Foodie Friday: My Perfect Pantry

When I was growing up I lived in a house that was built in 1924. It had a big kitchen and a pantry, both of which were standard for life in 1924. It was great for our family life, too. We moved to this house in 1957 and my mother loved all the space in the pantry. She could keep her large collection of pans and cooking implements, as well as take advantage of sales. My mother was a cook and a baker and liked to  have supplies at hand to keep us fed.

In 2015 I live in a small New York apartment and I have a galley kitchen and three shelves in place of a pantry. I like to cook, too, but I don't have space for everything I would like. I was delighted to have the opportunity from Blogging for Books to review "My Perfect Pantry" and get advice about items I could easily keep on hand that would translate into great food.   

If you're a fan of food shows on television you're familiar with Geoffrey Zakarian. I was eager to translate some of the great food from his restaurants into my own meals and I was pleased to see that the ingredients he suggests as pantry essentials are neither expensive or esoteric. I keep tuna, cider vinegar and peanut butter all the time and I can add barley, lima beans and chicken stock. I do need to add some spices, but with some basics there are great recipes. From my regular stock of canned tomatoes I'm planning to make braised green beans with tomatoes. I'm also going to buy dried lima beans and try the lima bean hash. I think it will be a perfect meal for these cold, cold winter days.  These are not especially simple recipes, but I can definitely see making most of them. There are great baking ideas, too, including a fabulous one for chocolate muffins.

I was delighted to have this opportunity to get my kitchen and "pantry" in order and stock up on foods that  will actually translate into delicious meals. Thanks, Geoffrey Zakarian and Blogging for Books for this great opportunity.

Today was an errand day and warm enough for a walk outside. The temperatures are dropping quickly -- my phone reports that it feels like it's ten degrees outside -- and I can hear the wind. I may just keep warm and cozy indoors tomorrow and drink lots of herbal tea.

As always, thanks for visiting and take good care. Keep cozy!

Please note: I received a copy of "My Perfect Pantry" for review purposes. The opinions are all mine.