How to build a yummy life pantry

"Understanding the basics is the key to mastering anything." - Azizi Tuere

Stocking Your Life Pantry: The First Step is Understanding

My daughter said something that instantly gave me the topic for this newsletter.

She was standing in the kitchen so proud of herself after making some creation that I honestly can't remember what it was, but I do remember her turning to me as if in mid-sentence saying:

"Yeah, I hate that. It's the worst trying to cook at someone's house and they don't have ingredients. I mean, I don't need the exact ingredients because I know how to substitute, but how do you not even have the substitutes? Like one time when I suggested we bake a cake at so-and-so's house and I said, 'Do you have baking powder?' No... okay, well, I can use baking soda... what? You don't have baking soda! What kind of house is this?"

I laughed hysterically because, as a child around her age—14—I was the same way. I loved cooking, and in fact, I think that might be the main reason my best friend's mom would encourage me to sleep over on weekends. She knew I'd open up her cabinets and fridge and see way more than she saw and whip up something good and delicious. She'd always say, "I can't believe you found all that. I'd never put that together."

Stocking Your Life Pantry: The First Step is Understanding

When it comes to having a well-stocked pantry, it's not just about having a variety of ingredients. The crucial part is understanding what it takes to create a good meal and always having things in those categories that fit. This concept applies to life as well.

Essentials for a Kitchen Pantry

• Basics: Flour, sugar, salt, oil – the building blocks of many recipes.

• Proteins: Beans, lentils, tofu – versatile and nutritious.

• Spices: Pepper, turmeric, cumin – add flavor and variety.

• Fresh Produce: Seasonal fruits and vegetables – for nutrition and taste.

• Substitutes: Knowing what can replace what in a pinch (e.g., mashed banana for egg).

Building a Life Pantry

Just like a well-stocked kitchen pantry, having a well-stocked life pantry means having the skills and tools to adapt to any situation.

Essentials for a Life Pantry

• Adaptability: Learn to make the best of any situation.

• Creativity: Use your imagination to find solutions and new possibilities.

• Resilience: Develop the ability to bounce back from setbacks.

• Empathy: Understand and share the feelings of others.

• Patience: Allow things to unfold in their own time.

Using Ingredients in Life

Sometimes you may not have exactly what you need, but you can still make something great. If a recipe calls for vinegar, you can substitute it with lemon, lime, or even a tangy orange, depending on the dish. Life is about being adaptable.

When life gives you lemons, they say make lemonade—better yet, create something even more delicious like my baked vegan lemon cheesecake (feel free to hit reply for the recipe) that impresses even the most hardcore non-vegans, and I usually have to fight for a forkful when I serve it.

The Basics: Taste, Texture, and Type

In my plant-based cooking course, Tiny Green Chef, for kids (and really anyone) I start by teaching the foundations of cooking.

In Module 1, the first section is all about Taste, Texture, and Type. These are the building blocks of what's usually on your plate:

• Taste: Is it sweet, salty, bitter, etc.?

• Texture: Is it soft, crunchy, a combo, a puree, etc.?

• Type: Is it dry, raw, fresh, cooked, etc.?

Understanding these basics helps kids (and adults) grasp why meals work from a flavor profile and palatability perspective. My goal is to teach how to use whole plant-based foods to create delicious meals that are satisfying on the palate and great for your body.

Why This Matters

Knowing why something calls for fresh vs. frozen vs. dried makes a huge difference in how it tastes and works in a meal. For example, if a recipe calls for fresh figs, you might substitute dried figs depending on the dish. But if it explicitly states dried figs, using fresh in say fig bars would absolutely ruin the recipe. Understanding the role of each ingredient is key.

Applying These Principles to Parenting

Just as I built my kitchen pantry, I build a life pantry for myself and teach my children to do the same. I teach them skills and help them develop character traits that will help them be adaptable and ready for whatever life throws at them.

