<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rita Y:
Every time I make something with out-of-the-ordinary components, I have several bottles, jars, and bags of ingredients that I know I won't be using for perhaps months, if at all. I am totally out of pantry, fridge, and freezer space. Since you cook a much larger variety of ethnic and regular foods than I do, and rarely repeat anything, what do you do with all that extra stuff?
Rita </div></BLOCKQUOTE>As you can imagine, I have--I don't know--a dozen-and-a-half or two differnt chilies, many, many spices (from asafetida to zatar, the common to the exotic), numerous oils and vinegars. Though I have several varieties of grains, rice, legumes, dhals, pastas, sugars and other sweeteners, what I don't have is the more 'typical' stuff one finds in many kitchens--a variety of cereals, snacks, canned products, packaged products, etc.--simply because I don't buy any of that. I might have one cereal atop the fridge, a few cans of emergency chicken stock, a few of diced tomatoes, but that's about it for 'normal' stuff, so there's more room for my other stuff. I have two fridges (could never have one again) but outside of filo, frozen corn kernels, baby peas and artichoke hearts, I buy nothing frozen. So nuts, zests, squeezed juices get stored in the freezer doors, leftover Q meats, sauces, fresh sausage, flours, get stored in between the two main compartments and I have some room to spare. The fridges hold the normal fridge stuff plus condiments I make. More pantry space would be nice but what I really want (other than better cabinets, sinks, faucets) is better use of the space/re-arrangement. Not in the cards for this year, as I'd thought several months ago. Maybe next?
What I do do when I am home is to specifically look in the fridges and cabinets and pantry--at least a couple times while there--and seek out the little used stuff and make it a point to do something with it that very day or the next. Keeps me on my toes and keeps the stuff moving along and out. When last home, e.g., I used the last of the garlic pistachios that were in the freezer, the last of the quinoa from a box in the pantry, some mulattos I hadn't dipped into in a while, some Ga cornmeal from a freezer I hadn't used in months.
