Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It

June 1, 2009
Consider this kitchen do-it-yourself manual as a great antidote for our recessionary times. With little prefatory fanfare, Solomon covers the how-tos of fashioning homemade condiments and staples without such additives as soybean oil or xanthan gum. Included are both old recipes and soon-to-be-favorite onessuch as ketchup and rich cheese crackers or kimchi and, yes, lard. Each of the 75 recipes features the amount of preparation and overall time demanded, suggested variations, and how to store it; occasionally the recipes are accompanied by photographic step-by-step directions. Expect as little as one hour of preparation for many food items to as long as six weeks (olives); instructions are easy to follow but give no clue about level of difficulty. Two full-page sidebars on canning and grill-smoking ensure that kitchen chefs are up to date on these cooking techniques.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)