Homemade condiments, dressings and toppings are a pathway to fast, flavorful cooking

Cooking has always been essential to my quality of life. But in the ongoing lockdown that is our pandemic existence, it has become essential to my sanity. Can’t go to restaurants or bars, can’t go to movies or theaters, can’t go to games. What I can do is cook.

I cook when I have the time and I cook when I don’t and I cook when I am tired and I cook when I don’t want to. I cook morning, noon and night. I am never, it seems, not cooking.

6 spice blends to make at home, including garam masala, ras el hanout and Cajun seasoning

And yes, that puts enormous, some might say ridiculous, pressure on every meal, but sometime this spring, I realized there was a Venn diagram overlap in my need for escape and my need to feed myself.

It’s hard to believe that what began as a little experiment to keep myself entertained would grow into something I now depend upon, much less that it would change the way I think about putting together a meal.

I spent more than a decade as a food critic and food writer, which has left me a little too much in love with the sorts of jeweled touches chefs embrace — and that my friends sometimes roll their eyes at. But that experience also taught me a lot about the way good dishes are built.

Items that would go bad if I left them out, I keep on a dedicated shelf of my fridge: a shallot vinaigrette that I make weekly; fried spiced chickpeas, which sometimes I use whole and other times I chop roughly; honey-pickled jalapeños; anchovy-lemon butter, and lightly pickled lemon strips.

The pickled lemon strips are a great example of an easy way to add a last-second brightness — over the top of, say, a plate of roasted asparagus or broccoli or fish tacos. To make them, remove the rinds from three lemons, making strips with a peeler. Cut away as much of the pith as possible with a knife. Julienne the strips. Into a small jar with a lid, add a quarter-cup of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon each of fresh lemon juice and champagne vinegar. Add the strips, making sure to coat them. Store in the fridge for about two weeks.Capture the sunny freshness of lemons with syrup, marmalade and preserves

If I run low on any of these, I immediately make more; the idea is to always have an item on hand, the way you always have salt and pepper and cooking oil.

Several weeks ago, looking to do something with a butternut squash that wasn’t a soup or a stew, I scanned my collection. The dish quickly took shape.

I cubed the squash, drizzled the pieces with maple syrup and roasted them. When the cubes were done, I dressed them with a splash of shallot vinaigrette, sprinkled on a few spoonfuls each of crumbled spiced chickpeas and olive oil-fried breadcrumbs, and crowned the dish with a garnish of chopped celery leaves.

The result was at once sweet, spicy, crunchy and salty, and felt more like a main dish than a side.

In the end, that might be the thing I love best about my secondary pantry, that it provides me endless pathways to quick and simple dishes that, ultimately, make me feel a little less deprived, a little less stuck.Break out of your boring salad rut with these 6 homemade dressings

Roasted Butternut Squash With Crumbled Chickpeas

Make ahead: Every element of this dish can be made in advance: The squash can be roasted and then refrigerated for up to 3 days. The crumbled spiced chickpeas can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week. The shallot vinaigrette can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. The oil-fried breadcrumbs can be stored in your pantry in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Heat in a shallow dish in the microwave on high for about 3 minutes or on the stove in a pan over low heat.

Ingredients

For the squash

• Neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable, to grease the baking sheet
• 1 butternut squash (about 3 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into a 1/2-inch dice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Coarsely ground black pepper

For the chickpeas

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• One (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and patted dry
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Kosher salt
• Coarsely ground black pepper

For the shallot vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup champagne vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large shallot (2 ounces), minced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Coarsely ground black pepper

For the breadcrumbs

• 2 slices (3 to 3 1/2 ounces) stale or well-toasted bread
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped celery leaves or fresh parsley, for serving (optional)

Step 1

Make the squash: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a large, rimmed baking sheet with oil.

Step 2

Add the squash to the baking sheet, drizzle with the maple syrup, season lightly with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange the squash in a single layer. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the squash turns light golden and can be pierced with a knife but isn’t soft.

Step 3

Make the chickpeas: While the squash is roasting, line a plate with paper towels and place it near the stove.

In a medium, nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add one chickpea to test the oil — if it sizzles, add the rest. Fry the chickpeas, gently tossing them and shaking the pan every 30 seconds, until deeper golden, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin, paprika, coriander, curry and cinnamon, one at a time, and continue tossing between each addition. The chickpeas will absorb a good bit of the oil, so you may need to add more as they cook. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the chickpeas sizzling without burning the spices. It may take about 10 minutes until they look glossy, brownish and begin to crisp, so be patient. To test, take one chickpea out, let it cool a bit, and taste. The chickpeas should be almost crunchy, like corn nuts.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chickpeas to the prepared plate to drain. Season with the salt and pepper. When the chickpeas are no longer hot, roughly chop them with a large chef’s knife. Makes about 1 generous cup.

Step 4

Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, shallot, salt and a pinch of pepper and whisk to combine. Taste, and adjust seasoning as needed. Makes about 1 generous cup.

Step 5

Make the breadcrumbs: Line a plate with a paper towel and place it near the stove. In a food processor, pulse the bread until you have small crumbs.

In a small pan over low-medium heat, heat the oil until just warm. Add the crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate, season generously with the salt and pepper and let cool. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Step 6

To assemble: Arrange the roasted butternut squash on a large platter and drizzle with 1/4 cup of the shallot vinaigrette. Top with 6 tablespoons of the chopped spiced chickpeas, followed by 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs, and finish with 1 tablespoon of chopped celery leaves or parsley, if using. Serve family-style warm or at room temperature, with extra dressing on the side, if desired.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 283; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 134 mg; Carbohydrates: 29 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 7 g; Protein: 3 g.