Over the last week or so I’ve been catering for friends, and friends of friends. With my tiny Soho apt filled to the brim with food, and my refrigerator stuffed beyond its max, my weekend was beyond hectic.

That being said, here are tidbits about the prep I did for the event, which was a friend’s sister’s bachelorette party. Follow? The party was small but we tried to create a spread that was full of different tastes and flavors. Something that looked like a lot of food, without actually costing hundreds of dollars. I hope I succeeded … post to come …

The humorous part in all this is that my refrigerator is hardly bigger than the college dorm size. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration but generally speaking it is NOT very big. Having to house all that food for a few days was quite a squeeze.

The food in my reusable Whole Foods bag (go green!) is for the event and all the extras were our apartment’s personal stock. I have a lot for a girl living in New York on limited means. For most people who live in New York and work long hours like I do, little cooking is done, but that’s quite the opposite of me. I feel like every time I go to the grocery store it’s an opportunity to build on my pantry …

I’m never a “buy and use all at once” kind of person, like fashion, you have to build your wardrobe … or in this case refrigerator. Here are some staples I always have:

1. Champagne: You never know when there’s cause for celebration, or a date, or a dinner party, or life.

2. Mustard: Nothing adds more flavor with less calories. Can be used for dressings, marinades, sandwiches, spreads, you name it.

3. Rotisserie Chicken: I think this is one of the supermarket’s greatest contributions to the working-cook. Fresh, delicious, pre-made, and takes half the work out of almost any meal you want to create in minutes for chicken alone, to pasta, to sandwiches, to tacos. And for under $10 (sometimes even $6) how can someone NOT have one in the refrigerator at all times?

4. Stock: Whether it be chicken, beef, or vegetable although it’s easy to make (wait for my freezer shot later) it’s always good to have stock on hand to make a quick soup, pasta, or stew. Indispensable at all times.

5. Roasted Red Peppers: I love these little things. Get them packed in water, not oil, and save your waistline. Add them to salads, meat dishes, pizzas, and pastas. I don’t think I could live without them.

So here’s a little insight to my catering space issues and my personal refrigerator staples, remember building a perfect meal is like accessorizing an outfit, you have to build a stock to choose from.