Guide · 4 min read
Cooking from an empty-looking fridge.
The fridge is never as empty as it looks. Seven rules for turning odds and ends into a real meal — no grocery run.
1. Start with the oldest thing
Herbs wilt, greens sulk, dairy sours. Whatever is closest to the edge sets the menu. Everything else is a supporting cast.
2. Pick a format, not a recipe
Frittata, fried rice, pasta, grain bowl, quesadilla, soup. Six formats absorb almost any ingredient. Choose the format first; slot the ingredients in second.
3. Build a base of three
Fat + allium + acid. Butter or oil, an onion or garlic clove, a splash of vinegar or lemon. That trio is the difference between "leftovers" and "dinner".
4. One protein is enough
An egg, a tin of beans, a handful of cheese, the last of a rotisserie chicken. Don't stack proteins — pick the one that pairs with the base.
5. Texture beats variety
A crunchy topping (breadcrumbs, seeds, crushed crisps) makes a two-ingredient dish feel intentional. Never skip the top layer.
6. Season in two stages
Salt as you cook, then again at the end with something bright — citrus zest, hot sauce, fresh herbs. Flat food is under-seasoned food.
7. Let the AI do the pattern-match
If you'd rather not think it through, snap your fridge with Larder and let it propose three or four routes from what's actually there.