Continued from Episode 1.
I consider Mateo to be something of a Pantry hero, to the point that I am just plain intimidated by his inherent Pantry prowess. Years ago when we both lived in Seattle working post-college shit jobs, Mateo would order (only) tap water when we went to restaurants, then would grab abandoned food off of anybody's plate (with a smile) on our way out. He knew better even way back then to waste money for no reason. Mateo was raised a farm boy, and lived off the land as a child. His trust in earth’s bounty went sour only once. While trekking through the valley’s farms, he drank some livestock run-off water and ended up contracting 3 forms of typhoid. With mounting symptoms, it went undetected by doctors for years. Physicians stateside simply don’t test for typhoid (it has been eradicated in the United States since before the first World War). Later while living in Mexico, and after a dramatic increase in skin infections, boils, and fevers, he again sought medical help. Fortunately for Mateo, typhoid must not be fully eradicated in Mexico, because the doctors there were finally able to nail down a correct diagnosis of his condition. In summary, I’ve always respected Mateo’s bravado and resourcefulness with food and water.
While on this tour, I prepped myself to work with whatever is in a host’s Pantry, but I had a guess that Mateo’s could be a bit different than most folks in Yakima- and I was right. Bulk beans, organic Sorghum, farm picked frozen cherries. No Bud Light. Mateo insisted that if he were to live off of his Pantry, he would have enough to eat for about 2 weeks. I inspected his reserves and placed my estimate between 3 to 4 months. For whatever reason, it is typical to underestimate how much food one really has. Sitting away in pantries and cupboards, life-giving food becomes invisible somehow. It is my job as a consultant to remind people of the food they already have; to make the invisible visible.
Because I was visiting for a long weekend, I brought along some of my own Pantry in case I ended up without food at some point in the trip. Some of the most wasteful food spending comes in times of desperation, and I wasn’t going to leave myself open to spend a king’s fortune at Subway. So on the first morning of my visit, while settling in I made myself a toaster oven heated split pea sandwich- prepared while Mateo was attending to some business.
Once Mateo was free, we began working on our first Pantry collaboration. We set out a palate of food items from Mateo’s Pantry, most of which had been neglected for the past several years.
We were heading into a deserty direction. We had no plans, but he was anxious to use up some of his oats and the bag of cherries that had been living rent-free in the freezer since the previous summer. Just sorting through his Pantry, we were amazed by what the muses of creation were inspiring…
A happy blend of oats, cherries, cinnamon, and whatever else from his Pantry joined the party. Check us out!
There must have been some magic in that old oatmeal they found, for when we put him in the oven, his face just lost that frown!
Proof positive that Mateo just lovvvved our new cherry-oatmeal pieman. Try to find this guy at Marie Calanders!
Energized by our first success, we decided to gear up our mounting Pantry treasures to participate in a potluck that was being held further east across the state in Walla Walla. The “America, I’m Eating Your Pantry Tour” was now kicking in with some full lovin’ steam. We rallied in the morning with two new creations. The first was called “Mediterranean Surprise,” and was a cheeto based egg scramble with salsa and peppers. The other, a bizarrely strong peppermint smoothie shown here in the deceptively innocent looking white cup- took on the effect of Jesus and Satan as naughty little mint twins dirty dancing on my tongue.
Armed with our Pantry fare, we headed out on one of Yakima's straight roads to begin the long trek on the windy mountain highways that would finally lead us to the Walla Walla potluck- hosted by their local poetry cartel.
Once we got to Walla Walla, we had lots and lots of split peas and chapattis to snack on. There was no way we were going to play the fool’s game of convenience food. Convenience, hah! Sure is convenient to get your wallet reamed for some diarrhea inducing grease slop. Instead we set up the mobile Pantry mess hall for a royal feast on the dashboard- a Pantry offering grand enough to feed the Czar and his lot. Provecho!
The rain never quite let up, and we were just too enamored with our food to share it at the potluck. But we enjoyed their food very much while saving our own Pantry prize for leftovers. Thanks Walla Walla Poetry Festival for the fantastic food! We’ll getcha back next year.
Stay tuned next week for the final Episode from Yakima, where Matt Sugars & Mateo go off the Pantry wagon and get a secret treat!
This week's Pantry special, the Manifesto Coffee Mug. Perfect for that moment of contemplation and plotting...
10 comments:
That cherry-oatmeal pieman has me hankering for one of my own, do you think it would work with apples?
-Suzie
Suzie, I bet the pieman would be just fine with apples instead of cherries. Of course- the beauty of Pantry is that there are never any recipes to be confined to. You use whatever looks good out of your Pantry. So try something out, give it a fancy name, and let us know what you came up with!
For the record, we named him Mr. Cherry Pop Pie. To be honest, it was the tastiest item in almost a year of Pantry eating.
"...and whatever else from his Pantry??" Like what??
Pete,
I left the ingredients a little open ended. I know it sounds like I’m suggesting there could be some nasty nasty stuff in the pieman. Not really though- aside from the expiration dates, he was pretty pure. With Eat Your Pantry!, I just don't focus on ingredients much, because I think recipes end up to be excuses for not cooking. Most people's Pantries have more than enough in them to cook all kinds of tasty good things, but recipes create un-needed stress. Do I have enough flour, baking soda, etc? Who cares, just see what you have in the Pantry and get cooking! That's the reason I was vague, but I don't want to dodge a straight question. I additionally recall there being molasses, brown rice syrup, sorgum, cloves, jam of some sort, olive oil, walnuts, cardamom, raisons, and anise- you out there Mateo? Am I missing anything?
I have a question about the cheeto scramble, as I have never cooked with cheetos. Do you add the cheetos before or after cooking the eggs?
Kathy,
I would recommend to add the cheetos last. We did it the other way around, so they were kinda soggy. Fried eggs sorta gross me out, and I found this dish only slightly better with the cheetos.
"Convenience, hah! Sure is convenient to get your wallet reamed for some diarrhea inducing grease slop."
Well you sure said a mouthfull there, Dr. Sugars.
I think you are onto something with the observation that recipes are stress-inducing. Because with Pantry, isn't the recipe always pretty much the same? Some kind of grain, plus some kind of veggie, and some kind of spice. What more is needed? Except maybe a little Jim Croce playing in the background....
CF,
Pantry is all that and more. I've only skimmed the surface of what Pantry is all about. Look at the pieman. For years those ingredients sat dormant in Mateo's Pantry, and not only did they combine in a moment of inspiration into one of the best pie's I've had, but it was born with a smile on its face. Pantry is food jazz- improv, an unspoken fornication of chaos and order.
Sugars, you nailed it right on the head with regard to recipe induced stress. I encounter that too often with instances such as "I have baking soda but not powder!" and "Oh, no there aren't any eggs in the house." But I always seem to have some random poptarts around, bet they would make a nice crust...
Suzie
Now you are talking Pantry! Gimme that pop tart stuff!!! Pop tart pie would rule!!! Why don't you invite the Pantry camera into your apartment. When I show up, we'll make some tea and catch up. After that, I will examine the contents of your Pantry. We can then make a fantastic, cheap, and health pantry meal. I will attempt to sell you some 'Eat Your Pantry' merchandise, and then you will be featured on the "America, I'm Eating Your Pantry!" tour newsletter.
MS
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