The Don't Panic Pantry Cookbook

November 21, 2022
Chef and YouTuber Galuten shows home cooks how to transform pantry staples into familiar favorites in his winning debut. Many of the recipes—broccoli-sausage pasta, turkey meatballs, and chicken parm among them—are influenced by the Italian American fare Galuten’s mother’s cooked and his father’s preference for vegetarian dishes. Indeed, vegetable odds and ends are put to use in such offerings as a veggie-loaded chopped salad dressed with a lemon vinaigrette, and a goat cheese and veggie scrap frittata with broccoli stems. Some pantry items prove to be surprisingly versatile: sauerkraut appears in a breakfast omelet as well as a smoked cheddar broccoli bread. There’s no shortage of healthy salad options, among them a ginger-cilantro chicken salad that incorporates romaine lettuce, shredded cabbage, and pulled leftover chicken. Other recipes focus on basics, such as a tomato sauce that comes together “in the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta.” On the snack end, there are rosemary-tamari almonds and olive oil kale chips. Galuten’s instructions are straightforward, and he stresses that when it comes to cooking, “trying matters.” For home cooks hungry for nourishing meals but facing a depleted refrigerator, this is a solid resource. Agent: Alison Fargis, Stonesong.

December 1, 2022
Chef and YouTube star Galuten (On Vegetables, 2017) wants to remind readers that home cooking can be fun and comforting with these pantry item recipes that will make meals sing. In addition to recipes for items he recommends always having on hand, such as chicken stock, vegan dashi, and ghee, Galuten also offers recipes like Shantam's kitchari and barely beef chili that rely on other pantry staples. Some recipes cover multiple pages and include long blocks of text. Some of the suggested equipment and ingredients may be inaccessible or unnecessary for the average home cook, but most of Galuten's recommendations can be adjusted easily enough to fit readers' needs, especially readers who are energized and inspired by the idea of creating their own pantries.

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December 16, 2022

As a pandemic project, chef Galuten and Iliza Shlesinger, his comedian wife, began a streaming cooking show designed to entertain and comfort, but also to help those people who panic-bought beans, lentils, and brown rice but really didn't know what to do with them. "Don't panic, go to your well-stocked pantry, and cook something wonderful" is the outcome they wish for all and the message they underscore. The opening chapter, in fact, shows how to set up and maintain a pantry that will empower home cooks to handle anything. Following chapters cover all the typical courses readers expect, except for desserts. Some, like the sauerkraut omelet, may need the upbeat introduction the authors provide for readers to be willing to try it. Others, such as the chicken Milanesa and the turkey meatballs, could come from any modern cookbook. The major focus, though, is on vegetables and grains and making them the stars of the meal. VERDICT The friendly, inspirational style makes this accessible to nearly all. For most cookbook collections.--Danise Hoover

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