Kev leaves for work and comes home to find a more grown up version of Hal. At least that’s what he says 2.5 days out of the week. Of course, I can’t see it because I’m with her half the day. We don’t live near our extended family. Mostly because we’ve yet to convince them to trade in the south for the north. But Summer’s let us enjoy their company. From each appendage of our extended family, usually on the first day of our visit, I get the same question. “Are you a vegetarian now?” Read more
“Do you like kin-oh-ah?” my mom asked the other day while on the phone. You mean keen-whaaa? I replied snidely kindly. I confess, it’s hard to pronounce. I’m pretty sure I said it wrong the first 20 times. After giving her a hard time, I said, yes, I love it! And it’s nutty flavor. Did you know it’s one of the most complete proteins you could eat? “Well, I’m looking at a recipe that I think you’d like,” she replied. Moments later it was in my inbox. And days later it was in my belly. You could say it was love at first bite.
I really wanted to like jackfruit, a fruit that can be purchased in a can and stored in the pantry, that has the texture of meat, that takes on the flavor of just about anything. But every time I tried it, it was too acidic and salty, and I like acidic and salty food. And I couldn’t get past the fact that it’s often used as a stand-in for meaty protein, yet it lacks much protein. Or the fact that it wasn’t filling enough. But, if I’m anything, I’m persistent (when it involves solving a recipe or design problem). “I’m going to try those BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches one more time.” “Oh, Mel. No. More. Jackfruit.” Oops, I did it again. And I got it right this time. Kev approves. Read more
Never have I ever been a night or morning person, run a marathon, or liked queso. Drippy cheese is not my thing despite growing up in Texas (home of the best Tex Mex and queso), despite growing up with a mom who made queso with Rotel tomatoes, despite marrying into a family that tops their tacos with white queso. After being away for two years, I flew to Texas twice in the span of two weeks, consuming a diet of chips and salsa like a bear before winter. Never have I ever liked queso until Austin, TX at Picnik over a bowl of creamy vegan queso and almond flour tortilla chips with my sister. That’s when it all changed. Read more
Meal planning is a subject I tackled, reluctantly, in The Minimalist Kitchen. My design background taught me not to stop until form meets function. Having one without the other is just something pretty to look at, much like a pile of recipe ideas without the ability to integrate them into the week. But the difficult thing about advising on meal planning is that our lives look so vastly different. What works for one person, might not fit into the lifestyle of the other. There is one universal truth though. Mom-friend after mom-friend said the same thing. “Oh my gosh, 5:30 (dinnertime) arrives by surprise everyday. Like I didn’t know it was coming.” Getting to the dinner table is a seemingly universal struggle. Read more
(7/1/20) After a long delay, due to a merger and consolidation of my publisher, in which time my book sold out, The Minimalist Kitchen is back on shelves again. I’m so excited to get this back in your homes!
Thank you for your patience and support,
—MELISSA
I wrote you a book!
The Minimalist Kitchen: The Practical Art of Making More with Less is a cookbook, but more importantly, it’s a framework for creating a minimalist kitchen, a kitchen pared down to the essentials. This framework touches everything from your ingredients, tools, and pantry, to your cooking techniques, meal planning, and shopping habits. Once the framework is in place, you can make 100+ mix and match recipes. Creating a minimalist kitchen is counterintuitive. You pare down so you can create more.
It’s true what they say—less is more. But this is also true—achieving simplicity is difficult. How do you know what to keep and what to get rid of? This comprehensive guide will hold your hand through the process and make dinnertime (and the kitchen) feel doable again.
For best results, read this cookbook like a novel, from the beginning. Chapter 1: The Minimalist Kitchen sets the stage for how to make and use the recipes, Chapters 2–8. The recipes are mini allegories (delicious allegories) for using a pared down kitchen to its full potential. They are the practical application of the minimalist kitchen. If you’d like more guidance in paring down your kitchen, I created a 4-part course to break the process down. Start here. (This course is currently closed.)
You’ll find the recipes to be vegetable-forward and simple without compromising flavor. They’re intentionally designed to fit the rhythm of the week and labeled weekday, weekend, and make ahead accordingly. Weekday recipes are quick and efficient, while weekend recipes are slower and celebratory. Some recipes have make ahead components to increase efficiency and break up prep times. Note: You’ll find ingredient lists ranging from 3 to 20 ingredients. But don’t be scared by the longer list, as most of the ingredients are sitting in your well-stocked pantry.
