I\u2019ve heard there\u2019s a website where you can enter all the ingredients you have on hand and it will list recipes you can make with them.<\/p>\n
But all the collective wisdom of the internet can\u2019t measure up to my mom, Winnie, when it comes to being inventive in the kitchen.<\/p>\n
I live in Escalante, Utah, 50 miles east of Bryce Canyon National Park and a long way from a supermarket. I often have to make do with a depleted pantry. When I\u2019m stuck on what to make, all it takes is a phone call to Mom in Cedar City, Utah, to produce the most astonishing and delicious results.<\/p>\n
Mom learned how to cook during the Depression. She had to be creative with limited resources. It was a skill that came in handy after Mom married my father, Harry. He was a minister, and at the Lord\u2019s leading we moved often. The ingredients available in one town weren\u2019t always in another. But what Mom whipped up in the kitchen always made us feel at home wherever we were. She even won the Pillsbury Bake-Off\u2014twice!\u2014with her pumpkin cookies and pumpkin cake.<\/p>\n
Not long ago, though, I thought I\u2019d stumped even Mom. I was supposed to bring a salad to a baby shower, but I had next to nothing in the fridge.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have any lettuce?\u201d Mom asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot much,\u201d I sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cCabbage?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHalf a head.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about a slaw?\u201d Mom suggested. No mayonnaise or vinegar. \u201cRanch dressing,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019ll work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Next I looked through my cabinets, reciting items to Mom till something struck her. \u201cDried papaya chunks\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPapaya, that\u2019s good,\u201d she replied. \u201cSoak it in orange juice\u2014it will absorb the juice and the flavors will mix well.\u201d Raisins. An apple. A bag of pecans. \u201cKeep those handy,\u201d Mom said. \u201cThe slaw still needs something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll I\u2019ve got left is a Cup of Noodles.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRamen?\u201d she asked. \u201cPerfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
As I chopped cabbage, diced apples and mixed everything together I wondered if these random ingredients could come together to make something good. I put the slaw in the fridge. After it marinated a few hours, I took it out and tasted it. Mmm. Sweet, creamy and totally delicious. The flavors came together and the noodles and nuts added crunch. I called my husband in to try it. \u201cYou can fix that for me anytime,\u201d he said, grinning.<\/p>\n
The guests at the baby shower loved my special fruit slaw. \u201cWhere\u2019d you get the recipe?\u201d the host asked. \u201cA website?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell,\u201d I said, \u201cthere is this award-winning chef that I call\u2026\u201d <\/p>\n