Kerrilynn Pamer ❗️
is the founder and CEO of CAP Beauty, a destination for the best in natural effective skincare (including my all-time favorite cleanser), plant based pantry goods, and inspiring community. She currently lives in LA with her husband and dog, Ric, and recently started writing her newsletter, Coyote Swan. CAP and Kerrilynn have been such important inspirations for me creatively, so having her on Into the Fridge today is incredibly fulfilling. 
What is your fridge philosophy?
My fridge used to be overflowing, I considered it to be “organized” but others might disagree with that statement. This past year I’ve been making a concerted effort to not duplicate or add anything to it that’s similar to something else. No matter how much I’d like to. I’ve also made a commitment to try and eat everything out of it before shopping again. I’ve made it into a game, and it’s made me more creative than ever. So, I guess I’d say my philosophy is to use what I have, and make it as delicious as possible. Maybe we can call it resourceful?
Your fridge is always always always stocked with ____.
Tamari, CAP matcha and hojicha, eggs, Duke’s mayo, preserved lemons, capers, tortillas, tons of greens and veggies, Olipop and Ghia.
Top 5 condiment picks, go.
Oh God, my condiment collection runs deep. I’m working on curbing my habit (see above) but this list could be much longer than 5, I’ll keep it to 6.
Hot sauces, I have to go plural here, cause there’s never just one. Typically there’s one from Cafe Tropical, one my husband makes with chiles from our garden, some version from Kauai Juice Co., one from Masa Memory, a bottle of Mama Africa Pili Pili and always one from Highly Likely.
Capers that our friend Anita brings us in bulk from Spain.
Parmesan. I recently started eating the real thing after years of eating a vegan version and claiming it was delicious. I was very wrong, and this was often pointed out to me by my husband and friend and chef, Kat Turner. They were right.
Escabeche and pickled red onions. These make everything taste better and are so easy to make.
Beurre de Baratte. Nothing better.
Fine, I’ll open it up to pantry too. Let’s hear your favorite snacks / pantry staples:
La Fabricca della Pasta from Bucatini.
Not sure if this is a pantry item, but it’s definitely a staple. I make gluten free sourdough weekly so there is always a loaf in our kitchen. I learned from my dear friend, Aran Goyoaga, and feel indebted to her for sharing her knowledge. Nothing makes me feel more myself than baking bread. I love making it and eating it but I love sharing it even more.
Roast sunflower seeds from Joshua Tree Health Food Store. IYKYK.
Loads of beans, usually from Rancho Gordo or Sun Gold Farms. I make a big pot once a week and eat them till they’re gone. Such an easy and delicious meal.
Licorice. I’m obsessed. My favorite right now is from Lakrids by Bulow.
Activist Manuka Honey. I love Luke and Gabby almost as much as I love their honey.
CAP Beauty Coconut Butter, Pink Salt, Olive Oil, Matcha and Hojicha. I eat or drink one or all of these pretty much every day.
CAP Beauty + Honey Hi pancakes. These are simply perfect.
A meal that’s on heavy rotation these days:
I have a really big cookbook collection but it’s rare that I cook from them. For me, they’re a way to get a read on what was happening during a period in history so I use them more like a reference book. I find it really interesting to follow food trends, and this is a direct path to just that. But the way I cook these days is more about making components of a meal all week long and then piecing them together in some variation that is interesting and not too repetitive. I think of it as building blocks, not batch cooking, which is something I’ve never really gotten into. For some reason this feels more inspired to me. It allows for creativity and using things up, which you can probably guess by now, are two things I love.
For a specific meal, it’s typically a bowl with the beans mentioned above, a piece of the sourdough as well and a big salad or roast vegetables. It doesn’t sound that exciting, but when it’s all dressed up with olive oil and condiments, it’s perfect.
Or an omelette. I learned how to make a “perfect French omelette” last year that has a very funny back story. So I spent almost a year learning, and I can confidently say, it’s pretty perfect. Martha Stewart would be proud.
Let’s go a little deeper…
What’s the mantra you keep coming back to?
My husband wrote a note to me on a post-it note close to a decade ago that will go missing for months, and then pop up when I most need it: Incremental progress through diligent practice.
