Saturday, Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. — RUTLAND — On Saturday, Dec. 12 from 1 to 3 p.m., Phoenix Books Rutland will host Andrea Chesman for a book signing and demo, complete with free samples of sourdough pancakes from her new book, “The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How: Field-to-Table Cooking Skills.” Chesman is also bringing samples of sourdough starter for attendees who purchase a book (while supplies last).
Growing vegetables and raising livestock is only the beginning of a successful homestead – that fresh food goes to waste unless you can properly prepare, cook, and preserve it. In “The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How,” Chesman shows how to bridge the gap between field and table, covering everything from curing meats and making sausage to canning fruits and vegetables, milling flour, working with sourdough, baking no-knead breads, making braises and stews that can be adapted to different cuts of meat, rendering lard and tallow, pickling, making butter and cheese, making yogurt, blanching vegetables for the freezer, making jams and jellies, drying produce, and much more. Learn all the techniques needed to get the most from homegrown foods, along with dozens of simple and delicious recipes, most of which can be adapted to use whatever is available.
Andrea Chesman has written more than 20 cookbooks, including “The Pickled Pantry,” “Recipes from the Root Cellar,” “Serving Up the Harvest,” and “Mom’s Best Crowd-Pleasers.” She has also written a number of books on grilling, including the James Beard Award nominee “The Vegetarian Grill.” She has contributed to many publications including the New York Times, Cooking Light, Vegetarian Times, Fine Cooking, and many regional and local newspapers. She teaches and does cooking demonstrations and classes at fairs, festivals, book events, and garden shows across the United States. She lives in Ripton, Vt.
Phoenix Books Rutland is located at 2 Center Street in Rutland. This event is free and open to the public. Copies of “The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How” will be available for attendees to purchase and have signed. For more information, call 802-855-8078 or visit www.phoenixbooks.biz.
