What’s your heat source?
My Hurricane Ivan food supply purchases were predicated on the assumption that there would be no way of heating food. This was a stupid assumption. Just because there’s no electricity doesn’t mean you won’t have a heat source on which to cook or warm food.
If you have gas range in your home, there’s a good chance it will still work after a hurricane. However, be sure to turn off the propane tank and ideally disconnect the gas line before the storm hits. If you get through the storm without your home being inundated with sea water, chances are that with a gas range, it will be business as usual with regard to your heating source.
As an emergency back-up, you can purchase a propane camp stove, the kind that uses small propane canisters and usually has one or two burners.
Then there are barbeque grills. The propane types are great for post-hurricane situations, but if it stays outside during the storm, it might not be operational afterwards. Consider bringing the grill inside your home – or at least into a garage – before the storm hits.
Charcoal/lump wood grills can also work, but not only do you have the same issues of keeping the grill safe during the storm, but you’ll have to keep the charcoal/lump wood safe and dry and have a method of lighting your fuel handy afterwards. Coal/wood fires can also ruin many kinds of pots and pans. If you own cast iron pots and pans, you’ll be fine.

Shopping list
The major hindrance to post-storm eating is the lack of refrigeration due to power failures. There is no guarantee grocery stores will open in the immediate days after the storm, and even if they do open, there can be the issue of standing in long lines in the hot sun just to by $50 worth of food. So you should plan for the eventuality of eating nothing but non-perishable foods.
Canned foods keep for a long time, but you really want canned food that will complement your meals, not be the primary focus.
There are two ingredients with long shelf lives that can make your post-storm culinary experiences much more pleasant: rice and pasta. Make sure you have lots of both – and for variety, several types of pasta – on hand during hurricane season. Then, with the right canned goods, you can make all sorts of tasty and nutritional meals.
Here are some of the canned goods you might want to consider: tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste; kidney beans; black beans; corn; clams; salmon; chicken and beef broth; evaporated milk; and cream of mushroom/broccoli/asparagus soups. Add to that some jarred goods like real bacon bits; pickled vegetables like mild or hot cherry peppers; asparagus; and beets.
It’s good to have some fresh vegetables that can last a while without refrigeration – onions, garlic and potatoes and cassava are a few – but having things like dried minced onions and garlic and dried potato flakes in the cupboard is also a good idea.
It’s vital that you have a good supply of fresh water to do this cooking, so fill up lots of jugs before any storm hits.
With just that small list of ingredients, plus the typical dried spices and cooking oils you’re likely to already have in your pantry, you can cook a variety of meals: Spaghetti with marinara sauce; pasta with clam sauce; or pasta with salmon or bacon and mushroom or asparagus cream sauce. You can have black beans and rice, chili with kidney bean or a variety of casseroles with rice and the creamed soups as a base. If you want meat with your marinara or in your chili, you can add canned corned beef or spam, or better yet, reconstituted dried beef.

Cleaning
Cooking requires cleaning and with a possible disruption to the water supply, cleaning can become difficult. Have a good supply of disposable paper plates, plastic cups and plastic eating utensils as part of your hurricane supplies. Use a tub or basin filled with water to do your initial cleaning of pots, pans, serving plates and cooking utensils, and use clean water for the final rinse.
With no refrigeration, storing leftovers isn’t an option, so only make enough for the number of people you are serving. Be warned though: Since a lot of your neighbours won’t be as prepared as you are to cook good meals, having leftovers is unlikely to be a problem!

Water

It’s vital that you have a good supply of fresh water to do this cooking, so fill up lots of jugs before any storm hits.