American food writer Alison Roman gave a peek into her Brooklyn fridge, revealing a mix of order, preparation, and fun. The fridge includes fillet of arctic char, kimchi, eggs, frozen chicken broth, cooked orzo, unsweetened cranberry juice, tomato paste, anchovies, creme fraiche, and iced coffee.
Arctic char and kimchi
Roman bought the arctic char at the fish market the day before to cook for her son, Charlie. She dresses it with soy sauce and lemon juice, and he loves it, including the crispy skin. Kimchi is always in her fridge for snacking, eating with steak or rice, and adding to soups or stews. She has a recipe for tomato-kimchi soup with rice in her book Something from Nothing. She drinks the liquid after and saves the jar as a leftovers container.
Eggs and chicken broth
Roman's household goes through a lot of eggs, mostly sunny-side up or turned into a thick omelette with kale and rice. Charlie eats at least two a day. They get eggs from the farmers' market every Sunday. She always has chicken broth in the fridge or freezer, made from roast chicken leftovers or saved backs. She uses it for drinking straight with spring onion and lemon juice, or as a shortcut to chicken noodle soup.
Orzo and cranberry juice
Before a work trip, Roman cooked an entire box of orzo to keep in the fridge, worried her family wouldn't know what to do. It can be sauteed in butter with greens, tossed in roast chicken juices, or added to broth. She became addicted to unsweetened cranberry juice mixed with sparkling water and lemon during pregnancy and still drinks it daily.
Tomato paste and anchovies
Roman prefers to use whole cans of tomato paste, but always has an opened tube in the fridge for small amounts. She stores opened anchovy jars in the fridge, covered with oil.
Creme fraiche and iced coffee
Creme fraiche was brought for a dinner party but forgotten; Roman plans to use it. Her husband is addicted to iced coffee made from hot-brewed coffee chilled, so a large container is always ready.
