Quick Facts
• Who wrote it: Alana Chernila
• Who published it: Clarkson Potter
• Number of recipes: 101
• Recipes for right now: Yogurt, Maple Popcorn, Sauerkraut, Potato Leek Soup, Pudding, Chicken Nuggets, Veggie Burgers, Lasagne, Breadsticks, Chai, Peanut Butter Cups, Fig Bars
• Other highlights: There are a few things that I love about this book and why it has earned a spot on my very crowded shelf. First, this book has all the basic recipes you might conceivably need in one place, from homemade butter to homemade peanut butter cups. It feels comprehensive. It feels empowering. It feels like I can clear out a few other DIY books and just use this one instead. I love how Alana just gives us the straight-up recipe, no twists or special spins, just the simplest, most easy-to-follow form of the recipe — though, yes, with plenty of exciting variations and tips for getting through tricky spots.
Second, this book is as pleasurable to read as it is to cook from. Her witty recipe titles crack me up, like "Tortillas, or The Only Problem with New England" and "Jerky, or Just You and the Highway." Her recipe headnotes are more truly blog-style mini-stories. They hit just the right note to me, being both entertaining and informative. Reading about her own life, her relationship with her husband, and parenting two young girls, I start to put the recipes into context. I can see how one might conceivably integrate all these homemade projects into daily life.
• Who would enjoy this book? DIY-ers, folks wanting to replace store-bought foods with homemade, new cooks looking for basic recipes
Find the book at your local library, independent bookstore, or Amazon: The Homemade Pantry:101 Foods You Can Stop Buying & Start Making by Alana Chernila
• Visit the author's website: Alana Chernila
Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf.
(Images: Emma Christensen)
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This is a great cookbook and, even better, it comes in iBook format. I just tried the ricotta last week!
How does this book compare to Make the Bread, Buy the Butter? I already have that and don't want to buy another book that is just a repeat, but if it adds something new then it may be worth checking out.
I believe this book came out last year.
I love good book reviews! I've been wanting to make my own "stuff" and this sounds like a great resource. Thanks for sharing!
I was actually kinda disappointed by this book. Being a huge DIY food person I already own "D.I.Y. Delicious" (http://www.amazon.com/D-I-Y-Delicious-Recipes-Simple-Scratch/dp/0811873463) which I found to be a much more reliable resource and quite frankly a prettier book.
@abdouglass - I love both books, but I find that Homemade Pantry is a little more user-friendly in its organization and overall approach. I'm also a very visual person, so I appreciated the photos in this one. (I don't have DIY Delicious, though, so can't compare it to that one!)
I love this book. She's a great cook, and also a great writer - the stories that open each recipe are terrific. The recipes are readable! And she does DIY in a realistic, guilt-free way.
I have both books and I appreciate both for different reasons. Like Emma said, Homemade Pantry is organized in a very helpful way and makes you actually want to COOK. I've had it for a couple weeks now and have already made three or four recipes. The writing is also very compelling. I kept it on my nightstand just to read and enjoyed every moment.
MTB,BTB is also well-written and has a different slant (more focused on the economy of DIY cooking) but is full of recipes that I would never try and accounts of things I would never do (keep goats in the backyard, make my own cured meat). Those are just my personal interests though, so I think it depends on what you're interested in. If it's animal husbandry and really inconvenient three week long kitchen experiments go with MTB,BTB. For me, HP was more practical and equally fun to read.
I'd never heard of DIY Delicious, so I'm excited to check that out. But the one I'm most excited about is the new (I think?) America's Test Kitchen DIY Cookbook.