Geoffrey Zakarian - My perfect pantry : 150 easy recipes from 50 essential ingredients

Copyright 2014 by Domaine Enterprises, LLC
Photographs copyright 2014 by Sara Remington

All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com

CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark and POTTER with colophon is a registered trademark of Random House LLC.

FOOD NETWORK and associated are trademarks of Television Food Network, G.P., and are used under license.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Zakarian, Geoffrey.
My perfect pantry / Geoffrey Zakarian ; with Amy Stevenson and Margaret
Zakarian ; photographs by Sara Remington.First edition.
pages cm
Includes index.
1. Cooking. I. Stevenson, Amy. II. Zakarian, Margaret. III. Title.
TX714.Z352 2014
641.5dc 3
2013050636

ISBN 978-0-3853-4566-8
eBook ISBN 978-0-385-34567-5

Book design by Jan Derevjanik
Cover photograph and

v3.1

The pantry is the backbone of a kitchenthe place on which every meal hinges. Serving as the tireless workhorse that supports the creation of all dishes and the unsung hero that allows fresh seasonal ingredients to sing, the pantry has a very specific character, size, and even scent in each and every home. No two are alike. But no matter, each pantry is the starting block for any meal. And all starting blocks need a solid foundation.

The landscape of American food is fascinating. I take great national pride in dishes that define our country, such as the hamburger, and am intrigued by regional dishes, such as the chicken wing, that have won coast-to-coast followings. And perhaps most exciting are the dishes that stem from the awe-inspiring weaving of worldwide heritage, blending together into the fabric of American cuisine.

I can remember, as a small boy, peering up into our few pantry shelves in our tiny kitchen in Worcester, Massachusetts. Desperately, I wanted to glimpse the stashed treats up on the tippy topthe out-of-reach hiding spot where my mother kept her homemade goodies. Perfectly lined up on the lower, attainable shelf were the flour, nuts, dried beans, extracts, spicesmore mundane items that, at that time, served me no purpose. I had little idea how these could be used to make wondrous combinations. When I was an older, craftier toddler, I climbed up on the countertop, plotting to reach the outer limits, and the aroma when I opened those magnetic-closing doors seemed to seep into my DNA. I couldnt reach the top, but that smell drew me in and has never left me. I was hit with a beautifully scented mixture of what would in essence become my familys daily bread. As I grew and could eventually reach the top, I became more interested in what was on the bottom, mesmerized by how it all melded together in dozens of different ways, so uniquely fruitful each time. I studied the humble habits of my mom and my aunts, who never wasted food and always cooked from scratch.

In my professional career and within my kitchen duties for my family at home, I find that having a well-stocked, well-cared-for pantry makes all the difference in the end result. I have a saying: I would rather be looking at it than looking for it. I learned this lesson the hard way when I was starting out as a young cook, during a dinner rush with orders flying at me. I simply did not have the crucial items I needed on hand, and from then on, I have always been prepared. You need to have the right ingredients ready to go, so you dont leave yourself scrambling at the last minute. And you dont need a large pantry to have success in the kitchen. When I was growing up, my family had a very small space, and those home-cooked meals in our kitchen were some of the best I have ever eaten.

I have a strong belief in the basics. I like natural ingredients prepared in ways that enhance their inherent flavors. I dont like masking foods or manipulating them so they taste like something completely different. I dont keep an overly stocked refrigerator and freezer, and I try to get to the grocery a few times a week for anything fresh. Then I keep my pantry filled with moderate quantities of the purest ingredients I can get my hands on. You can definitely cook without a refrigerator, but it is nearly impossible to create a meal worth eating without a pantry.

Included in the following pages are fifty essential and basic items that you should stock in your pantry to fuel a range of American meals, morning through night. Each section begins with background and information on the pantry item and finishes up with three corresponding recipes. These recipes are all very doable, even for someone new to cooking, and there is a yummy factor to each, giving you 150 choices of approachable, delicious dishes to make. Your pantry should not be intimidating but rather a pillar of support for your efforts in front of the stove.

I have also narrowed down a list of spices you should stock to round out your pantry. The spice aisle is sometimes confusing and overwhelming with its number of choices, varieties, and brands. The Foundation Items section breaks down the information in an easy, comprehensible way and details what you should always keep on hand.

Truly, it gives me great satisfaction to cook in a smart, efficient way using what is on my shelves, and I am excited to share these pantry-focused recipes with you. I hope you will use this book to create and enjoy your own solid, robust pantry from which many meals and memories will grow.

CHEERS ,
GEOFFREY

A vast array of spices, spice blends, powders, and oils are widely available, but I have sifted through the lot, selecting those most essential to an American pantry. These staples, although not the centerpiece of any dish, enhance the pantry and play a strong supporting role in the recipes in which they are featured. I suggest stocking up on each of the following items in small quantities and replacing at least once per year.

Despite the name, this staple is not a mix of all spices but a single product of an evergreen shrub from which small berries are picked, dried, and ground into a fragrant reddish-brown powder. Once dried, the berries look like peppercorns, but instead their flavor has notes of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Mainly exported out of Jamaica, allspice is popular in many regions around the world, including the United States.