Something from Nothing by Alison Roman

I read Something from Nothing twice. I recently got the hard copy from my library and as I was reading it, I kept remarking, “I’ve read this before yet I know I didn’t check this book out. It’s too new.” It finally dawned on me that I had previously borrowed the ebook. I remember loving her prose (and the sound of her recipes). Alas, though, I did not have access to my Kindle notes. So what follows is a hodgepodge of what I remember along with a couple of recipes I made as I flipped through the hard copy.

About the Book:

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, THE ECONOMIST, LIT HUB • A BON APPÉTIT BEST COOKBOOK OF THE YEAR

In Something from Nothing, bestselling author Alison Roman gives you a collection of simple, smart, timeless recipes that rely on a home cook’s best kept secret: a well-stocked pantry. Making the most of your shelf-stable bottles, bags, jars and cans, Alison shows you how to cook as she does–loosely, intuitively, and with maximum flavor. With each recipe you’ll fall deeper in love with the magic of pantry cooking by using flavorful, hardworking ingredients, leaving you to ask, “How did something so wonderful come from basically nothing?”. In this book, you’ll find warm, opinionated writing coupled with classic recipes, both with signature Alison flair, such as:

• Snacks and Things to Start with: Herbed Artichoke Dip; Spanish Tortilla & Friends; and Labne with Caramelized Harissa
• Soups & Stews:  Ginger & Greens Noodle Soup plus some other delicious chicken soups
• Vegetables & How to Make Them Taste Even Better: Forever-Roasted Squash with Browned Butter Dates; Wine-Braised Romano Beans with Anchovy; and Spiced, Butter-Roasted Carrots with Walnuts
• Pasta & Noodles: Saucy Roasted Eggplant Pasta; Bolognese with Fennel; and Carbonara for Two
• Beans & Grains: Crispy Baked Beans with Mushrooms & Parmesan; Buttered Polenta with Fresh Corn; Caramelized Beans with Tomato & Cabbage
• Meats & Fishes: Crispy Fish with Dill & Fried Capers, etc.

Whether you’re feeding yourself on a busy weeknight or hosting a last-minute dinner party, this book has just what you need. For easy, straightforward recipes that still impress, Something from Nothing has you covered, showing you how to turn every bag of beans, tin of anchovies and jar of olives into a meal worth celebrating. (Edited from Penguin Random House)

About the author:

Allison Roman is a New York-based cook, writer, and author of the New York Times bestselling cookbooks Nothing Fancy, Dining In, and Sweet Enough. She writes the newsletter titled A Newsletter, hosts the cooking show “Home Movies” on YouTube, and runs First Bloom, a corner store in Bloomville, New York.

Her website is pretty darn amazing, too.

What I thought…

Like I mentioned above, I enjoyed this book…twice. I just wish I could find my highlighted notes! As mentioned in the publisher’s blurb, this book’s premise is all about whipping up a more than respectable dinner with what you have on hand. That being said, Roman’s pantry is very well stocked with some expensive tins like caviar for her potato chips (24) and LOTS of good anchovies. This girl is an anchovy feast fiend. She does rationalize her caviar inclusion in the pantry items as “absurd” but because since everything else in the book is practical and moderately priced, she felt “empowered to sneak in a little caviar” (24).

“Snacks & Things” includes some pretty impressive appetizers that, honestly, if you followed instructions on stocking your pantry, you could whip right up (if you had anchovies). Guests at your door? Skewer some anchovies with olives and pickles, peppers and/or cucumbers (16). Toss some jarred artichoke hearts with parm, anchovies, and some fresh parsley (19). Make Lupini Beans with Garlic & Parsley (from jarred lupinis) (23). And, yes, top some Ruffles with creme fraiche and caviar!

She also maintains that butter is a great snack, too, especially on radishes, so she includes snail butter, Calabrian chile butter, and (surprise) anchovy butter.

“Soups & Stews” are great recipes to clean out your pantry. Hers seem a bit more elevated than my “pantry and freezer” cleanout concoctions. She starts with a good chicken broth recipe and follows with a beautiful and clear Chicken Noodle Soup with Lots of Lemon (52). Chicken Soup for Summer Colds “has all the restorative properties of chicken soup but is tangier, spicier, herbier” (57). For another healing soup, she includes Matzo Ball Soup (77). Most all of these soups are light and could be served during any season. Others that sound delicious are Kimchi-Tomato Soup with Rice & a Soft Egg (60) and Golden Mushroom Soup with Orzo & a Pat of Butter (88) just to name a few.

The Vegetable section includes salads along with sides. Surprise again with the Wine-Braised Romano Beans with Anchovy (96) along with a great Caesar Salad (more anchovies) are here. I was most taken with Browned Butter Potato Salad (140). She includes a few thoughts on vinegars and how to make perfect jammy eggs.

What speaks pantry more than “Beans & Grains”? Her recipes use both dried and canned. Spiced Chickpeas & Greens (165) is a recipe I marked. This dish is served on labneh with lots of fresh herbs and I would almost call it a salad. But, I actually made Toasted Rice Pilaf with Crushed Walnuts & Dates (191). Totally worth the price of this book. More about that later.

“Pasta and Noodles” uses mostly dried pasta (remember, it’s a pantry thing). The recipes are simple but totally guest worthy. Lemon Pepper pasta with Browned Butter (199) and Caramelized Shallot Pasta (213) look restaurant worthy. Roman includes a recipe in this section for Shallot Paste which is just slow cooked shallots, some garlic cloves and olive oil. Cook until deeply caramelized and then throw in a (wait for it) tin of anchovies and one can of tomato paste. She says:

I think this recipe became so popular because people either really love anchovies or they really love using the whole can of tomato paste. (214)

I may try this. Sounds like a great topping for a goat cheese appetizer.

I found another recipe keeper in “Meats and Fishes”: Crushed-Olive Chicken with Turmeric (266). More about that one in a bit. There are a lot of good braises and sheet pan recipes in this section for chicken, lamb, short ribs, pork, brisket, and fish.

There are not any desserts in this book but that is OK. All of her practical and delicious recipes make up for that. Remember, that if you are an anchovy lover, you must have this book. Roman is your kindred spirit. She may have swayed me to try more anchovies.

Here is my somewhat sloppily plated meal of her Toasted Rice Pilaf with Walnuts & Dates along with the Crushed-Olive Chicken with Turmeric. She recommends these be served together. The chicken was a simple sheet pan recipe, just chicken pieces sprinkled with turmeric and then braised in the oven with some vinegar. Then an olive, lemon, garlic, parsley salad is placed on top when plated. I cannot tell you how much I love that rice dish. I honestly think it would be good on its own for dinner. I believe I remember Roman suggesting a dollop of Greek yogurt on top. I’m trying that next. These two recipes are staying in my repertoire.

This is a good one and I will be looking for it on bargain racks. 🙂

I’m linking up with Foodies Read.