pasta in the house if all else fails!

    Reply
  7. Christina

    Sounds like me. Though I have trouble bringing lunch onto the table, since that is our main meal of the day.
    Usually I’m taking my time in the shower, with a 3 and 5 yr old that’s my time ‘away’ of the day… to emerge 10 till noon, them having already tried to raid the pantry… “we already had a snack mama”… finding the empty package of ohh say gummibears, sometimes banana peels (at least healthier), traces of cheerios…
    Thanks to my hubby who persisted on getting an extra freezer for the basement, I can at least count on having frozen veggies at hand anytime.
    Noodles, Canned Tomatoes are staples here. And without the huge Jar of Peanutbutter I’d be totally lost.
    Funny thing though, I hate Pb, looove my dear Nutella though. That was almost my sole stipulation moving to the US… if they don’t have Nutella I won’t stay here.
    :o)

    Reply
  8. Marilyn

    Funny! I often cook on a whim, but mine never looks or sounds so delightful. And the table setting makes it look even better. Now why is it we don’t decide first thing in the morning? I do the very same thing.

    Reply
  9. Bev

    In the fridge…milk, butter, cheese, ketchup, limes, tomato juice, eggs
    In the pantry, homemade raspberry jam, noodles, flour, sugar, chocolate, salsa.
    In the freezer, frozen hand-picked blueberries by the gallons.

    Reply
  10. Everton Terrace

    Eggs, cheese, orange juice, bananas, onions, bell-peppers, potatoes and gluten-free bread. I use to plan our dinners days in advance to cut down on trips to the market but now that we’re empty nesters and I prefer breakfast to dinner, I’ve become more like you. My husband often gets a frittata because of my “staples”.

    Reply
  11. Georgie

    peanut butter
    milk
    fresh eggs
    bread
    in the fridge
    capers
    shelled raw cashews
    Newman’s Own olive oil and garlic salad dressing
    condiments
    potatos, onions, carrots
    rose, white wine to inspire the cook
    canola mayo
    cheese of various types
    frozen mixed veg, frozen peas
    chicken
    salmon
    steak or ground beef
    extra butter
    coffee are in the freezer
    garlic and shallots, dry sherry, EVOO, and regular olive oil are by the stove

    Reply
  12. Shelley@thiswhiteshed.blogspot.com

    Lemonade!

    Reply
  13. Karen

    Extemporaneous cooking is where my best friend shines…and I do not!
    My good sized pantry is filled with items other than food! That said, here is what I usually have on hand now that two out of three children have moved out…
    multi grain bread
    olive oil
    box of cereal
    reduced fat peanut butter (for my son)
    honey (for above mentioned son)
    can of black olives
    can of chicken noodle soup (for comfort!)
    eggs
    skim milk
    orange juice
    watermelon (in the summer)
    apples (in the fall and winter)
    lettuce
    red pepper
    avocado
    ground turkey meat
    salmon
    That’s about it! With the dearth of good meals, I would have thought my son would have abandoned ship by now, but he is obviously very tough!
    He plans to join the military soon…where the food may actually be a step up!

    Reply
  14. Eileen @ Passions to Pastry

    I love it. I wish I could not worry about dinner all day, but I start planning and cooking in the morning already, and that doesn’t leave any time to go antiquing. As far as my refrigerator… my kitchen is undergoing a renovation right now, so my fridge is full of things it never has in it — things already prepared. And I have to ask, are the champagne flutes on your table from Monoprix?

    Reply
  15. Kieren

    I do this too, but a little earlier , around 5pm, my stomach says, Well? What’s for dinner? I always have pasta, rice, parmesan, garlic, ginger and olive oil around that I can do something with. I love summer because I can walk outside to see what’s growing in my garden. Chard, lettuce, beans (soon), squashes, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes (not yet),lots of herbs. …and a great deal of improvisation.

    Reply
  16. Kieren

    Oh, and flour. I make pizza A LOT.

    Reply
  17. momof5

    Always garlic, olive oil, capers, fresh tomatoes (or staple canned chopped tomatoes work well too), add fresh basil if you have it. Cook on stove and add to freshly cooked pasta. Can feed a crowd or a few and is delicious every time. My kids favorite mom on a whim meal. My husband does most of the cooking because he can and does think ahead. I’m the party planner/cooker/baker.

    Reply
  18. Amy

    milk and bread and lots of condiments. I’ve recently taken to keeping champagne on hand because, why not? I invited neighbors over for champagne not long ago, just to enjoy a glass together (or two.) After the first glass, they confessed to us that they thought we had an “announcement.” They came up with five options – my favorites being that we won the state lottery (yahoo!) or we were going to adopt a third child! I felt almost bad admitting I just wanted to enjoy a glass of champagne. 😉

    Reply
  19. Amy

    By the way, what did the family and FH think of your quick meal?

    Reply
  20. Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic

    PASTA, of course!!

    Reply
  21. Linda

    I have four teenage boys. Ramen noodles are a staple here.

