A compelling guide to building a deep, robust pantry, for those who have their own garden and those who just want to spend less time or money at the grocery store. This is a beautifully written book; Astyk draws upon her own experiences and her Jewish faith to paint a picture of a society made independent from the grocery store (or at least less dependent on it) and more centered on community. Whether because of a desire for sustainability, a fear of disaster (most grocery stores have only three days’ worth of food on their shelves, leaving us only “nine meals from anarchy”), a moral opposition to the food industrial complex, or whatever motivation, Astyk believes it is a community duty to create a store of locally produced food and regularly use it and share it.
Independence Days explains how to dehydrate, can, ferment, and use a root cellar to extend the usefulness of a harvest, as well as how to procure and store a large supply of staples (unmilled wheat, corn, or whatnot), as well as a variety of recipes for incorporating these stored and preserved foods into a varied and healthy diet. More importantly, though, it is an argument for the importance of food security, thoughtfully and kindly written (Astyk repeatedly mentions that for many people even a small amount of food storage is financially or logistically impossible, an easily-omitted but much-appreciated aside). This book would be good for just about anyone to read.
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