How many people does your fridge need to feed?
Two.
What do you usually eat for breakfast?
Leo eats eggs and toast, or oatmeal. I eat eggs and toast, or yogurt and nuts and fruit.
Is there anything you eat every day?
I eat bread every day. And milk. And I drink seltzer. Leo drinks water and milk. We probably have cheese every day, we eat a lot of dairy. And we have vegetables.
Every week?
Black beans, lentils, kale, chicken, quinoa, hummus, tortillas. And olives, Leo loves olives.
What item are you forbidden from purchasing right now?
I don’t eat sugar, but it’s not because I don’t want to. I just can’t, it makes me sick. I throw up. It’s awful. I’ve had this since I was 19. It comes and goes, but the older I get the more intense it gets, so I just don’t eat it. I eat fruit, but not much. I can’t eat baked goods, except for savory stuff. I’ve gone to the doctor and they always say, “you’re fine!” All the jam in the fridge is from when my mom comes to visit. And I don’t purchase veal, it freaks me out.
What’s the most delicious thing in here?
The olives. They’re cerignola olives from the butcher around the corner, Emily’s Pork Store. They’re super fresh and they’re not that salty but they have so much flavor.
The most disgusting?
There’s some chutney that somebody I went out with like a year and a half ago made. I don’t know why I haven’t gotten rid of it.
The oldest?
Well, what is this package? Should I take it out and see? Oh my god, it’s really good meat from a farmer I know! It’s been in there like four years. Definitely since before Leo. I can’t believe I never looked in this package. I thought it was green chili that my dad sent me from New Mexico. I think I’ll take it to the house of someone who has a barbecue.
Anything you regret buying?
My sister gave me this harrissa sauce and I never use it. I don’t know what to put it on. I guess that’s something I feel guilty about, rather than regret. I do regret these expensive probiotics I ordered for Leo when he had colic. They sent them in the mail and it was hot when they got delivered, so they were no good. And they were really expensive. I can’t bring myself to throw them away.
What's your guilty pleasure?
Little bits of chocolate. I have some chocolate without sugar; it’s not as good, but it’s not bad.
Where do you do most of your food shopping?
I go to lots of different places. I get olives, Parmesan cheese, lentils, and things at Emily’s Pork Store, and sometimes they have good cheeses. I get produce at the Brooklyn Kitchen if I don’t go to the farmer’s market on Saturdays. And I get stuff from Fresh Direct sometimes. Every once in a while I go to C-Town but I hate the managers there.
How much do you spend on groceries each week?
I don’t keep track, but I probably spend between $400 or $500 a month.
How often do you go grocery shopping?
Every other day.
What percentage of your meals do you prepare at home?
90 to 95%.
Is there anything in here that we would have found in your childhood fridge?
Milk, pickles, ketchup. Not kombucha.
What do you wish you had in here?
A cooked meal. I wish I had a pot of beef stew made with really good meat.
Heather, 44, is a journalist. She’s holding a jar of mustard and her 21-month-old, Leo, who is gnawing on a package of blue corn tortillas. They live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.