The Kitchen Storage Find Anthony Bourdain Kept On Hand

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We knew Anthony Bourdain in relation to the rest of the world. His shows presented the chef and writer in new locations across the globe, juxtaposing a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker with people like Spaniards, Congolese, and Japanese locals. Aside from a few episodes of Bourdain introducing us to his home city, including his favorite breakfast spot, Barney Greengrass, we rarely got to see the man in neutral territory. His 2016 book Appetites: A Cookbook gives us a brief peek into his home life with a shot of his refrigerator on the page just before the index. The image implies a man who brought his professional kitchen systems home — the fridge is full of plastic containers, both deli tubs and GladWare-style with a blue lid, all labeled with a Sharpie on masking tape, and it looks like a restaurant's walk-in.

These plastic tubs are cheap, reusable, and handy to have around. If you ever order takeout, instead of throwing away the deli container your curry came in, wash it and give it a new life by keeping sauces fresh in your fridge. Both the deli containers and other plastic containers are BPA-free and are freezer- and microwave-safe. Their light weights and small sizes allow you to keep a lot on hand in your cupboards without taking up much room. And, unlike precious glass Pyrex containers, if one breaks, you aren't out a lot of money.

In the shot of Bourdain's fridge, another aspect that stands out is the clear and consistent labeling. Everything is labeled in Sharpie on a piece of masking tape. On top of that, much of it has a date on the label. This way, you don't have to dig through everything and open each up to see what it is and if it's still good. Adding dates makes it easier to keep your fridge odor-free with a weekly organization of soon-to-expire items. For this to work, keep a roll of masking tape and a Sharpie in a drawer next to your fridge.

While this photo was most likely staged for the cookbook, the nod to organization still stands. Having a well-organized fridge is just one handy hack to help make weeknight cooking less stressful. These aren't leftovers in the containers, but sauces and prepared ingredients to make cooking a complex meal easier. If you want to cook like a chef, you need to prepare your mise en place like a chef.