Here are some foundational skills that are like the essential ingredients in a pantry.

Essential Life Skills for Children and YOU too

• Problem-Solving: Teach them to think critically and find solutions.

• Self-Discipline: Encourage them to stay focused and complete tasks.

• Communication: Help them express themselves clearly and listen to others.

• Teamwork: Foster the ability to work well with others.

• Independence: Encourage them to take initiative and be self-reliant.

Life's Perfect Flavor

The reason why most people think "healthy food" doesn't taste good is because, apart from the fact that there are chemicals in your bag of Doritos that make you addicted to that flavor, most of them also don't know how flavors work together. They can't imagine being able to create something so satisfying without processed food.

You are partly right because when you eat lab-created food made to trick your brain, natural foods that aren’t trying to manipulate your palate can't, won't, and shouldn't do that. This is why you shouldn't eat that in the first place.

So if you want to fuel your body with foods that feed, not starve, your brain and potential, then you'll have to learn how to dissect the flavors that make a meal mmmm... Umami.

The Magic of Umami

Umami, often referred to as the fifth taste, is a savory flavor that the Japanese have nailed perfectly. It's that deep, rich flavor that makes your taste buds dance. When you know how to combine all the ways life shows up, be it bitter or sweet, and know what to add when life gets too salty, you can create a masterpiece out of almost any situation.

• Umami Components: Think of ingredients like soy sauce, mushrooms, tomatoes, and wasabi. These bring depth and richness to dishes.

• Balancing Flavors: Just as you balance sweet and salty in cooking, you balance optimism and realism in life.

• Adaptability: Knowing how to adjust flavors helps you adapt to life's changes.

Why Flavor Understanding is Crucial

• Time Saver: A well-stocked pantry means less time worrying about what to cook and more time enjoying the process.

• Flexibility: Understanding flavors and ingredients allows you to be flexible and creative, both in the kitchen and in life.

• Empowerment: When you know how to use your ingredients, you feel empowered to create and experiment.

Teaching Reading through Phonics

This approach also influenced how I taught my children to read. Instead of focusing on sight words, which are often just commonly used words, I taught them phonics. This method involves understanding the building blocks of sounds. English is a tricky language with many exceptions, but teaching phonics builds adaptability. Children learn the rules and can then navigate the exceptions, leading to a deeper understanding and better reading skills over time.

1. Focus on Building Blocks: Phonics teaches the foundational sounds of words.

2. Adapt to Exceptions: Learning the rules helps navigate the complexities of English.

3. Develop Deeper Understanding: This method builds long-term reading skills.

My Journey with Adaptability

Growing up without all the trimmings, we had to be adaptable. My mother often told me to make dinner, but she didn't specify what to make. I had to open the freezer and refrigerator and see what was available. My mother expected dinner on the table when she came home after a long day, and I did that because there was an immediate need to put food on the table. By age 11, I was already a pretty creative cook, and by 13, I was making the family meals for dinner most nights of the week. It was necessary and just a part of helping out my family.

Over time, I learned how to stock the refrigerator since I became the primary dinner maker. Some might think that it was unfortunate for a 13-year-old to be cooking for the entire home, but it was actually a great experience. Early on, I took ownership of my kitchen and my food. This allowed me to make judgment calls on what we were eating. This became especially handy when I started to learn how food played a big role in our health. I began swapping out less healthy items with healthier alternatives. Given the shopping list and money to buy food for the week, I had the freedom to make better choices.

Ripple Effects of Early Independent Kitchen Experience:

• Developed Autonomy: Took ownership of kitchen and food decisions.

• Built Responsibility: Managed meal planning and preparation for the family.

• Enhanced Decision-Making: Made judgment calls on meal choices.

• Health Awareness: Learned about the impact of food on health.

• Improved Nutrition: Swapped out unhealthy items for healthier alternatives.

• Financial Management: Handled shopping lists and budget for weekly groceries.

