Hi!
Welcome to Fridge Clean Out—a new Substack about how to make great leftovers, cooking, and food culture. I’m so glad you’re here!
Fridge Clean Out is a weekly newsletter about how I turn what I’m eating into a superb second (or third) meal with the magic of leftovers. I’m also a voracious reader, watcher, and enthusiast of food media so expect a few links to things I’m reading, watching, and buying in each newsletter.
If Ina Garten is your patron saint, you’re in the right place.
Quick intro: I’m Lauren Johnson, a business journalist who also identifies as a life-long foodie thanks to learning from the World’s Best Chef: my mom. She instilled my deep love of caring for others (or just yourself!) through cooking.
As an adult, I’ve become obsessed with trying new dishes and recipes, learning the best techniques for home cooks, and generally spending a significant chunk of time thinking about food. When I’m not writing about the advertising industry, I’m likely spending too much money at one of New York City’s bountiful farmers markets.
I started dreaming up a newsletter about what to do with food in February 2023 (see screenshot below for proof) and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Starting a passion project in 2025 feels like a risky move when the world absolutely does not need another food blog. My goal, hopefully, is simple: to inspire you to work with whatever’s in your kitchen and make it not only usable but delicious.
More specifically, I’m constantly trying to figure out how to turn tonight’s dinner into tomorrow night’s dinner without being totally boring. Food is expensive, and my time is limited. While I love making my way through recipes from my stack of cookbooks that beg for time and energy, those meals have to be stretched into multiple, different meals.
Enter leftovers. Got leftover chicken? Make soup! Or nachos! Are your herbs on life support in the crisper drawer? Blitz them up into a bright, zippy salsa verde that goes on literally anything.
OK but I don’t like leftovers!
Let’s just start with the obvious: Leftovers are divisive.
I get it. Leftovers are by definition old food. Maybe that food doesn’t taste as good the second time around. Or it didn’t taste good the first time, and now you’re stuck eating it a second time. Or maybe you simply can’t fathom the idea of eating the same thing more than once because we all have one short life to live, and your time on planet Earth is too precious to eat baked ziti for the fourth time this week.
Fair.
But ask any chef or cooking pro, and they’ll likely tell you that leftovers are their secret weapon. I am by no means a professional (seriously!), but leftovers are my saving grace after a long day when I want something homemade, nourishing, and healthy but do not have a single functioning brain cell to spare. The ability to whip up something quickly with a few added ingredients, minimal prep, and easy cleanup? Folks, that is what the pros call a GAME CHANGER.
The pros’ secret? A well-stocked pantry and a well-used freezer.
How to stock a pantry
A really great pantry that works for you—or at least a few things from a really great pantry—is how you’re going to turn a “meh” dinner into a “oh damn” dinner.
There are many categories of things that one may consider a “well-stocked pantry.” Figure out what you like to always have on hand and create your dream pantry from there.
Canned things like beans, tomatoes (paste, sauce, diced and crushed), anchovies and other tinned fish.
Condiments and saucy things like mayonnaise, stock, mustard, miso, and soy sauce.
Acidic things like several vinegars (white, red, apple cider, and more), lemons, and limes.
Fatty things like olive oil, butter, nuts, and nut butters.
Salty and briny things like pickles (these are my current fixation), capers, olives, flaky salt, kimchi, and fish sauce.
Dairy things like eggs, sour cream or yogurt, and a couple of cheeses like parmesan (for topping pasta and soups) and Monterey Jack (for melting).
Sweet things like honey and maple syrup.
Frozen things like vegetables, fruit, fish, and shrimp.
Herby things. I’m forever a chives and dill girl but parsley, cilantro, thyme, and oregano also fit the bill. Or if you enjoy plants that require the same attention and care as a small child, basil will also work. Just kidding—I love basil.
Spicy things like chili crisp, your hot sauce of choice (I am a proud recent Zab’s convert), red chili flakes, salsa, and sriracha.
Starchy things like tortillas, pasta (always spring for the fun shapes), potatoes, rice, and frozen naan.
Allium things like garlic, red and white onions, shallots, and scallions.
You best believe this is a week’s worth of food.
Make your freezer your friend
At some point in history, we were all taught to treat the freezer like a deep, dark cave that never sees the light of day. A repository for bags of frozen vegetables and ice cream, if you will (for the record, obviously neither are bad).
But your freezer can (and should) be doing so much more! Simply put, the freezer keeps food fresh and equips me with a ready-made meal that keeps me from ordering takeout when I can’t muster the energy to get off the couch.
Anytime I’ve got something in the fridge that won’t last until I’m ready to eat it like meat, half a loaf of bread, or even some roasted vegetables, I put it into a freezer bag or container and pop it into the freezer.
I also drop most leftovers that I don’t want to immediately eat in there. And if I’m going to make a large batch of something like soup, I try to make my future self happy by making a double batch that goes straight into the freezer.
I’m not a meal-prep person. The idea of preparing seven identical lunches at once? Truly my nightmare. But a freezer? Man, I can get behind a freezer.
OK that’s all for now! Starting next week, we’ll get into how I attempt to make all of this work with what I’m actually eating and doing. Thank you again for being here—I’m so excited to try something new with you!