What To Cook When You Think There's Nothing in the House To Eat: More Than 175 Easy Recipes And Meal Ideas [Paperback]

Arthur Schwartz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000

If you like to eat well but don't relish the thought of going to the supermarket on a rainy Sunday afternoon or are too tired to shop after work, this is the cookbook for you. What to Cook When You Think There's Nothing in the House to Eat puts your pantry to work, showing you how pasta, beans, canned tuna, eggs, and cheese can form the basis of nutritious, tasty, and easy meals. There are tips on selecting, purchasing, and storing ingredients, along with recipes that feature each ingredient. A box of spaghetti, for example, "lasts longer than most marriages." Add olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of hot pepper, and you've got a meal -- Spaghetti Aglio Olio -- that anyone would applaud. This is not fancy food. It's everyday fare for those with even the most basic cooking skills.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Schwartz's forthright yet somewhat misleading title doesn't do justice to the New York Daily News columnist's contribution to home cooking at its simple best. "Meant for those who have only elementary cooking skills, as well as ingredients, but still think something cooked from scratch at home--no matter how basic--is more rewarding to eat than something picked up from the frozen food case or a takeout shop," the book is organized around easily acquired ingredients, with the shelf lives of most thoroughly, if light-headedly, discussed. ("If matzoh doesn't exactly last forever," quips Schwartz, "at least it lasts from one Passover to the next, which is about how often I buy it.") Included are concoctions like spaghetti with black olives and orange peel, and basic white risotto, as well as pure comfort fare (classic crisp peanut butter cookies) and ethnic feel-good foods from matzoh brei to quesadillas. Even sophisticated cooks will uncover good ideas and information here and be able, as the author suggests, to satisfy a "midnight appetite, an unexpected guest, or any other last-minute or 'emergency'sic situation." Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Like Marlena Spieler's From Pantry to Table ( LJ 9/15/91), this book by a New York food writer and columnist shows how the pantry can be a boon to the resourceful cook. Spieler, however, starts by stocking the pantry with ingredients from the essential to the exotic; Schwartz's simplified approach is more of a "make-do" one--how to put together a satisfying meal with minimum time and energy. Ingredients that are likely to be on hand are organized alphabetically, from Anchovies to Pasta to Yogurt, and storage information and simple, "comfort food"-type recipes are provided for each; subject indexes provide additional sources of inspiration. An appealing book that should be popular; recommended for most collections.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; Reissue edition (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060955597
• ISBN-13: 978-0060955595
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #765,065 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a "must have." Buy it and love it immediately!, January 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: What To Cook When You Think There's Nothing in the House To Eat: More Than 175 Easy Recipes And Meal Ideas (Paperback)

This truly fabulous, inspiring, book belongs in every kitchen. It should be given to college grads, newlyweds, the newly single, etc. and packaged with every refrigerator and stove sold in America. I personally have given many as gifts, and people are delighted to receive it. They love it even more when they start cooking out of it. Arthur takes humble, lonely ingredients which stare forlornly at you from your shelves, and transforms them EASILY into beautiful, comforting food. Creates instant celebrations in your kitchen. A real primer on the cooking basics, too. When a book takes you from,"there's nothing to eat," to a satisfying, cozy meal, that's pretty wonderful, don't you think?

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm eating at home again!, July 24, 2001

By 

thirteenbodies - See all my reviews

This review is from: What To Cook When You Think There's Nothing in the House To Eat: More Than 175 Easy Recipes And Meal Ideas (Paperback)

I bought this book 6 months ago and have used it nearly every day since. Not only is it well-written and neatly organized by ingredient, but it also has a list of how long you can expect various foods to last, concentrating on the ingredients that last the longest (great help in making up the shopping list!). Now I have an idea of how long I have until that bag of carrots or block of cream cheese meets its maker. This is a must have for anyone who picks up fast food for the hundredth time because they don't think there's anything in the house to eat.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You need this book, March 22, 2001

By 

S. Chace (RI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What To Cook When You Think There's Nothing in the House To Eat: More Than 175 Easy Recipes And Meal Ideas (Paperback)

Every working class person/student/new parent/dot-commer needs this book. Never has poverty and lack of full cabinets been so fun. I love that this book is indexed and arranged by ingredient. In know that everyone has at least one item sitting in their kitchen that doesn't look enough to eat, let alone something worthy of sitting down and eating.With this book you will be able to create something out of seemingly nothing. This book helps ease the pain of not being able to afford take-out, let alone the drive-thru. It is a wise, wise investment.