What (and how) do you cook in the midst of an epic disaster?

On Wednesday, the second day of the fires that hit Los Angeles, I drove across town to Pasadena to check on my mother (she is okay). The sepia sky filled with smoke, ash rained down, and as my car rounded a curve on Highway 110, another phone alert rang out to evacuate the area.

The morning-to-dusk curfews of the 1992 riots, the aftermath of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and most recently, of course, during the first coronavirus lockdowns of 2020, have been similarly stomach-churning. I remember that. The devastating and epic firestorm is unprecedented.

But Angelenos are no strangers to disaster.

And when disaster strikes, our basic needs become clearer. That includes what your next meal will be and where it will come from.

Houses burn down, lives and livelihoods are lost. Dinner feels like some kind of luxury, but it’s also essential no matter the situation.

LA Times Food General Manager Laurie Ochoa sent me a digital copy of an old book published by the Houston Department of Health and Human Services titled “Houston Emergency Preparedness Cookbook.”

The introduction states that disasters are often accompanied by power outages. Recipes require no cooking and are compatible with emergency supplies such as indoor sterno stoves, chafing dishes, and fondue pots. Outdoor grills, propane burners, and camp stoves.

I didn’t make the double stacked Nutella saltine sandwiches with canned cherries, sliced ​​almonds, and chocolate hazelnut spread, but I might have made them if I had the ingredients. Nor did I make “EZ” Pasta Alfredo using canned peas and evaporated milk.

But I embraced the book’s one-pot, no-anything-what-you-have-what-you-have-in-the-pantry-and-fridge approach. Fortunately, I had a kitchen and electricity (and motivation from anxiety), so I managed to cook. I made chicken stock using the roasted chicken carcass, and used vegetables I had on hand, such as pumpkin, green onions, and roasted sesame seeds, for the soup.

I also used the leftover baby blue to bake “Galette au Roquefort” (Julia Child’s blue cheese biscuit recipe via David Lebovitz), then added chunks of ripe Taleggio, zest, etc. I also baked a version. Perhaps not out of necessity, but for comfort and resilience.

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Pumpkin and chicken pot

Created by former food editor Genevieve Coe, this one-pot soup combines chicken thighs, udon noodles, and winter squash. You can also cook rice instead of udon.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 45 minutes. Serves 4 people.

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

shaved apple and peanut salad

This salad is representative of apples, as well as the sweet and tart varieties found at farmers markets and local grocery stores. Former food columnist Ben Mims loves the Melrose and Mutsu (also known as Crispin) varieties, but Pink Lady and “good old” Granny Smith are also great when cooked. Roasted sesame-flavored peanuts add crunch.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 25 minutes. Serves 4 to 6 people.

(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)

drop biscuit

Nicole Rucker, owner of Fat and Flour bakery, describes these biscuits as “ugly, uniform, anti-mile biscuits, but with a soft crumb that evokes the primal joy of biting into something delicious.” do. Her mother and grandmother made such drop biscuits with few ingredients and in a very short time giving maximum pleasure. It’s easy enough to become a weekly habit.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 25 minutes. You can make about 15 pieces.

(Ben Mims/Los Angeles Times)

Sardine banh mi

Making these classic Vietnamese sandwiches is more a matter of assembly than cooking, especially when you easily stuff them with sardines (a classic ingredient in banh mi). One piece of baguette makes four hearty sandwiches.
Get the recipe.
Cooking time: 20 minutes. Serves 4 people.

(Myung Jay Chun/Los Angeles Times)