Spring Cleaning Your Pantry

You might think, given that I have written two cookbooks, that my kitchen is huge. Nothing could be further from the truth. My kitchen is only about 100 square feet, and much of that space is taken up by the sink, range, dishwasher, under-cabinet refrigerator, and main refrigerator. The main refrigerator is a compact unit that sits on the same footprint as a dishwasher, but it has plenty of room for our two-person household, including freezer space.

Cabinet space in my kitchen is, therefore, limited. Given that one needs a certain number of pots and pans and utensils, I find that the best place to conserve space is in my pantry cabinets above the counter. This is where I store the staple items that I use regularly, such as spices, flour, sugar, and snacks, such as nuts and dried fruit. Over the years, I have learned ways to maximize my storage space for these items. Here are some tips:

1. Purchase some inexpensive plastic storage containers and use them instead of the manufacturer's packaging for most dry staple items such as flour, pasta and rice. If you drop something, it won't break, and you will find that uniform containers make the most effective use of your cabinet shelves.

2. Groups items according to their intended uses. For example, one shelf is devoted to baking needs, another to spices and flavorings, and a third to dry staples.

3. Spring is a great time of year to re-organize your cabinets. Take everything out of one cabinet and place it on the kitchen counter. Wipe down the shelves and shelf liner, if you use one. Next, sort the items into categories that make sense for the way you cook. If you don't bake, you obviously don't need a separate shelf for those supplies.

4. If you can spare the room on your counter, set out those items that are nearing the end of their useful lifespan. Dried herbs, for example, keep a year at most. And you may have discovered a jar of hoisin sauce you bought on sale and forgot to use. Group those items where you will see them to facilitate using them up.

5. Instead of throwing away aging staples, set aside a day cook them and then freeze the prepared food in appropriate portions for your household. Most such dishes will keep about 6 months in the freezer.

Follow these simple tips to maximize your pantry space and get your kitchen ready for the spring and summer vegetable season!

Spring is Here! And So Is Appalachian Cooking

The vernal equinox has arrived at last, and although we have snow flurries in the local forecast, the evidence of spring is everywhere around us in pink, white and yellow.

Today is also the release date for Appalachian Cooking. For those who pre-ordered online, your book should ship today. The book is widely available, so please pick up a copy and start enjoying the simple and delicious cooking of the mountain South.

In the garden, you still have plenty of time to plant spring greens of all kinds, along with peas, cabbage family, onions, garlic, beets, carrots and turnips. If you grow members of the cabbage family, make sure to protect them from the white cabbage butterfly, or its larvae will ruin your crop.

It is too early yet for summer vegetables, although plants are appearing in the stores. Tomatoes, peppers or other warm season crops are likely just to sit there if you plant them now. The traditional time to plant is around Mother's Day, which is some weeks away yet. If you wait until the soil is fully warmed up, you will get a larger harvest and avoid disease problems that may occur with transplants that go out too early.

Review: Yoder's Country Market

Bulls Gap, Tennessee, is not a place that springs immediately to mind as a foodie destination, but perhaps it should be, based on our recent experiences with Yoder's Country Market and Deli. Located about a mile off Interstate 81, this combination grocery store, bakery and deli offers something for everyone.

Breads baked in house form the basis for sandwiches made any way you like. Diners fill out a ticket much like those in use as some sushi bars. You check off the meats, cheeses and condiments that you prefer, include your first name at the bottom, and wait to be called to the counter to pick up your sandwich. Generous portions mean you might have enough for two meals, depending upon your appetite. Grab some "home style" potato chips, also made in-house, to go with your sandwich, if you are really hungry. There is no alcohol and no tables. We ate in the car. The deli would be an ideal stop prior to a picnic in the mountains. Just bring a cooler and stock up.

Besides sandwiches, the deli serves up meats and cheeses by the pound, along with a variety of other products. In addition to bread, the bakery creates and ever-changing array of cookies, pies and cakes to tempt you off your diet.

Most of the floor space, however, is devoted to the grocery, which stocks a huge variety of bulk goods and items not often seen elsewhere. The emphasis here is on products from the Mennonite and Amish farms of Pennsylvania and the Midwest. If you are into baking, you can find everything from spelt flour to bulk yeast to dough conditioner on the shelves. The variety of jams, jellies, condiments and pickles is literally overwhelming. All the bulk items are pre-measured in reasonable quantities, but you can also purchase larger amounts if you need them.

One noteworthy feature of the inventory is the number of dehydrated and canned products that might be used to stock an emergency pantry. Soup mixes and dehydrated vegetables are also great for backpacking, and dried kiwi fruit seems like an excellent choice for an occasional snack.

Put all of this together with a friendly, courteous and professional staff, and you can see why we stop at Yoder's every time we are in the vicinity. All major credit cards are accepted. Check them out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yoderscountrymarketbullsgap/

Review: Pero's in Powell

Just off I-75 at the Powell exit, we have a new community asset: Pero's, a family-friendly restaurant that offers up nostalgia along with some fabulous food. Decades ago, Jerry and I were partners in a business that was located along Kingston Pike. Three or four blocks away was the original Pero's Steakhouse. While the steaks were good, it was the Greek salad and the pasticcio that kept us coming back.

I am happy to report that the new restaurant makes a killer pasticcio, not to mention ravioli. We have not yet had the Greek salad. In its former incarnation, it was a good choice for lunch. But the side salads, one tossed, one a Caesar, that we had last evening bode well for everything in that section of the menu.

Our food was delicious, service was prompt and professional, and we took home enough of the generous portions of pasta for another meal. At just over $50 for two including beverage, tax and tip, Pero's is a great value.

Did we mention the freshly baked dinner rolls that came with the entrée?

Look for additional reviews of the food in this space in the future. We are happy to have a new local place that we can return to often.