Member Reviews
You know that person whose pantry and fridge are filled with unique ingredients she just HAD TO HAVE but had no idea how to use? It's me. Hi. I'm the problem it's me. Well, this cookbook is the solution. I loved learning how to use different ingredients in dishes , and I'm excited to broaden my horizons even further. I will definitely be recommending this to my friends!
I loved this cookbook - it is well written, the photos are wonderful and the recipies are highly accessble, interesting and above all tasty! May pairings that I would never have thought of, which taste divine, and my guests have agreed! My pantry is full of MDH packets, gochujang, and marmite, and my fridge overfloweth with kimchi, sesame oil and andouille sausage, so reading and cooking from this book was a delight! Our favorite so far has been the honey glazed gochijang spiced backed chicken wings and thebrilliant bowl of ramen - my sons favorite has been the sesame kettle wokcorn! This book will be a staple of our shelf!
This is a great cookbook companion with so many wonderful ingredients to add to your everyday meals to boost them!
I love how this book celebrated the diversity of the global pantry- ingredients from all parts of the world, and how we could use things that might seem unfamiliar or unusual in so many ways. The recipes are so varied, there are so many that I'm excited to try. I think the authors did a wonderful job starting the book explaining a little bit about different pantry ingredients, from belacan/shrimp paste, to tajin, to ras el hanout. I also like how the recipes give you hands-on time as well, not just overall time. It helps us to get a sense of how much effort something actually takes!
The only thing that bothers me slightly is the units of measurement- how there are so many variations from pints, cups, etc. I wish they just make it simpler with metric units and tablespoons/teaspoons!
Synopsis: (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review)
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Unlock the secrets of the global pantry and level up classic dishes using ingredients every home cook should have on hand.
This definitive cookbook from two James Beard Cookbook Award-winning authors teaches readers how to combine dozens of super-powered pantry items from around the globe—from aji amarillo to gochujang, Banyuls vinegar to za'atar—with proven test-kitchen techniques to build maximum flavour with minimal effort. The product of this alchemical marriage is kitchen gold—promising the savoriest chicken (thanks to Coca-Cola, shichimi togarashi, Worcestershire, smoked paprika), the beefiest short ribs (secret ingredients: kecap manis, fish sauce, sriracha, Korean toasted sesame oil), the richest French onion soup (featuring miso, marsala wine, and—wait for it—marmite), the zippiest shrimp and grits (coconut milk, fish sauce, lemongrass, sambal oelek, and soy sauce), the umamiest burger (spiked with chorizo), the tastiest chicken salad sandwich (with black walnuts, preserved lemon, Ras El Hanout), the creamiest banana pudding (enriched with coconut milk). Plus, brilliant pantry-glorious takes on mac ’n’ cheese, ramen, a classic wedge salad, pork satay, cold sesame noodles, green chilli, crispy potatoes, shakshuka, lemon cake, fudgy brownies, no-churn ice cream … in all, more than 115 game-changing recipes that will level up anyone’s cooking, whether they’re a newbie or an accomplished culinarian.
I am always buying ingredients for recipes and then having zero ideas of how to use them up...Molly Yeh has taught me the love of all things tahini and black sesame and I even took her advice on putting miso in chocolate chip cookies ... brilliant! Yummy!!!! (And since I had to buy 2 kg of black sesame seeds, trust me when I say we are a "back in black" household at the moment!)
This book is amazing as it will show you how to use up all your ingredients before they go bad or you throw them out. Gochujang is all over the place on Guy's Grocery Games (Brian Malarkey loves it!) and I got a lot of ideas from there, but there are so many amazing other ingredients that gather dust that you can use in your kitchen.
Highly recommended and I will suggest it to my foodie readers far and wide.