Chefs We Love
Alison Roman’s Latest Cookbook Celebrates the Practical Magic of Pantry Cooking
Published on November 3, 2025
You might know Alison Roman from her viral Caramelized Shallot Pasta or her timeless Lemon Shaker Pie. The cook and former New York Times columnist’s newest cookbook may be her best — and most honest — work yet. In Something from Nothing, Alison shares the delicious yet pared-back meals she cooks for her family and explores the difference between luxury and everyday ingredients.
Since H&H spoke with Alison in 2023, she and her new husband, Max Cantor, have welcomed their son, Charlie, and they’re currently splitting their time between Brooklyn and the Catskills. We caught up with Alison to talk about the new book, her food shop, and why pantry cooking never goes out of style.
Something from Nothing. Clarkson Potter by Penguin Random House, 2025, $51.
House & Home: What’s the endless allure of pantry cooking?
Alison Roman: I think of it like fashion — anyone can look good in an expensive outfit, but pulling off a white T-shirt and jeans is more impressive. To make something delicious, all you need is pantry staples, olive oil, salt, garlic and heat. Pantry cooking is coming home to just a bag of rice and a lemon and doing something with nothing.
Alison’s Crispy Schnitzel with Browned-butter Radishes.
H&H: It takes confidence to make a satisfying meal from a few ingredients. Do you have any tips?
AR: Not to sound too self-help-y, but know you are enough. Rice with butter and an egg is a nice dinner. A pot of brothy beans with greens? Great. Roasted fennel with capers next to simply salted roast chicken? Delicious. You don’t need 20 sauces or fancy techniques; cooking in itself is impressive.
H&H: Your Caramelized Shallot Pasta appears in this cookbook. Why do you think people love that recipe so much?
AR: Not only is it my most popular recipe, it’s also my favourite. I don’t know if there’s a recipe of mine that says “pantry lifestyle” more than this one; it’s so easy to do with ingredients you have on hand, and it’s a real crowd-pleaser. That pasta captures my style of cooking and inspired the book. It’s one of my older recipes, but it’s nice to have it printed within a collection rather than just on the internet.
Alison’s Caesar for All Occasions.
H&H: You’ve been known to go “off script,” like your Caesar salad dressing without Parmesan. Were you going for a lactose-free twist?
AR: No, I wasn’t, but do you know what’s funny? When I was shooting the book, I realized that if there’s cheese, it’s always on the side. I don’t love cheese in things, but I love it on things. My dressing is sharp, tangy, anchovy-heavy and super mustardy.
Alison’s Carbonara for Two.
H&H: You mention the difference between $2 anchovies and $12 anchovies — that the former is for cooking with and the latter is for enjoying on their own. Where else can this philosophy be applied?
AR: There’s a lot of exploration to be had; it’s often a personal choice based on what you have access to. There’s not that big of a difference between $2 and $5 canned beans, for example, but between $12 and $30 olive oil, there is. For the most part, when there’s a huge price jump, there’s a huge quality jump.
Gourmet nonperishable goods line the shelves at Alison’s pantry shop, First Bloom.
H&H: Tell us about First Bloom. Why did you want to open a pantry shop?
AR: It’s been a real dream to own a tiny grocery store in Bloomville. It holds all my favourite things about cooking: shelves stocked with tins of anchovies, pasta, beans and more, and, in the middle of the shop, there’s a large market table with seasonal produce. Everything you need to make a great meal is there.
H&H: Where are your favourite places to eat in the Catskills?
AR: Magpies on Pink Street for breakfast and lunch, Mornings and Hollow for coffee, Solinsky’s for deli meats, Brushland Eating House and Oda Wine Garden for dinner — and Cellar Door Wines & Spirits for wine!
Chris Bernabeo
Recipes from Something from Nothing ©2025 by Alison Roman. Photographs ©2025 by Chris Bernabeo. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House