The Perfect Pantry

Cumin (Recipe: mushroom bhaji/mushrooms in tomato-onion sauce)

Lydia — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:05:00 -0500

Never let it be said that The Perfect Pantry avoids the big issues. After all, we've taken a stand on Miracle Whip versus mayonnaise, chocolate versus vanilla, chili with beans versus chili without beans, and Fresca versus... well, versus everything. Today we're tackling another of life's big questions: how to...

Tonka beans, a Pantry Special (Recipe: spice snap cookies)

Lydia — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:09:00 -0500

Pantry Specials are great ingredients that find their way into my pantry from time to time, but not all the time. In this occasional series of short posts, you'll find information and recipes for foods that might not be on your local supermarket's shelves, but are available online. Did you...

How my father learned to cook (Recipe: traditional spaghetti gravy)

Lydia — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:07:00 -0500

Guest post and photos by Sarah in Boston. When my mother passed away, two days before their anniversary, she and my dad had been married almost 15 years. While I doubt he ever got over the shock, my dad stepped into the role of single parent and, all things considered,...

Other People's Pantries #94

Lydia — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:04:00 -0500

From Kirsten (From Kirsten's Kitchen to Yours), in Ojai, California: I moved into a very small apartment, 400 square feet, and with only two cupboards (above the stove no less!) I turned to freestanding items for my pantry. I use mason jars to hold food so that I can see...

Harissa (Recipe: Moroccan carrot salad)

Lydia — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:05:00 -0500

An updated post from 2006, with a new recipe, photos and links. The chile peppers on the can gave it away.Before I even knew what harissa was, I knew it was hot. Head-sweating, hair-tingling, tongue-numbing, nose-dripping hot. And I love hot. Harissa, one of the fundamental condiments of Tunisian and...