The pantry used to be the nerve center of the kitchen.

When I was a little girl, mom had it stocked with lots of stuff from canned foods – some in canning jars – to dried beans and spices. Our moderately stocked pantry was a symbol of comfort and security for our family.  It was never bare or barren. When you looked in my mom’s pantry, you immediately knew that she was a cook whose objective was to make sure her family was well feed with hearty, rib sticking, and filling meals. Continue reading →