cbrm - the kitchen pantry cookbook

To me, a pantry is where you keep the things that do not need to be refrigerated. So when I saw The New Kitchen Pantry by Erin Coopey I was thinking it would be full of stuff to put in jars and keep on the shelf. I was wrong, and I could not be happier.

Y'all know that I am a big fan of making things for myself, but there are some things I continue to buy. Sometimes it is being in a hurry and not wanting to take the time to make (and possibly remake) mayonnaise. Sometimes it is because I have not found a recipe that gives me the same flavor or texture of a particular product (I am looking at you Grey Poupon). Mostly, it is habit.

I gave up bottled salad dressings years ago, but still have trouble finding good recipes online. That is the trouble with recipes online, there are millions of them, but only a few of them are any good. But I had not thought about making my own steak sauce or Caesar dressing or Nutella. Now I am definitely going to be making those things because there is a good recipe right here at my finger tips.

The Kitchen Pantry Cookbook has recipes for every store bought thing that is currently in the door of your refrigerator. After actually testing a few of these recipes I trust that they are all good.

The book starts off with basic mayonnaise, aioli, and all the sauces that use those as a base. There are a lot more than you may realize. I have made mayonnaise by hand, with an immersion blender, a regular blender, and a food processor, and maybe I am a little slow (probably) but it was not until I read this book that I realized my food processor has a built in tool for making mayonnaise and when you use it you get fantastic results every time. Thank you Erin Coopey.

Then comes mustard, seven different mustards! I made the dijon and it was very, very good. Mustard is followed by ketchup and all manner of sauces. There are nut butters, fruit butters, and curds. A section on vinegar is followed by salad dressings and all of your favorites are here. I tried the Italian and was surprised to see fennel seed included. It makes sense, as that is one of the flavors you get in italian sausage, but I had never thought to add it to salad dressing. Amazing. There is a section on stock followed by pickles, relishes, chips, and all those delicious dips.

"With the onslaught of food allergies and sensitivities, autoimmune disorders, and obesity and the landslide of diseases that accompany it, I don't think any of us can take for granted what goes into our food."

Ms. Coopey is right, and she also points out that homemade just tastes better. So I am as happy as can be to have this book in my kitchen. It will be well used and well loved.

Prepared horseradish,

"Nutella",

pickled onions,

chips AND all the dips they need.

 

 

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Comments

[Toby]

This looks like a great book! So glad you mentioned it. Maybe it will give me that little push I need to start making my own condiments.