It’s almost a month now since I moved to a new place and because I got rid of most huge stuff from the old place, before a brief interlude of moving back to our family home, I don’t have a refrigerator.
I guess it’s not altogether unthinkable; not everyone has a ref and Mrs. Patmore was famously not keen on them. But I can also imagine how some might be horrified at the sheer suggestion. Where do you get cold water? Where do you put the steaks? Do you eat melted butter?
As it turns out it’s not rocket science, and I’ve had a bit of practice some time ago. At my first apartment in my early 20s, I have already tried living ref-free for a year. (There just wasn’t enough space for it, and the idea for setting up a mini bar flew out the window rather quickly—a window that was probably also too small.)
I was living in the city, as I am now, and all kinds of grocers are relatively accessible. The first cup of coffee I enjoyed on a newly-acquired faux bois laminate table was from a McDonald’s around the corner. One of my first dinners was rotisserie chicken and romain lettuce with sesame dressing from a bottle, none of which I actually made myself.
Whenever I bought raw meat or seafood during the day, it was to be dinner for the night. It meant a lot more grocery runs than the average person who owned a ref, but I guess my refrigerator was a public one, a few blocks away.
Having to go out that often is not ideal when there could be virus in the air, so I don’t recommend it. Now, the game plan has more to do with fewer, bigger grocery runs, and more things that generally last longer in the shelves.
I have a stash of Korean ramen. My favorite is Nongshim’s KamjaTangMyun. I find that it is less spicy and more savory than the regular stuff, and the noodles don’t turn gummy when cooked.
I haven’t been eating meat. The most I get is tuna from a can, which I would often prepare adobo-style, stewed in soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic, along with herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oregano. In the canned foodstuff aisle I also often get corn and chickpeas.
Canned tomatoes, too. I prepare it simply with garlic and herbs, and tomato paste for added body. I have it as sauce on spaghetti for lunch, and sometimes watered down as tomato soup with rosini pasta for dinner.
A pantry staple I highly recommend is dried shiitake mushrooms. Chopped, they go on everything: the tomato soup, with eggy fried rice, or even the ramen.
Veggies that last for at least several days al fresco are beans and squash, and crops like potatoes and sweet potatoes. They would often turn up diced or as nuggets elsewhere. Brunoised potatoes in tomato soup is a kind of ratatouille remix that I may have invented.
There is also the routine jaunt to the neighborhood bakery. I adore the fudgy crinkles.
I’ve only been living ref-free for a month and so far I seem to be okay. I’m not saying it’s the healthiest option, but it has definitely given rise to ideas for recipes that I would be proud to serve with company.
And how do I have butter? Truth is I’ve been butter-sober for a month now. I did consider getting a pint-sized refrigerator specifically for that purpose, but the windows are big now, and more superfluous ideas are getting thrown out.