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Under normal circumstances, the arrival of pseudo springtime has us running to the grocery store in search of fresh, seasonal produce to liven up our boring meal prep rut. These days, while we embrace social distancing as the new normal, we’re forced to get creative in the kitchen and importantly, in the pantry.
Our dear friend and cookbook author Lucinda Scala Quinn from Madhungry coined the phrases “Pantry Dive” and “Crisper Crash” many years ago, from her kitchen high above the streets of New York City, where she feeds her three sons and hubby from the pantry and veggie crisper drawer often. As you can imagine, grocery shopping as a hip NYC urbanite isn’t without its challenges (ever load the back of cab with $200 in groceries?) BRB, calling Lucinda for advice right now.
Now is the time to seize the staples, get friendly with dry grains, become one with canned goods and get comfortable with substitutions. We’re not going to have everything we need all the time, but together we’ll work around the have-nots and make equally delicious dishes with alternate ingredients.
So, in honor of the lessons Lucinda has bestowed upon us, we’re diving into the pantry for some easy, delicious dinners to feed your fam when the grocery store just isn’t an option. Have no fear, substitutions are par for the cooking course – you can do this!