Erin Coopey - The Kitchen Pantry Cookbook: Make Your Own Condiments and Essentials

For my dad, who always loved my cooking.

For my mom, who showed me that you are never too old to follow your dreams.

And for my husband, who made it possible for me to do the things I love.

Thank you. I love you all.

2013 by Quarry Books

Text 2013 Erin Coopey

Photography 2013 Quarry Books

First published in the United States of America in 2013 by

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Quayside Publishing Group

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Digital edition published in 2013

Digital Edition: 978-1-61058-776-1
Softcover Edition: 978-1-59253-843-0

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available

Design: John Foster at badpeoplegoodthings.com

Photography: Rina Jordan, with the exception of , Erin Coopey

Food styling: Malina Lopez

MAKE YOUR OWN CONDIMENTS AND ESSENTIALS

byErin Coopey

Do you ever think about that jar of mayonnaise in your refrigerator? You know the one. Its been on a shelf for a month or so. Most people would think nothing of pulling it out to make a sandwich over the course of several weeks or even months, right? Hold on a minute, isnt mayonnaise made from egg yolks? Would you eat eggs that had spent a couple of months in your refrigerator? Probably not. So why is the mayonnaise okay? Let me put it another way: if I make something from scratch and its only safe to eat for three to five days, why is it okay to eat a commercially made version of the same food after months on the shelf or in the refrigerator? The short answer is: its not.

I think we take so much of the food we eat for granted. Now, I am not suggesting that all commercially made foods are evil, but lets face it, food production is a business. What is the goal of most businesses? To make money. How do you make money? By cutting costsusing GMO (genetically modified organism) food that grows faster but offers fewer nutrients, substituting cheaper ingredients such as corn syrup instead of natural cane sugar, and stretching foods with fillers made from starches and grain.

About ten years ago, I discovered that I was gluten sensitive. As a matter of fact, Im sensitive to all grains. (I know. I won the lottery on that one, especially because Im a chef.) That discovery forced me to take a hard look at the food I was eating, read labels, and even call companies for accurate information about vague terms like modified food starch. I was really surprised at what I discovered. Most commercially produced foods are filled with an assortment of food starches, not to mention fillers, dyes, preservatives, gums and stabilizers, sodium, and sugars. I found I couldnt eat many of the products that I had in the past.

It probably wouldnt occur to most people to make the common items in the refrigerator or pantry. Why bother making ketchup or mustard from scratch? Well, first, you know whats actually in them. Second, the homemade versions taste better. Really! Try a sumptuous spoonful of creamy, eggy homemade mayonnaise and youll balk at the artificial sweetness and salty, bland flavor of the commercial stuff.

With the onslaught of food allergies and sensitivities, autoimmune disorders, and obesity and the landslide of diseases that accompany it, I dont think any of us can take for granted what goes into our food. You may have heard the term clean food being used by national health experts such as Dr. Oz. Clean foods, according to Gerald Celente, director of the Trends Research Institute, are foods free of artificial preservatives, coloring, irradiation, synthetic pesticides, fungicides, ripening agents, fumigants, drug residues and growth hormones.

With peoples increased interest in how our food is produced and what goes into it, I think this book is timelier than ever. For me, its not about giving up the things you love. Its about gaining the knowledge to make delicious food yourself, experimenting, and having fun. I get a kick out of making something from scratch that most people wouldnt have thought of trying. Im thrilled to find how easy it is to do and how amazing the results are, and I love the surprised and excited reaction I get from friends and family. I know youll love it, too.

So, whether you know someone with dietary restrictions or you simply want to control the quality of the food that you eat, The Kitchen Pantry Cookbook will show you how easy it is to make delicious, quality food in your own kitchen.

Chef Erin

Marilyn Kaytor, American food writer

Its easy to take condiments for granted. Other than perhaps selecting a favorite brand, you may not think much about them. However, condiments play a role in our daily lives. Lets imagine a hamburger without ketchup, a hotdog without mustard, a rack of ribs without some delicious barbecue sauce. Boring, right?

Now that you are thinking about condiments, why not try making them from scratch? You might never have thought of making them yourself because were so used to grabbing a jar or bottle from the grocery store shelves. A friend once asked, Can you actually make mustard at home? Well, the answer is yes! You can make mustard, mayonnaise, tartar sauce, ketchup, and more. And youre about to find out how. Most are surprisingly simple and downright, deliciously fun!

Watching eggs and oil swirl together into mayonnaise seems almost like a magic trick, and its ready in flash!

Yield: 1 cup (225 g)

Ingredients

2 raw egg yolks, from the freshest eggs you can find, at room temperature (see )

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder or Dijon mustard (see )

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon (15 ml) white wine vinegar or cider vinegar (see Note)

1 cup (235 ml) oil

Pinch of sugar (optional)

Directions

Place the egg yolks in a blender or mini food processor. (Because this recipe only makes 1 cup [225 g], a full-size food processor may be too big to aerate the eggs properly. I find the bowl size of my mini prep to be perfect.) You can also whisk the mixture by hand. Process or whisk the egg yolks until they are light yellow and frothy. Add the salt, mustard powder, lemon juice, and vinegar and process/whisk until blended.