{"id":107313,"date":"2026-01-21T15:52:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/107313\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T15:52:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:52:09","slug":"snowstorm-cooking-guide-what-to-buy-what-to-make-and-how-to-avoid-wasting-half-your-fridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/107313\/","title":{"rendered":"Snowstorm cooking guide: What to buy, what to make, and how to avoid wasting half your fridge"},"content":{"rendered":"

We haven\u2019t had a good old-fashioned 1970s-style snowstorm in a while. But as any native Staten Islander who remembers \u201cback in the day\u201d will tell you, the second the forecast even whispers the word \u201caccumulation,\u201d we start stocking up like this isn\u2019t the greatest city on earth where you can get anything at any time. And yes\u2014we\u2019ve all learned a few things from the toilet\u2011paper hoarders of the 2020 era.<\/p>\n

That said, and coming from someone who loves restaurants (and the hardworking folks behind those counters), I hope you stop in after the storm, too. Selling out before a blizzard is great; dealing with leftovers afterward is not.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s your snow\u2011day survival guide\u2014what to buy before the flakes fall, what to cook when you\u2019re trapped inside with your nearest and dearest, and how to deal with the refrigerator full of things you panic\u2011purchased at 10 p.m. The approach breaks down easily into three phases: buying versatile ingredients before the storm, cooking efficiently while the flakes are falling and using up every bit of what\u2019s left once the sun comes out. The trick is to stock up on things that pull double duty and won\u2019t wilt in the fridge the second the plows roll by.<\/p>\n

\"MetSmart storm shopping starts with ingredients that last: a forgiving butternut squash, versatile beans, shelf\u2011stable milks and a ball of prepared pizza dough ready to become dinner in a dozen ways.(Advance\/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)Before the storm <\/p>\n

Think in terms of longevity. A butternut squash will sit sweetly on the counter for a few days\u2014or in your crisper for many weeks\u2014and can start as a soup before turning into a roasted side, pasta ingredient or taco filling later on.<\/p>\n

Beans are your storm\u2011day workhorse, good for chili, warm salads, dips, toast toppings and even breakfast. Shelf\u2011stable milks last far longer than fresh dairy and still behave beautifully in coffee, sauces and baking projects\/experiments.<\/p>\n

Prepared pizza dough solves a lot of conundrums for sides and mains: calzones, garlic knots and flatbreads. It also makes a great base for a wilted\u2011arugula salad right out of the oven.<\/p>\n

\"TottenvilleButternut squash soup in a jiffy: chop, roast, season with salt and pepper, then cool. Blend it with chicken stock and maybe a little cream, then you’re done.Pamela SilvestriDuring the storm<\/p>\n

NYC requires property owners to clear a four-foot-wide sidewalk path after a storm. If the snow stops between 7 a.m. and 4:59 p.m., they must clear within four hours; between 5 p.m. and 8:59 p.m., within 14 hours; and if it stops overnight, by 11 a.m. They must also clear hydrants and curb cuts, use sand or salt on hard ice, avoid pushing snow into the street and face fines of $100 to $350 for violations.<\/p>\n

OK, so while that\u2019s happening: once the storm settles in, your job shifts from stocking up to cooking cleverly. Eggs become the anchor of omelets, scrambles and breakfast bowls that use up cheese ends, leftover deli meats and vegetables that need attention.<\/p>\n

Stale bread can be reborn as bread pudding\u2014sweet or savory\u2014with the help of milk and eggs. An Italian giambotta stew turns almost anything into dinner: beans, greens, scraps of meat, olives, capers and a bit of tomato sauce. And a frittata will always save you when you\u2019ve got vegetables nearing retirement, small amounts of cheese and herbs that once had big dreams.<\/p>\n

\"\"Bread pudding is one of the sweetest ways to use up all that storm\u2011day bread, milk and eggs. This wa baked in a muffin pan and served with cr\u00e8me anglaise\u2014a simple sauce you can make at home by gently cooking egg yolks, sugar and warm milk or cream until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.Pamela SilvestriAfter the storm<\/p>\n

Once the storm passes, the mission becomes avoiding waste. Bread should be sliced and frozen for easy toasting later. Leftover meats and vegetables transform effortlessly into quesadillas, rice bowls, baked-egg dishes, pasta tosses and sandwich melts. And no cheese should ever be left behind\u2014it melts beautifully into macaroni and cheese, gratins, casseroles and the next day\u2019s breakfast.<\/p>\n

The final step? Once you\u2019ve cooked through your storm stash, head out to your neighborhood restaurants. They\u2019re dealing with their own version of post\u2011blizzard fridge management, and a visit helps them turn their supplies into something delicious instead of something destined for the dumpster.<\/p>\n

And now, after the shoveling and mulling over all these great ideas, take a walk to your local bar or restaurant and treat yourself to a drink and some good, fellow\u2011human conversation.<\/p>\n

\"BestAnd now, after the shoveling and all the mulling over these great ideas, take a walk to your local bar or restaurant and treat yourself to a drink and some good fellow\u2011human conversation. This is from Sally’s in West Brighton.Shane DiMaio<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We haven\u2019t had a good old-fashioned 1970s-style snowstorm in a while. But as any native Staten Islander who…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":107314,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-107313","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/107314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}