Jessica Elliott Dennison - Tin Can Magic: Simple, Delicious Recipes Using Pantry Staples

CONTENTS The idea for this book is pretty simple; its an everyday guide for transforming those trusty tin cans from the back of your cupboard into something special. Ive developed a relaxed approach to cooking and socialising over food, and these recipes offer realistic guidance on how you can pull together straightforward yet interesting meals using easy-to-find ingredients, many of which are likely to already be in your cupboard. I dont consider myself a chef. I am a cook. These days, most of my hours are spent cooking in the kitchen of 27 Elliotts: my neighbourhood cafe, supperclub and workshop space in Edinburgh. There, led by the seasons produce and my local suppliers, I chalk up a weekly menu on the blackboard.

In dark January, its forced rhubarb that features heavily, sometimes poached in blood orange until releasing bright pink juices, then spooned over strained yoghurt and roasted hazelnuts (filberts) for breakfast, or with brown sugar meringues in the afternoon. As we enter spring, purple-sprouting broccoli and wild garlic take centre stage, topping warm plates of sausage braised chickpeas (garbanzos) and fried eggs on toast for the weekend brunch crowd. As the colder months creep back in, its the variety of pumpkins that are championed lazily roasted with lemon and garlic until caramelised then thrown over green lentils and some roughly torn herbs in time for the lunch rush. But despite getting overly excited about each seasons produce, its the trusty storecupboard tins and cans that form the backbone of my everyday cooking: both in the cafe and when cooking at home with friends and my husband, Philip. Its the tin of coconut milk I reach for to make a dahl or quick curry mid-week ( that are the true heroes of my kitchen. in this manner three different ways .

This is to illustrate just how versatile and interesting storecupboard staples such as beans, lentils and chickpeas can really be by slightly tweaking and riffing on a recipe, using the herbs and spices you already have to hand. In keeping with my first book, Salad Feasts, Ive included a list of substitutes with each of the recipes, hopefully making them more flexible and hard-working for you. Ive also marked estimate cooking times, giving you an idea of how long each will realistically take to prepare. Most of them youll easily have on the table in under 25 minutes, such as the need slightly longer, as their flavours develop by simmering on the stove or roasting in a hot oven. However, I promise theres minimal hands-on faff or complicated techniques involved. With many of the recipes Ive included feast ideas ; these are simple suggestions for complementary sides, small plates and drinks, for times when you want to pull together an even larger feast.

There are also plenty of cooks tips dotted throughout; these offer guidance for fixing something when it goes slightly wrong, what to do on occasions when youre missing a key ingredient, or ideas on what to make with any leftovers the next day. The recipes have all kindly been tested by friends living in different countries to me, where the availability of ingredients differs, along with their individual cooking abilities. So hopefully they inspire your day-to-day cooking while feeling very much do-able. While I, of course, dream of one day owning a walk-in pantry filled with every exotic storecupboard ingredient imaginable, I realise thats not how most of us actually live. Instead, my hope is that Tin Can Magic stays out on your kitchen worktop, serving as a relaxed everyday resource for utilising those basic staples in your storecupboard. Getting the ones you love round the table for a simple meal and glass of wine, while making the most of whats already to hand, is really satisfying.

So dust off those tins and happy cooking! JESS
@ FOODJESS The brilliant thing about having a few staple tins in your cupboard is that youre never far away from rustling up a quick, simple meal. In developing these recipes, Ive tried to consider how you can easily add contrasting textures, colours and flavours to make your own everyday cooking more interesting. These are some things to in keep in mind: 1) PICK YOUR HERO TIN Which tin has been sitting in the back of your cupboard for a while that needs using up? How can you cook it to make it the centrepiece of a simple feast? Perhaps its a pulse that can be rinsed in fresh water to become the basis of a salad? Or could it be charred in a hot pan to become a smoky taco filling? Perhaps it suits being slowly braised with lots of woody herbs and wine to become a warm, comforting supper? Have a think about which direction youd like the meal to go in. 2) ADD 2-3 FRESH INGREDIENTS Consider how a few fresh ingredients could enhance and contrast with your chosen tin. If youre working with corn thats naturally sweet for example, think about teaming it with fragrant herbs or something more zingy and punchy like lemon rather than another sweet ingredient. 3) SOME INTERESTING CONTRAST This is where everyday salted cheeses like feta and halloumi come in, or even just a cooling spoonful of strained yoghurt if its a spicy curry or dahl youre making.

Try to think how you can balance your hero tin; earthy beetroots contrast nicely with sweet tinned cherries in a salad, for example. 4) CRUNCH AND ADDED TEXTURE A handful of toasted nuts, seeds or whole spice can really help lift softer tinned ingredients such as lentils, chickpeas and beans. Have a look round your cupboard and see what you can use up to give your meals another layer of texture. Each of the recipes have been designed with relaxed, everyday cooking in mind. Youll notice they all include substitute ingredients and estimate prep times along with ideas for transforming individual dishes into an even larger feast. COOKS TIP With many of the recipes youll find my commentary on when to buy ingredients at their best and most affordable, what to do with any leftovers (the , for example.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTES Youll spot a list of alternative ingredient ideas with the majority of the recipes these are designed to make your everyday cooking really flexible and easy, no matter the season or availability of shops near you. Perhaps Ive fried off an interesting variety of wild mushroom, but you cant get your hands on the same ones in your local express store; just use regular white button mushrooms with the suggested splash of soy sauce to get a similar deep, earthy flavour instead. Or perhaps Ive roasted cauliflower to top a dahl, but cauliflowers are just not your thing. Chop a broccoli, some Brussels sprouts or even a cabbage instead. Use the recipe as a loose guide, get a feel for the method, standout textures and flavours, then make it your own. FEAST IDEAS Ive written the recipes in their simplest form, with time-short, tired mid-week cooking in mind.