Fridge Voyeur is a virtual visit into the chill zone of the Spoon Crew — our team, our friends, and some of your favorite wellness gurus. We may eat a lot of plants, but you better believe there’s a whole lot of variety, and a little bit of naughty, going on behind closed doors. We know you want a peek ;)

This week, we’re peeking into the fridge of Scott Norton, the co-founder of our favorite condiment company, Sir Kensington’s.

Splendid Spoon: Hey Scott! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Scott: Thanks for this opportunity, Splendid Spoon! To start, I consider myself one of the luckiest guys in the world. I’m the co-founder of Sir Kensington’s: we make condiments with character. Our mission is to bring integrity and charm to ordinary and overlooked food.

I love working in food and cooking at home. Food connects people, creates community, and has so much creative potential. There’s an infinite amount to learn about the natural and cultural worlds it comes from.

I’m also lucky because of my family! I love cooking for my wife Cara, and I look forward to cooking for my baby boy who’s currently too young to eat or drink anything other than “very local milk.”

Also, I know this is supposed to be Fridge Voyeur, but I’m going to extend it to my pantry as that says more about my life. Plus, I’m including what’s on the outside of the fridge: the magnets and postcards are important!

SS: What are the 5 staples you can’t live without?
SN: Let’s dig into the pantry. Besides the basic cooking staples like olive oil and butter, I love toasted sesame oil. Its complex and enjoyable flavor makes it very versatile!

Onions are an important staple. It’s so cool how you can transform the taste and texture of an onion by cooking it in different ways, plus you can serve it raw for an equally unique flavor. Brilliantly, it doesn’t even require refrigeration. All hail the mighty onion.

Cumin is an excellent spice that works well with other spices. I have a bag of cumin from northern Afghanistan. Important note for all readers: smoke your spices in a pan before cooking with them for more flavor.

Canned whole peeled tomatoes are crucial. Being in the ketchup business, I’ve spent lots of time learning about tomatoes, visiting the fields, and learning what gives them flavor in both the growing and cooking processes. I’ve developed a certain intuition around tomatoes, and now make pasta that my wife loves. Short rib ragout is a favorite. Canned tomatoes also add great flavor and color to soups.

I love black beans. Not only are they satisfying, sturdy, and great with Mexican food, they also have a sentimental meaning for me. When I first moved to New York, I lived with a friend who taught me how to eat cheaply by making delicious “peasant food.” It was a lot of rice, beans, and eggs, but we always brought it to the next level with spices. Whenever I look at a can of black beans (especially the Goya brand), I think about our “peasant feasts.” He’s saved a lot of those labels and uses them in his art.

SS: What’s the weirdest thing in your fridge?
SN: Weird is all relative. My mother-in-law is currently parking a giant hunk of Jarlsberg in our fridge, which is odd because of its sheer size. I have two packs of kimchi that were bought duty free at Seoul airport and given to us as an unexpected but awesome gift. [Niche food gifts are our favorite! — Ed.] I also have a postcard on my fridge that a friend sent from Pyongyang — you don’t see that every day.

SS: What’s your fave sweet and what’s your fave savory?
SN: For sweet it’s hands down unsweetened dried mango slices, ideally from Trader Joe’s. They’re addictive. I try to convince my wife that the fiber content makes them healthy. It’s not working.

For savory, it’s yellow miso. Miso soup is one of my favorite savory foods. It’s an easy comfort food to make, and is both restorative and hydrating. You can also use it as a base for more complex soups. One of my favorite soups is miso with daikon and winter melon. The broth permeates into the radish and melon, making it soft and savory. [A new soup recipe for us to try — thanks Scott! — Ed.]

SS: If you were one thing in your fridge, what would it be?
SN: This question’s hard! Maybe active dry yeast because I’m full of potential? Joking. Or maybe the bottle of Alipus Oaxacan Mezcal? I discovered it when I was officiating a wedding in Mexico, and it’s the most delicious spirit I’ve ever tasted.

SS: What food do you turn to when you want something comforting or nostalgic? Although we eat to keep our bodies strong and healthy, food also connects us to our past, to friends, and to different times in our lives.
SN: Everything I’ve mentioned above: miso soup, red sauce pasta, and peasant food. But we can’t skip talking about nachos here! Some friends and I started a club called “Nacho Knights.” It’s a sort of men’s group with rotating members focused on community and open conversation. The nachos work as a perfect centerpiece for fostering connection. I grew tired of throwing complex dinner parties, and nachos are the easiest and most satisfying communal food. It’s like stone soup: everyone brings a different “layer” to the party and we cook it together. They’re also nostalgic for people like me, who grew up in the 90s.