Kirsten Potenza and Cristina Peer’s Refrigerators Are Stocked for Entertaining

Stocking the Pantry for Gracious Hosting

In this season of gatherings over food and drink, Kirsten Potenza and Cristina Peer offer tips for keeping one’s refrigerator and pantry ready to receive guests. Rather than aim for perfection, they encourage us to focus on making people feel welcomed and nourished.

Plan Simple, Flexible Menus

Having appetizers, mains, and desserts that work together but don’t require complicated execution takes the stress out of throwing an impromptu get-together. Hearty dips and cheese plates make great starters that can be prepped ahead and left out for grazing. Pasta dishes, stews, roasted vegetables, and salads are easy to expand to feed extra guests or repurpose as leftovers. Simple cookies, fruit crisps that can be assembled the day before, and good quality ice cream or sorbet round out the meal gracefully.

Stock Up on Versatile Ingredients

Potenza keeps her fridge filled with basics like eggs, dairy, citrus, fresh herbs, condiments, olives and pickled vegetables. Her freezer holds nuts, dried fruit, puff pastry, bread crumbs, and broth. Having these building blocks on hand makes throwing together an appetizer platter or interesting salad simple. Peer focuses on ready-to-use fresh produce like greens, vegetables, and fruit. Staples like olive oil, shallots, garlic, lemons, and dried pasta or grains help complete impromptu meals.

Shop Smart

Both advise buying ingredients when they are in season and taking advantage of sales to stock up on non-perishables. Potenza freezes extra bread, pie dough, or meat cuts for later use. Batch cooking soups, sauces, or oven dishes provides ready-to-heat options for nights when time is short.

Embrace Abundance

While an empty fridge can incite panic, Potenza and Peer believe a well-stocked one should inspire creativity and generosity. Seeing it as a message that they have enough to share with others gives them joy. When guests stop by or stay longer than expected, they welcome the chance to be flexible and make something delicious out of what they have on hand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some good appetizers to have on hand?

A cheese board with crackers, nuts, and fruit along with hummus, baba ganoush, or tapenade provide easy starters. Marinated olives, pickles and quick pickled vegetables also make great ready-to-eat snacks.

What are some versatile main dishes for impromptu guests?

Hearty salads with grains or beans, vegetarian chili, thick soups like ribollita or mushroom barley, frittatas, pasta tossed with olive oil and vegetables, sheet pan nachos, or oven roasted sheet pan meals can all be made with pantry staples and expanded to feed extra guests easily.

How can I avoid wasting ingredients from an overstocked fridge?

Prep produce soon after buying it to maximize freshness. Blanch and freeze extra vegetables for later use in soups or oven bakes. Cook meat, beans or grains in large batches and freeze portions. Make double batches of staples like pizza dough, pie crust and cookie dough to stash in the freezer.

What are the best desserts for casual entertaining?

Cookies, brownies, or bar cookies are easy portable sweet treats. Fruit crisps, crumbles, buckles or galettes use up seasonal fruit and can be kept warm in the oven. Ice cream, nice quality chocolate, or fruit paired with cheese always makes a simple, satisfying finale.

How can I plan menus if I’m not sure how many people are coming?

Choose main dishes that can be served family style and easily stretched to feed extra guests like baked pastas, hearty salads, stews, roasted sheet pan meals, or thin crust pizzas. Have enough appetizers for light snacking on hand. Simple desserts like cookies go quickly and most people only have a small serving after a meal.