• Creative Cooking: Innovated with available ingredients to create meals.

• Confidence Boost: Gained confidence in cooking and meal preparation skills.

• Adaptability: Became flexible and resourceful inside and outside of the kitchen.

It's great to build these skills early on, but if you don't, you can still develop them now. Learn the major skills and character traits you need to have in your pantry. That way, when life throws you something unexpected, you can pull out those skills and create something magical with what you have.

Key Takeaways:

• Early Responsibility: Taking charge early builds valuable skills.

• Creativity in Constraints: Learn to work with what you have.

• Health Consciousness: Make healthier choices by understanding ingredients.

Life really doesn't present things that are new. It can be new to you, but humans are pretty predictable, so chances are it isn't an original situation or occurrence. There is often a practical next step if you can dissect the situation and break it down into bite-sized pieces to interpret what's on your plate and what you can do with it.

I absolutely loved the show Chopped. I stopped watching television programs years ago, and we only turn on the television to watch a weekly movie together as a family and occasionally a documentary. But if there was something I would tune into now for nostalgia's sake, it would be Chopped.

The idea of getting this mystery basket was so exciting to me, I swear I was a contestant on every show. When they opened up that basket, I could think of a dozen things I would do and even learned a thing or two from other contestants.

It took me back to childhood, to my best friend's house whose refrigerator I coined "fullempty" because it was so full of jars and random things that didn't really make sense except her stepfather worked at a company that somehow got all these random gourmet ingredients.

But because they pretty much stuck to their normal lineup of predictable meals, these items would just pile up. My eyes lit up grabbing the jars and inspecting them like I'd found some exotic relic I had to decode to get to the next round of the treasure hunt.

I know this kind of life, whether in the kitchen or your everyday, isn't for everyone, but if you could find a way to build the basics and bit by bit learn to see more in them, I promise you'll get so much more out of life.

Tips for Adaptability

• Experiment: Don’t be afraid to try new things.

• Resourcefulness: Use what you have to create what you need.

• Open-Mindedness: Be willing to see new possibilities.

• Preparation: Stock your pantry with versatile ingredients (skills).

Stocking Your Life Pantry

Having the right ingredients in your pantry ensures you can always make something delicious, even if it’s not what you initially planned. Life is the same. Build a strong foundation of skills and character traits, and you’ll be ready for whatever comes your way. Use your imagination, creativity, and resourcefulness to make the most of every situation.

The Importance of Foundations

If you don’t know exactly what you want to make, you can still create a delicious meal if you understand the foundations of what it takes. This principle was the cornerstone of my plant-based cooking program for kids, Tiny Green Chef. I focused on teaching foundational skills rather than just recipes. This way, kids learn how to use various ingredients to build great meals. A well-stocked home with the right ingredients allows for adaptability and creativity in cooking. The same concept applies to life. When you have a robust set of skills and tools, you can navigate whatever life throws your way more effectively.

1. Foundational Skills Over Specific Recipes: Teach the basics to build versatility.

2. Adaptability is Crucial: Stock your home (and life) with essential ingredients and skills.

3. Build a Robust Toolkit: Be ready for any situation by having a variety of skills and resources at your disposal.

The Yummy Benefits of a Well-Stocked Pantry

Imagine opening your refrigerator and wondering what’s for dinner. You wanted to make something specific but don’t have all the ingredients. Many people live their lives this way, sticking only to what they know and closing off to new possibilities when faced with unfamiliar situations. Some have great ingredients but don’t know how to use them. Understanding what you have and how to use it is crucial.

Call to Action

Take inventory of your life pantry.

What skills and traits do you have, and what do you need to add?

Start today by embracing creativity and adaptability.

Share your experiences and tips with others, and let’s build a community of well-stocked, resilient individuals.

By having a well-stocked life pantry, you’re prepared for anything. And remember, the kitchen is always open for new ingredients and recipes.