You get home late, the fridge looks sad, and the takeaway menu is memorised. This book is the antidote: a system for building one small drawer—cupboard, shelf, or box—that reliably turns into dinner, even when you have nothing planned and no energy left. Inside you will find a straightforward method for stocking a core collection of shelf-stable ingredients, plus dozens of meals that come together from that stash with ordinary equipment and a handful of fresh extras. No special gear, no overnight soaks, no spiralisers. Every recipe is honest about time, effort, and what you can skip. There are five-minute rescue meals, forgiving pastas, one-pan roasts, and remixes for leftovers you actually want to eat. This is not about cooking as a hobby; it is about eating when you are done with everything else. Part of The Tired Cook's Library.