My coworker Genevieve Ko and I have many similar likes in food and drink, including a fondness for bourbon cocktails and a preference for dark meat chicken on the bone. In her wonderful editorial for this week’s New York Times, she discusses a topic near and dear to my heart, arguing that you should stock your freezer with handmade treats because doing so is an act of care that symbolises “past you taking care of present you.”
My packed freezer is evidence that I’m committed to this plan. But which foods are excellent for freezing? Genevieve lays out the alternatives, which range from stews and braises to casseroles and desserts, and provides two fantastic, very freezable new dishes.
Her recipe for oven beans is a foolproof way to prepare any kind of dry bean from scratch with little effort. For up to six months, they may be stored in the freezer for later use in dishes like chilli, soup, and salad. Her almond-chocolate-orange blossom-water marble pound cake is seen above. Pound cake is one of the greatest sweets to freeze; the high butter content allows it to defrost smoothly, however I must admit that I prefer it still frozen.
A little bit of work tonight will pay off in a bowl of delicious chocolate overnight oats in the morning. Hetty McKinnon’s unique recipe uses cocoa powder for its enchantment, dates for their sweetness, and chia seeds for their health benefits.
Alexa Weibel, a resident of Brooklyn, has just introduced a stir-fried lotus root dish that she modified from M Shanghai. Lotus root is a breeze to prepare in the kitchen: Prepare it for the pan by peeling it, slicing it into rounds, and then boiling it for five minutes. The green chiles provide some spiciness, and the edamame adds some protein, rounding out the dish’s mellow earthiness.
You’ll want to subscribe to New York Times Cooking so you can access the hundreds of recipes accessible there. If you have any technological difficulties, please contact cookingcare@nytimes.com. The best way to reach me is at hellomelissa@nytimes.com. Please divulge the contents of your freezer; I anticipate cake.
Did you know buttermilk can be stored in the freezer? This is great news for those like me who purchase a quart of flour while making pancakes or biscuits but only use a cup. I portion up leftovers into 4-ounce containers and freeze them; they defrost fast when placed in a basin of hot water. After defrosting, the buttermilk will separate, but you may still use it in baked goods. The future you will appreciate the ease of use and the additional space in the refrigerator.
