A review of the cookbook Urban Pantry.
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I have 155 cookbooks. No, I’m not some crazy fanatic who counts her cookbooks. I’m a crazy fanatic who keeps all of her cookbooks in her virtual library on Goodreads. I have seriously cut back on my cookbook buying, so when I do get a new cookbook, I expect a lot from it. Amy Pennington’s Urban Pantry: Tips and Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable and Seasonal Kitchenwas everything I hoped it would be and more.
Normally, I wait until I’ve made several recipes out of a book before I review it, but this was just so lovely, I had to share it now. First of all the pictures of her pantry with all the food in jars totally won me over immediately. Put some polenta, or beans, or grains in jars and line them up in your pantry, and I am in love. Then take those simple, lovely ingredients and turn them into simple, lovely meals, I am yours forever.
She divides the book into chapters titled: Breakfast, Appetizers, Soups, Salads & Side Dishes, Main Courses, Garnishes Vinaigrettes & Sauces, Pantry Staples, Pickles & Preserves, and Desserts. Picking just one recipe from each chapter:
- Hippie Hotcakes
- Onion-Thyme Tart
- Herbal Minestrone
- White Bean & Preserved Lemon Salad
- Over Easy Tomatoes with Polenta
- Steeping Fruit
- Homemade Bread Crumbs
- Boozy Blood Orange Marmalade
- Vanilla Quinoa Pudding
And there is lots more! Really, I’ve marked practically the whole book to make. The vanilla quinoa pudding is next on my list. I was trying to decide last night, what I could quickly make, so that I would have at least tried one of the recipes. I settled on Quick Pickled Chiles, because I love all pickles and because I had just picked some peppers from my garden. These were quick, simple, and a nice spicy garnish for a simple fish dish.
Quick Pickled Chiles
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 fresh red pepper (paprika or serrano), stemmed, seeded, cut lengthwise into thin strips
1 thin-skinned fresh green pepper (jalapeno or Hungarian wax), stemmed, seeded, cut lengthwise into thin slices
In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and the vinegar, until the sugar dissolves. Add the peppers to the bowl and macerate for 30 minutes or longer. The longer they soak, the less spice they will retain.
Pantry Note: They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three weeks as long as the peppers stay submerged.
Makes 4 servings, as a garnish.
Debinhawaii says
I have all my beans and such in jars and love to look at them. 😉 I was wondering how this book was--although if you are a hoarder, I must be a super-hoarder with the amount I have!
😉
Lori Lynn says
I love pickles too. Sounds perfect.
Oy, now I want to go count my cookbooks...
LL
urban muser says
this book looks great, i will have to check it out!
Kaytee says
I'm due for a new cookbook, thanks for the review. I might just have to get this one.
Tins and Treasures says
Good Morning,
I absolutely love cookbooks too...especially ones with pictures! I will have to check this one out.
Have a super Sunday. ~Natalie
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
Definitely sounds like a book that should be on my bookshelf! (And really, 155 cookbooks isn't that many. I could tell you I have more than 400...)
Michelle says
This looks like a lovely choice. Do you subscribe to the magazine EATING WELL? They are rolling out a new cookbook, and I was curious about your thoughts.
All Our Fingers in the Pie says
I made your tarragon wine vinegar and featured it on my blog with a link to you! You have some fans!
girlichef says
Oh, sounds like one I'd love!! Thanks for the recommendation. And permission 😉
Tatersmama says
I'm a HUGE fan of food in jars! Here in Oz, we tend to get a lot of bugs for some reason, so I beg my friends for their empty jars. When they're all lined up in the cupboard, I keep going back to have a peek at them - because it simply makes me smile! 🙂
amy pennington says
Awesome! Thanks so much for the nice words & comments. So happy you're enjoying the book thus far. You've pulled some of my absolute favorites - van quinoa pudding, hippie hotcakes, etc. Definitely try the spiced pecans, too. SO good. For those of you w/o a copy, I have that recipe on my blog, amongst others. Thanks Sidewalk Shoes!
Kim says
Pam - Thank you for posting the number of cookbooks you own. I needed to hear that this morning!
Urban Pantry sounds like one I'd love to check out!
juste venteux says
I just picked some Hungarian's from garden and was wondering what I was going to do with them. Now I know!! That book looks amazing. I'm going to have to check it out. I'm a little obsessed with cookbooks myself. Have a great weekend!
Joanne says
I'm a fan of food in jars as well! I don't have any but I love the look of it. Maybe I need to pay a trip to the container store!
Mary says
The book sounds like a worthy addition to my cookbook library. Have a wonderful weekend. Blessings...Mary
Lea Ann says
ok I'm not going to call you a hoarder since I have about that many too. I'm going to have to check out goodreads. I use Shelfari to keep track of the books I've read.