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kelli_jean_'s review
3.0
TL:DR: I want to eat every recipe, but I don't think the book lived up to what the title promised.
There are a lot of delicious-sounding recipes in this book that I will definitely be trying but I take a little bit of issue with the "pantry" premise. If you are looking for a book on easy-to-reach pantry staples used in new ways, this is not it.
The seemed philosophy behind the book and title and the actual philosophy driving the contents are incongruent. Pantry-based cooking should be a means of shelf-stable and affordable food for all, but the type of ingredients are a bit specialized for the typical pantry. On one hand, in today's age great quality spices, specialties and even seafood are available to order on the internet; on the other pantry meals should be a way to fight food insecurity and these recipes do not meet that need. No cookbook that wants you to make your own broth is really a pantry cookbook. In fact I would say this cookbook utilizes more freezer than pantry.
If you are trying to recover from diet culture or repair your relationship with food, beware that there is "this is healthy, this is not" current running through the book. It is gentle, but there is a definite lens. I do appreciate the research and transparency that is mentioned throughout. It is backed up with logic and a clear tread of the author's upbringing.
Though there are substitutions, notes, and suggestions this is not as it claims a "mostly vegetarian" cookbook. This is a great book if you are trying out a "flexitarian" lifestyle and looking to reduce your meat consumption but may not meet your needs if you are already fully vegetarian.
There are a lot of delicious-sounding recipes in this book that I will definitely be trying but I take a little bit of issue with the "pantry" premise. If you are looking for a book on easy-to-reach pantry staples used in new ways, this is not it.
The seemed philosophy behind the book and title and the actual philosophy driving the contents are incongruent. Pantry-based cooking should be a means of shelf-stable and affordable food for all, but the type of ingredients are a bit specialized for the typical pantry. On one hand, in today's age great quality spices, specialties and even seafood are available to order on the internet; on the other pantry meals should be a way to fight food insecurity and these recipes do not meet that need. No cookbook that wants you to make your own broth is really a pantry cookbook. In fact I would say this cookbook utilizes more freezer than pantry.
If you are trying to recover from diet culture or repair your relationship with food, beware that there is "this is healthy, this is not" current running through the book. It is gentle, but there is a definite lens. I do appreciate the research and transparency that is mentioned throughout. It is backed up with logic and a clear tread of the author's upbringing.
Though there are substitutions, notes, and suggestions this is not as it claims a "mostly vegetarian" cookbook. This is a great book if you are trying out a "flexitarian" lifestyle and looking to reduce your meat consumption but may not meet your needs if you are already fully vegetarian.
lsparrow's review
2.0
some classic easy food, although overall nothing really inspired and the flavor pallet seemed fairly uniform to me which is one thing I hate especially in vegetarian cooking. It feels so lazy when there are so many different veg flavors and textures to work with.
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