Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Just Jennifer

The Homemade Kitchen by Alana Chernila

In her follow up cookbook, the author of The Homemade Pantry brings food, eating and cooking down to their basics.  She approaches much of this book through her eleven-year-old daughter Sadie who is beginning to not only discover the pleasures of cooking for the final product, but also the sense of comfort and even emotional well-being that can be found through the process of cooking, allowing your mind to wander or to focus on the task at hand.  After a short essay, Alana begins the first chapter with a “How to Cook” primmer from eggs to vegetables to pickles, turning fruit into jam, cooking grains, roasting a chicken, pie crusts and pasta.  She next reminds us that even if we are eating alone we are worth the effort and follows up with easy recipes that work as a light lunch or snack for one but could easily be a starter or side for a family supper.  Alana sings the praises of garlic, even describing how to grow it in a conversational manner, and focuses on fresh ingredients and recipes that relate back to our mental and physical well-being.  Alana discusses between organic and Certified Naturally Grown and demystifies the labels on chickens and eggs.  Several pages on food waste offer tips to storing food to avoid loss and gives helpful tips for what to do with peels and scraps before turning them to compost.  While the recipes are interesting and variations offer ways to change up recipes like stuffed winter squash or quiche, it is the chatty, friendly side-bars sharing Alana’s good humor and dedication to good food that make this a very useful and user friendly cookbook.  

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.


No comments: