This is the magnum opus of the director of the Institute of Domestic Technology and contains a solid array of recipes and tutorials for many nearly lost kitchen arts. Covering pantry staples, coffee technology, pickling & preserving, processing grains, dairy, meats & fish, spirits, fermentation, and dehydration - it's an encyclopedic reference book and will go beside The Joy of Cooking and my Ball Blue Book. During this pandemic, when I've been stressed and longing for some continuity and normalcy, cooking and being productive in the kitchen has been a real stress reliever and source of comfort. The idea of "slow food" and of taking control of the processing of our own ingredients makes more sense than ever (and prevents the necessity of "just running out to the grocery store to buy pre-processed items).
The chapters contain techniques for making basic staples (including selecting beans and DIY coffee roasting and grinding - wizardry!). The following recipes highlight and showcase the finished ingredients. Each of the recipes includes an introductory description, ingredients listed in a bullet point sidebar (US measurements given, with metric in parentheses), and step by step instructions. There is no nutritional info provided. The recipes are photographed very well and clearly. Serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate.
The author has also included a resource list and an abbreviated bibliography and reference lists for further reading. The index is cross referenced and includes ingredients and recipes.
I adored the no-waste aesthetic of the book and the gentle, accessible, humorous voice of the author really makes me wish I'd been able to take a class or three with his guidance.
Five stars. Superlative reference book.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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