    Reply
  22. Irina

    ha-ha Corey, it sounds familiar to me!
    i have to make sure there are frozen prawns in my freezer, so pasta with prawns is ready in 20 min. thank god my family loves it!

    Reply
  23. Karen

    I just love your table setting, Corey. Who needs actual food when your table looks that beautiful?

    Reply
  24. Marie-Noëlle

    Just like you, I used all my porcelain spoons and mini dishes to celebrate Father’s day.
    But unlike you, I had too much stuff. So I spent all the morning filling up dozens and dozens of spoons and minis for lunch (The difficult part is storing them when filled. I served them on trays!
    Everybody was happy. My husband and I were talking over the empty trays while the coffee machine was purring when we heard my 20-year old son say :
    “Hmm… Delicious… Those “entrées” were delicious … What’s the main course, Mum ?”
    His face’s expression changed when he got my answer … (and he warmed up the dish of lasagnes that was left over from the day before) …

    Reply
  25. Betty

    My fridge can be full, and still I cannot figure out what to cook.

    Reply
  26. Janet

    I always have on hand:
    Crackers,
    peanut butter,
    apples,
    and shhhhhh,
    chocolate.

    Reply
  27. yvonne

    you do better than I could. I make pesto w/basil and pistachio’s. My favorite.
    You a a wizard, and it’s a great post.
    yvonne

    Reply
  28. Julie Ann

    I think that your way is the hallmark of a true cook Corey and it clearly works as family & friends arrive expecting good food. No matter how pretty the table (& I have no doubt it always is) it will not fill up a teenage boy. Yes, your way is the best way, and more exciting too. The system only falls down if you have faddy eaters around who rely on limited ingredients…don’t get me started there. I love that you have the most wonderful family & yet the fridge of a single girl ! My parents were war babies and my mothers family ran a grocers shop. My mother therefore always shopped with a siege mentality. I have somewhat the same strategy and am only handicapped by my fridge being too small. It is currently ruining things by freezing them also so it will soon be time to say goodbye and hello to a new model, Jx

    Reply
  29. maria

    let me tell you what’s in my freezer/frige right now and you can tell me what to make:
    various berries, too much lettuce, portobello mushrooms, pecorino romano cheese, fresh parsley, leftover lemon wedges from a party, , leftover grilled sausage, and eggs. Pasta in the pantry and sage in the garden.
    I know, i should be able to whip up something great, but i am so tired of cooking….

    Reply
  30. cynthia Wolff @Beatenheart

    Trader Joes works every time..

    Reply
  31. Paula S In New Mexico

    Salad veggies, salmon, chicken, beef, ice cream.

    Reply
  32. juliette

    You are amazing!
    You are a fairy…. I knew it!
    Love

    Reply
  33. Rhonda P.

    My man of the house is the whipper upper. If I cook, it is usually something simple. But back to the man of the house, he is an amazing man, whips up dinner in no time at all and it is always delicious. I am spoiled, I know. He now tries to decorate our dinner plates by slicing everything with flair.
    We always have cheese, eggs, bread and wine in our fridge, what else do you need?

    Reply
  34. Victoria Ramos

    I’ve worked full time since I was 19 and before my darling daughter was born almost 19 years ago — so please don’t do the math on that one!!!….. so unfortunately life/cooking on a whim means different things to me. Plus all the years of soccer practices and activities put a new meaning to dinner. Luckily my hubby is a great cook and we share duties.
    And although not very quaint at all – my hubby loves COSTCO! So our cupboards are rarely bare and full of staples.
    Always in freezer (sorry to the vegs out there): pasta, pesto, chicken, ground turkey, pork loins, some special cuts of beef, adeles apple sausages.
    Always in the Frig: milk, OJ, feta cheese, parma. cheese, sliced turkey, all the usual condiments.
    This time of year: fruit (tons of berries, watermelon coming soon) and veggies galore (beans, spinach, lettuces, bok choy, kale) from our local farmers market that we go to every Sunday morning.
    Always several types of rice, pine nuts, dried pasta, cereals and granola in the cupboards.
    And garlic, garlic, garlic, and onions, fresh ginger, bananas, tomatoes.
    My hubby and daughter can eat and eat and not gain a pound — I on the other hand, not so lucky…..
    ohhh, all this talk of food is making me hungry!

    Reply
  35. amylia

    Arm & Hammer Baking Soda.
    Iced Tea.
    That’s about it!

    Reply
  36. george

    i love this post.im another guilty unprepared chef with three very hungry daughters! what you whipped up is far too exotic for my crowd, but looks totally yumi. i have heaps of butter and tomato sauce ALWAYS in our fridge. that would be one revolting dish if i relied on those two ingredients wouldn’t it!

    Reply
  37. Patt

    Anything in Season. plus OJ. Pom juice, wine, Parma cheese, Cream, Butter, I do not buy my meat in advance, I visit the butcher shop ever other day. I do always have Lundberg rice, pasta, Italian canned tomato’s, Italian canned tuna, capers, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and organic chicken broth in my pantry. Always fresh herbs outside my back door. I can usually find something to whip up. It does however taste much better at a well set table. Yours is beautiful.

    Reply

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