Grocery Storage and Food Prep Guide

Everything you need to know to properly care for your groceries and prep like a real sous chef in advance of our cooking date on May 19th!

Unpacking Guide

If any of your supplies were damaged in transit, please contact Collin at info@thetanknyc.org as soon as you can about replacements.

Check all of the items before storing. Discard anything mushy or wet. Pick off any browned herbs or tops.

Items that need to be refrigerated:

• Produce

  • Do not wash any of your produce before storing. If you are concerned about germs, store them in a paper bag in the fridge. Introducing water to food surfaces will promote mold.

  • Check that your produce is not crushed, has broken skin or leaking.

  • If carrots, radishes, green beans, or bok choy came in sealed bags, make sure one end is opened and slip in a piece of paper towel to help absorb any condensation.

  • Cabbage needs to be refrigerated unless you have a root cellar.

  • Zucchini and/or yellow squash.

  • Lemons and limes do not technically need to be refrigerated but to keep them juicier, longer, you can put them in a sealed zipper bag to keep them from drying out.

• Meat

  • Store any meat items toward the bottom of the fridge in case any leaks happen.

• Meat substitutes.

• Butter and butter substitutes.

• Herbs like cilantro, dill, scallion, and mint should not be washed before storing. 

  • Remove bunches of herbs from plastic bags and wrap in a few pieces of paper towel or a clean tea towel and place in the crisper drawer, making sure nothing gets stacked on top of it.

  • If it came in a plastic holder, fold up and place a small piece of paper towel inside to help absorb condensation until ready to use.

Items that do not have to be refrigerated:

• Dry noodles.

• Garlic and onion need to be kept in a cool, dry place. Once you remove a clove or cut the onion, move it to the refrigerator.

• Packaged broth, (once opened needs to be refrigerated).

• Soy sauce or tamari.

• Crispy fried onions or garlic.

• Graham crackers.

• Chocolate chunks/chips, preferably away from heat sources or windows.

• Chips, pretzels, packaged snacks.

Full Equipment List

• Cutting board

• Grater or food processor

• Knife

• Lipped baking sheet

• Mixing bowls

• Parchment paper or foil

• Saucepan

• Small serving bowl

• Serving bowls and platters

• Spoon

• Tongs

• Wooden spoon or heat-safe whisk

• Wok or Dutch oven

Do Ahead Guide

We want you to enjoy your gala experience, so take time to wash and prep your ingredients before we get started on Tuesday. Enlist a roommate or loved one or be your own sous chef. Doing the prep in advance will ensure you have the most successful cooking experience possible!

Please note: we are assuming you have cooking oil, salt, pepper, and sugar in your kitchen.

New to cooking? Watch this short video on how to wield a knife properly.

Got your ingredients? Jenn guides you in the video below through everything you need to prep your ingredients beforehand so you can be cook with confidence!

Up to a week ahead

You can make the cracker toffee completely, it will keep for up to a week at room temperature.

Up to two days ahead

Core the cabbage and shred it.

Snap the ends of the green beans off and slice them thinly on the diagonal or break them into 2 or 3 pieces. 

Peel the onion and dice it.

Peel the garlic and mince it.

Make the carrot ribbons and store them in a container full of water.

Slice the radishes as thinly as you can. If the greens are still green and fresh looking, save them to add to the salad or make a pesto for another time. You can store them in the same cold water as the carrots.

Split the bok choy and the zucchini in half lengthwise.

• As a substitute for bok choy and zucchini:

  • If you got fennel, slice it in half length wise and remove any browned outer layers. Use the greens to make a broth later.

  • If you got chard, slice the colorful stems into 1” pieces. Do not roast the leaves with the rest of the vegetables. Instead, when you finish roasting, place the leaves on top as the pan cools. They will will wilt.

Day before

Make your tzatziki up to step 4. It may separate over the next day, but give it a stir.

Day of

Wash your leafy herbs in a bowl of cold water. Swish it around and leave it alone for a minute to let sand settle to the bottom. Cilantro can be very sandy, it might require 2 changes of water. Use a salad spinner to dry them or shake it out over the sink and wrap gently in 2 paper towels, making sure it is not dripping wet before placing in the fridge.

If you got fresh chorizo, cook the whole links and let them cool completely.

If you got chicken, cube it into 1” pieces and fry for 4 to 5 minutes in vegetable oil until they are opaque and no longer pink.

Slice lemons into wedges.

Just before it’s Cooking Time

Whenever you are getting ready to cook, prepare your mise en place. That’s French for “everything in its place.” If you have room on your counter or cutting board, get out all of the ingredients for each recipe and group them by dish.

Ready to cook? Head to the Recipes!