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Interior and Designer: Patricia Fabricant
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Photography 2021 Darren Muir. Food styling by Yolanda Muir. All other illustrations used under license Shutterstock. Courtesy of Gigi Boucher.
ISBN: Print 978-1-64876-802-6 | eBook 978-1-64876-228-4
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To my family, for always supporting my crazy dreams.
contents
Hi! My name is Jen, and Im happiest when Im in my kitchen. I am a busy working mom of two, so getting dinner on the table fast is a top priority. I have always believed that a well-stocked pantry is the backbone of the kitchen. With just a simple list of ingredients on hand, you can create a variety of dishes to satisfy your family and friends. Living in the rural Midwest, its always been important to me to keep a variety of foods on hand in case a blizzard or ice storm makes it impossible to get to the store. Since middle school, Ive loved being creative in the kitchen and coming up with new ways to combine these pantry staples. And now, Im excited to share these recipes with you!
If youre new to pantry cooking, you might be looking for a way to make cooking at home cheaper and easier. Even if youre a seasoned pro, its easy to feel like youre stuck in a rut of making the same dishes over and over. Either way, Ive got your back with the recipes in this book. Ill show you how to stock your pantry and freezer with a limited number of ingredients, and then well learn how to turn them into flavorful meals, snacks, and desserts.
In this book, were defining not only dry goods as pantry staples but also frozen and refrigerated items. Its important to supplement pantry meals with fresh ingredients to add nutrition and variety. And yes, all the recipes in this book can be made solely with the list of ingredients in !
Lets get started. I cant wait to show you how simple and delicious pantry cooking can be!
Your pantry is more than your cupboard. When I refer to pantry ingredients, I have in mind much more than shelf-stable dry goods in cans and boxes, as this is an outdated way of thinking about food storage. In this book, youll find that your pantry actually extends to your freezer and refrigerator. There are so many refrigerated and frozen items that, when stored properly, can keep for months. These ingredients add freshness and variety to the cans and boxes of food on your shelves, combining to create endless dishes.
Cooking from your pantry is all about having a manageable, accessible list of ingredients on hand so you can make a variety of delicious dishes. In this cookbook, well be working with 85 staple pantry ingredients.
why cook from your pantry?
Putting together a healthy meal is easy when your pantry is stocked with delicious and nutritious staples like beans, vegetables, spices, stocks, and grains.
Variety, please! When cooking from a full pantry, you always have something on hand to make and the combinations are endless. No more boring meals on repeat!
Nutritious options One common misconception is that pantry cooking means lots of processed foods, but I mainly use whole foods and minimally processed ingredients in this book. Cooking healthy meals for your family is easy when you keep the right foods in your kitchen.
Save time Pantry cooking makes sense for busy home cooks. Once you learn which combinations of foods your family enjoys, its quick to throw together a meal on hectic weeknights.
Cut costs Cooking from your pantry cuts food waste and ensures youre getting the most value from your grocery bill. Pantry foods tend to be lower cost and can help keep your food budget in check. Be on the lookout for sales and stock up when items are marked down.
your essential pantry
Welcome to what is arguably the most important section of this cookbook: the list of 85 essential pantry ingredients needed to make every recipe. You are very welcome to keep more ingredients in your personal pantry; however, all the dishes in this book can be made with only these key ingredientsno ifs, ands, or buts.