Seasonal Pantry

Benoit Castel’s pantry is filled with jars, tins, and preserves. Before becoming an artisan baker, he trained as a pastry chef. Today, he is the author of three cookbooks and the owner of two bakeries in Paris.

In his first English-language cookbook, baker and pastry chef Castel, the owner of several bakeries and shops in Paris, shares his expertise and joy in making the most of fresh ingredients year-round. Recipes run the gamut from soup to nuts, appetizers and drinks to desserts. Almost all are plant-based. Instructions for making ahead of time, freezing, jarring, or otherwise storing are useful for incorporating fresh food into busy lives. Pickling and jarring recipes have novel taste combinations, like carrot, orange, cumin, and vanilla pickles. His Zero Waste Vegetable Broth is doable for even a novice cook. Other recipes may be more daunting, like Christophe Adam’s Caramel Nut Tart, but Castel's enthusiastic descriptions, clear instructions, and tempting color photographs of ingredients and finished products will encourage more advanced cooks and bakers to give them a try. An index by ingredients in addition to an alphabetical index of recipes is helpful. Those interested in reducing food waste at home or in making the most of their CSA boxes and garden bounty will especially appreciate this book.