True Story: A Kansas City businesswoman was an early loft-dweller in the Crossroads neighborhood and built a state-of-the-art kitchen with two matching stainless steel Sub-Zero PRO refrigerators standing side by side. The one on the left rarely had more than a jar of pickles and a stick of butter in it. The refrigerator on the right was neatly packed with bottles and bottles of Absolut vodka.
“A good cook,” she would tell guests, “always has her priorities in the right place.”
The opportunity to take a peek into anyone’s refrigerator is always tempting: it reveals volumes about the owner. A chef’s refrigerator is like winning the detective lottery. Is it clean, tidy, a showpiece? Or more than likely, is it a chaotic collection of items well past their “Best By” date and a jumble of leftover boxes and aging condiments?
A bit of investigative poking into the refrigerators of five successful chefs and restaurateurs in Kansas City reveals a medley of culinary secrets. There are certain items these creative cooks simply can’t live without. One in particular: milk.
Amante Domingo, chef and co-owner of The Russell
What’s always in your refrigerator?
Milk! My wife Veronica and I have two small children—4-year-old Diego and 3-year-old Isabella. There would be a riot here if we didn’t have any. The same with snacks like yogurt. Veronica is from an Italian-American family, so there’s always a nice hunk of Parmesan cheese. My own background is Filipino and French Canadian, so you’ll always find a fermented or spicy dish like kimchee in our fridge. Something pickled, preserved, salty and funky.
What will never be in your refrigerator?
Again, because of the children, not many processed foods, although we keep some snack foods on hand for sanity’s sake. But no sugary soda pop, of course.
What guilty pleasure is in your fridge?
I love ice cream sandwiches. My favorite is the Mississippi Mud bar you can still find in the frozen-foods section of some supermarkets. Also Coors Banquet Beer. It’s the original brew from Coors. I love it.
JoMarie Scaglia, chef and creator of The Mixx and Caffetteria restaurants
What’s always in your refrigerator?
I’m a single mother with a young daughter with Celiac disease.
She’s also a very particular eater. She loves filet mignon, so there’s usually a small filet for her—and vegetables. She loves her broccoli al dente and has been known to gently chide my mother for overcooking it, if it’s not perfect. I always have the items on hand to create a great cheese board.
What will never be in your refrigerator?
I’m not much for processed foods. You won’t find a lot of bar codes in my refrigerator.
What guilty pleasure is in your fridge?
Exotic mushrooms. Ice cream. Good cheeses. I’m a huge fan of the Norwegian caramel-flavored cheeses like Brunost, which I like to serve with a bit of homemade jam.
Bobby Stearns, executive chef at Ophelia’s and Café Verona on Independence Square
What’s always in your refrigerator?
A confession: My wife and I—we work different hours, by the way—don’t cook much at home. Seriously. I’m really busy. A real chef. And I’m not super picky about what I eat at home. So if we go out and I get waited on by someone who does all the cooking or cleaning, I’m perfectly satisfied. What’s in our home refrigerator are a lot of random beverages. Lots of things for hydration. Sweet tea, Gatorade, beer, Shatto milk.
What will never be in your refrigerator?
Kimchee. I think it’s foul and disgusting.
What guilty pleasure is in your fridge?
Shatto chocolate milk. I love the stuff late at night or early in the morning. It’s an all-purpose hangover cure too.
Megan & Colby Garrelts, co-owners of the two Rye restaurants and Bluestem, a multi-year James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant
What’s always in your refrigerator?
Milk. We go through at least two gallons a week. We have two children—11-year-old Maddie and 7-year-old Colin—who drink tons of it. Because of the kids, we always have snacks in the fridge. Fruits and vegetables. Yogurt. Cheese, both high-end fancy cheeses and Kraft processed American cheese singles for grilled cheese sandwiches.
What will never be in your refrigerator?
Leftovers. Budweiser beer. Processed foods like lunch meat.
What guilty pleasure is in your fridge?
A Stouffer’s frozen product called Grandma’s Chicken and Rice Bake. It’s a guilty pleasure all right. Sometimes, if we work late, we might come home hungry but it’s too late to cook anything. This chicken-and-rice dish heats up quickly and is salty, but satisfying for a quick meal. Even chefs get late-night cravings
Julita Latimer, chef and owner of Julita Catering
What’s always in your refrigerator?
Sriracha sauce. Kimchee. Eggs. Garlic. Japanese mayonnaise. It has a more tangy taste than traditional mayonnaise and tastes good on everything. My daughters love it.
What will never be in your refrigerator?
Liver. I don’t have a rotation of foods that I cook, so anything else could possibly show up in my fridge. Not liver.
What guilty pleasure is in your fridge?
Häagen Dazs Dulce de Leche ice cream is a staple. Also good cheese. We believe in the puu puu platter concept. I like keeping a variety of nosh-y bites of things in the fridge.