Win the fridge on Bruce loves to cook

Pasta sauces

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The sauce either comes from a base you made ahead, like a meat sauce or a marinara from the freezer, or it’s built fresh, quickly, in the time the pasta takes. Either way it goes into the pan with the pasta, not over it at the end.

Cherry tomato and garlic spaghetti

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Spaghetti, cherry tomatoes, and garlic cooked together in a little oily water, so the sauce makes itself as the water boils off. It’s the [[Cherry tomato and garlic pasta]] build of one-pan pasta.

Cherry tomato and garlic pasta

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The fresh version: nothing made ahead, just cherry tomatoes, garlic, and oil cooked in the pan with the pasta. It’s also the best way I know to use up the last of the cherry tomatoes.

Lazy tomato soup

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A warm bowl of soup on a fall day is a wondrous thing. This is a classic fridge magnet recipe that I use to clean up old veg.

Mechanic

This is a one-pot pasta: the pasta cooks directly in the soup, with starch as the only thickener. Reduce the cooking liquid down to just what the soup needs. The released starch turns it smooth and velvety without any flour or cream.

Win the fridge

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Win the fridge is the practice of using every scrap of food before it goes to waste: working through the fridge, freezer, and pantry regularly instead of letting things quietly expire in the back. It’s a frugal habit and an ethical one at the same time: food waste is avoidable, and being well-fed enough to have a fridge full of choices worth wasting is a privilege, not a given.

Basic chicken ramen stock

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is the basic chicken ramen stock I use for my lunch ramen (when working). It’s a hybrid of a French and a chintan-style stock, with ingredients that are easy to find.

Beef stock

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a rich stock that uses the bones left over when buying and breaking down whole cuts.

Ingredients

2–3 kg beef bones (side cut is best; knuckle or neck is good too)
2 yellow onions (250–350 g)
1 medium carrot (100 g)
1 large celery rib (90 g)
1 shallot
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme and rosemary, or a few sprigs
~2 tablespoons vegetable oil
~5 L water, or enough to cover

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C (450°F). Roughly cut the onions, carrot, celery, shallot, and garlic, and toss them with the oil.

Chicken or turkey stock

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a rich chicken or turkey stock that uses the bones left over from breaking down whole birds. Great for soup, sauces, and consommé.

Ingredients

Spines, ribcages, and wing tips from 3 whole chickens
2 large carrots
2 onions
1 shallot (optional; sub onion or garlic)
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme or rosemary, or a few sprigs
~2 tablespoons vegetable oil
~5 L water

Add-ins

1 knob ginger, diced (optional)
Bouquet garni, fennel, and similar (optional)

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C (450°F). Slice the vegetables thinly (or roughly) and toss them with the thawed bones and oil on one or more roasting trays. A mandoline is handy for the denser vegetables; slice the softer ones by hand.

Nine bean soup mix

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A ham-hock bean soup built on a mix of nine dried beans.

I found this recipe in our old recipe book with the following: All proceeds to charitable projects CHAPTER BF, PEO SISTERHOOD, ABBOTSFORD, BC.