Book excerpt: Transform pantry ingredients into creative, flavor-packed meals you won’t need to head to the supermarket to make. Flexibility is at the core of pantry cooking—when every cook needs to improvise. This unique guide helps you get the most out of your own pantry by showing how ingredients add crunch, acid, umami, or spice to a dish. Whether making Gochujang-Tahini Noodles, a top-it-your-way Savory Dutch Baby, or Chana Masala, Pantry Improv tips offer hundreds of ways to adapt meals based on what's on hand, while helping you to round out your pantry with high-flavor seasonings to turn the simplest meal into something fantastic. A pantry is more than canned beans. Expand your pantry horizons with recipes like Vindaloo-Style Sweet Potatoes, Rustic Butternut Squash and Spinach Tart (made with frozen vegetables and storebought puff pastry), and Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken. Recipes focus on what the ingredients do, not just what they are. Because no two pantries are the same, every recipe gives you ideas for simple swaps. Trade bread crumbs for toasted nuts when you just need something crunchy to finish a dish, and sub soy sauce for Worcestershire for that umami boost. This book adapts to any pantry. Instead of calling for a finite list of ingredients, we encourage thinking by categories (such as crispy and crunchy toppings, umami condiments, and long-storage root vegetables) and write recipes accordingly. Become your own test cook. With multiple ways to vary every recipe, you'll gain the confidence you need to get creative in the kitchen.