What products / practices are part of your regular mental wellness habits?
I used to lean very heavily on products and practices to support my mental health and wellness, but I’ve abandoned a lot of them because my perspective on the wellness industry has radically shifted. I’ll be talking about this more on my substack, as it’s been a big awakening for me, but is probably too long to address here. More on that soon, though. All that being said, I like to do the following if I can. But I also like to give myself a little grace around them when I don’t:
Meditation. I recently started my twice a day habit back up, and god does it make a difference in how I feel.
Movement. Could be yoga, could be a hike, could be a class with Kara Duval, could be dancing at home. Not overthinking it and just doing it, has been key for me.
Drinking as much water as I can.
Watching a movie in bed on Saturday morning. I read years ago that someone I admire did this, and I couldn't believe it as this person is wildly successful, and seems to have everything figured out. She did not seem like the person laying in bed watching movies. Then I tried it, and was hooked, it feels a little like stealing time. I love it.
Spending time with my husband.
Writing when I can, I used to do morning pages with a lot of regularity, but again, in an effort to not structure myself into stress under the guise of health, I’ve pulled back on them. But writing in general always makes me feel better.
Music. I don’t say this lightly but the Nick Cave Wild God album saved my life this past summer. It was a very hard season for me, and hiking Hogback Trail in the early morning while listening to that album, brought me back to life, one step at a time.
Reading. I’ve been a committed life long reader, lately I’ve found it harder to concentrate, but I know that I’ll get back to it with the same regularity I used to have. I look forward to it.
Al-Anon.
And your physical?
Like so many others I grew up playing tennis, but only took it back up last year. I didn’t love it then like I love it now. My husband and I try to go 2 or 3 times a week. When we do, I always feel better.
Griffith Park hikes. See aforementioned Hogback Trail.
I go to our yoga studio, Roam, at least two times a week. My husband and I have a standing date for Tony’s Monday and Wednesday 6 o’clock class.
What do you think is the most underrated part of wellness?
Not understanding that wellness is community care.
And overrated?
Thinking that wellness is only self-care.
Picture this: you wake up one morning and feel like shit. What’s your next move:
Have an espresso and some fruit while watching a Western in bed with our dog, Ric, and my husband, John. That simple routine will typically cure anything.
Give us your ride or die wellness products:
The CAP skincare products are the ones I use. They’ve transformed my skin from hot and angry to calm and mellow. Serotoner, Blue and Crema are my foundation and then I add in others as needed.
I love all that Athena at Monastery creates, everything Kristina Holey at Marie Veronique makes, all the honey products from Luke and Gabby at Activist. This list can go on for so long.
I was gifted the Normatec boots and LOVE them.
I adore my Monastery LED mask.
One thing you do everyday that makes you the most YOU version of yourself:
Make at least one meal, hang out with my dog and husband and do a bit of organizing. I used to be embarrassed at how much time I spent thinking about systems and organization, mostly because I wasn’t very organized in the real world, but as I’ve gotten older I’m leaning into the things that make me feel good. And that’s one of them.
Whose taste inspires you?!
I honestly never know how to answer this question, because deflecting it feels disingenuous, as if I’m holding back some secret information. But if I answer the question as “who inspires me” my answer is quite different.
I recently said goodbye to our 18 year old dog and the enormity of the loss astounded me. I believe that the connection we have with animals is something from a higher place. A truly spiritual relationship, one that many of us search our entire lives for. A wise woman once told me that their lives are short in order to teach us how to grieve, a primer course for the inevitable loss that will touch all of us at some point. I think she’s right, but I also think they come here to teach us how to live. And for me, there is nothing more inspiring than that potent lesson. And nothing more beautiful.
The biggest thank you to Kerrilynn for showing us her fridge, her kitchen, and her beautiful life. I think it’s pretty clear to see why I’ve been a fan of hers for years now, and you can join me in reading her writing, following her Instagram, and staying up to date with all things CAP. Her fridge favorites and more are here.
Feel free to leave a comment or respond to this email with questions you want asked, people you want featured, or anything else that’s on your mind. Don’t be shy, I love hearing from you.
this post is so nourishing
I feel like i just always want there to be more questions