Whether you’re a novice or experienced home cook, The Homemade Kitchen from Alana Chernila is filled with practical advice and seasonal recipes that elevate home cooking from a chore to a joy.
Take her version of Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce Recipe, which is so easy you could make it with your eyes shut. Other versions I’ve tried have been bland and boring; Alana’s version, which is run through the Vitamix, is sweet and savory at the same time. Not to mention cheap – take a $2.00 can of tomatoes, add an onion and a stick of butter, and you’ve got dinner on the table in practically the time it takes to simmer your pasta.
The best lessons for me, however, are Alana’s reminders that every scrap of food in the kitchen is valuable. After using this book for the past month, I’ve turned my freezer into a second pantry: jalapeño peppers that were about to expire were chopped and frozen for next month’s Chicken Tortilla Soup, and sweet potatoes that I never got around to spiralizing were peeled and cut into French fries to be roasted the next time we host a steak night for friends.
I’ve got so many recipes bookmarked and can’t wait to begin. The Homemade Kitchen is truly a book to be shared and savored.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links meaning I may receive compensation if you use those links. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging with Books for review; all opinions are my own.
Looks like another cookbook I have to have…