“For years I’ve been in awe of Melissa’s unique ability to maintain a fiercely organized, minimalist style without sacrificing warmth, welcomeness, and creativity. With The Minimalist Kitchen, we now have all of her secrets and I could not be more excited about this!” —Molly Yeh, author of Molly on the Range
“Melissa helps you bring calm to the chaos of your kitchen. This book is a feel-good, can-do pep talk about how to keep your pantry in order, your utensils from getting out of control, and how to create delicious meals for weekdays and occasions without getting overwhelmed.” —Jeanine Donofrio, author of The Love & Lemons Cookbook
“This book is stunning and so clever. My kitchen is the opposite of minimal so it was so inspiring to read handy tips and easy changes to make life simpler in the kitchen! I went straight out and bought food storage containers to get my cupboards in order like a woman possessed!” —Martha Collison, Great British Bake Off quarter-finalist and author of Twist
“I had the good fortune of sampling some of these recipes before the book was published, and most of our dinners were followed up with a text the next day: Hey Melissa, can you send me that recipe from the book? This book is a game-changer. It not only gives you practical recipes that you will actually make, but it also teaches you to approach cooking (and maybe life in general) with a fresh, modern perspective.” —Lindsay Ostrom, Pinch of Yum
“Melissa is the reason my pantry is now filled with tidy rows of lidded glass jars each with a pristine label. My spice drawer now brings me great joy every time I slip it open. In The Minimalist Kitchen, Melissa inspires tidiness and a pared-down kitchen with joy and creativity at the heart of it all. With less clutter we are freed up to enjoy the task of cooking and can then spend more time at the table eating with the ones we love.” —Ashley Rodriguez, Not Without Salt
“With a welcoming tone, The Minimalist Kitchen invites readers to choose quality over quantity and gently guides with efficiency. Melissa’s book is gorgeous and thoughtful, with a strong focus on wholesome ingredients and simplicity that is often lacking in American kitchen culture. But, most importantly, her book contains recipes that actually make me excited about cooking dinner again.” —Sarah Kieffer, The Vanilla Bean Blog
“As a new mom I’ve struggled to find time to cook for my family. I truly miss the time I used to have to make wholesome meals for the people I love. The Minimalist Kitchen is a great resource for simplifying your approach to meal planning so you’re able to find the rhythm of your new routine and provide homemade meals without sacrificing quality time with your family.” —Kate Arends, Wit & Delight
“An easy approach to organizing the kitchen and cooking….plenty will appeal to those who are on the hunt for swift, simple, palatable fare.” —Publishers Weekly
“If you are Martha Stewart, maybe you don’t need this cookbook. If you are any cook other than Ms. Stewart, you should find worthy advice and helpful household and cooking tips in Minimalist Kitchen. Who hasn’t pulled open the kitchen accessory drawer to search fruitlessly for an item that is hidden in plain sight? (I did this just last night. How did my blender beaters get tucked all the way in the back corner?) Melissa Coleman refers to the kitchen as being the biggest closet in the house, and I think she is right. All closets need regular purging. Coleman gives sage advice on what really is needed. If you are new to cooking and don’t yet have all the things, then lucky you, you will be able to use Minimalist Kitchen for your future acquisitions and start a lifetime of good habits. Ms. Stewart, if you are reading this review, you still might need this cookbook for the nourishing comfort food recipes all made with easily understandable techniques. I think even you will appreciate Ms. Coleman’s style.” —Recommended By Tracey T., Powells.com
We drive fast because we’re late. Getting out the door is an olympic event. We swerve because they scream. A dropped blanket or … just because. We wear our hair in a top bun because effective hairdryers are just too loud. We button our jeans higher because our hips have dropped lower. And we fail at dinner because it’s been moved from 8:30 to 5:30 with one new rule. You must tie one or both hands behind your back. Sometimes motherhood makes us look about as cool as mom jeans. Read more
I slathered the first year of motherhood with nutella. (There’s proof of that right here.) It needed it—for both the protein and the indulgence. If there had been enough time to go to the doctor, they would have diagnosed me with a deficit of both and prescribed a jar of nutella. So a slather a day it was. I’m exaggerating only slightly. Read more