I’m emptying out my fridge this weekend before I go to Paris on Monday. This morning was the perfect example of PTJ NIFTY & THRIFTY. I had some boiled new potatoes and green beans in the fridge that I tossed with some basil pesto that is a constant force in my kitchen. This went straight into the middle of my plate. Next, I threw a small pan onto the stove and poured in a dash of rice bran oil to heat. I also had some washed and shredded cabbage in my vegetable drawer that I had mandolin-ed the night for a crowd of hungry people who showed up at my doorstep. This was tossed with some olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and shavings of pecorino to add a little extra yum. Onto the plate it went. I cracked a free range egg into the hot pan to fry and slid the runny drop of sunshine onto the pile of potatoes, with an extra spoon of pesto to dirty the white. This was my delicious Saturday morning party for one with a cup of coffee, and some fresh orange passionfruit juice to make things even more interesting.

Below is the best thing money can buy: a japanese housewife’s number one tool. (The mandolin).