For our latest edition of What’s in Your Fridge?, we’re taking a peek inside the fridge of Sarina Prabasi, owner and founder of BUUNNI Coffee, one of Great Performances’ coffee partners at our contract accounts.
Sarina’s fridge is a mix of family, tradition, and whatever’s good right now: unlabeled jars of homemade Nepali achaar, sour pickled bamboo shoots, plenty of milk for chiya, and, at the moment, as many late-summer tomatoes as possible. We asked her about the staples she always keeps around, what she’s snacking on, and what she’d cook if a very hungry soccer team unexpectedly showed up at her door.
GP: If a coworker opened your fridge, what would they immediately judge you for?
SP: Unlabeled, undated random glass jars filled with condiments, pickles, and achaar from Nepal, made by aunts and cousins and decipherable only to me!
GP: What’s one fridge staple you can’t live without?
SP: I get anxious anytime we are running low on milk. I drink much less of it now than I did before, but it’s a crucial ingredient for my homemade chiya (or chai), and for the kids and their cereal.
GP: What ingredient do you always keep on hand “just in case?”
SP: A good jar of olives.
GP: What’s currently in your fridge that’s inspiring your next recipe or dinner?
SP: Watermelon to make watermelon salad. The first time I tasted watermelon salad at a friend’s house, I was blown away. All the tastes combined in the best possible ways in my mouth. Who knew watermelon, red onion, and mint would be a winning combination?
GP: What’s your go-to late-night fridge raid?
SP: Sweet: ice cream. Savory: cheese and crackers.
GP: If the New York Yankees stopped by unannounced, what would you offer them from your fridge?
SP: I would offer them any of the many assorted drinks from the fridge, immediately turn on my rice cooker, and start prepping a simple curry. I hope they’re hungry!
GP: Do you have a current ingredient fixation? How are you using it?
SP: Farmers market tomatoes. Sliced with some salt. On toast with a slice of cheese. In salads, in sauces and curries, or as tomato chutney. There’s nothing like late summer tomatoes.
GP: What’s the most “you” item in your fridge right now?
SP: The one item only I know what to do with in our family: sour pickled bamboo shoot, used to make a very traditional Nepali dish of potatoes, bamboo shoot, and black-eyed peas called alu taama.
GP: What’s your favorite quick snack straight from the fridge?
SP: We always have fruit in the fridge. Right now we have peaches and apples. It’s hard to stick to seasonal fruit only, but we usually have Cara Cara oranges or tangerines, and grapes year-round. In the summer, all the melons and peaches; in the fall, more apples and pears. Sometimes I’ll add some cheese on the side, or peanut butter, and it’s a delicious treat.
Curious what else is in the fridge? Explore more from our What’s in Your Fridge? series.
