Many people think of "food storage" as buckets of wheat and cans of powdered milk sitting in the basement, only to get thrown out and replaced every 20 years or so.
But authors Tami Girsberger and Carol Peterson consider it the source of delicious, family-friendly recipes in their book, "The Essential Food Storage Cookbook" (Leatherwood Press, $16.95).
"Now I don't dread looking at all those buckets of wheat," said Girsberger, of South Jordan. "I go down to my food storage and it's my favorite room in the house because it's so usable and accessible."
For many years, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints urged its members to store a one-year supply of food and water. Its latest pamphlet, "All Is Safely Gathered In," advises members to build up a three-month supply of foods that are part of their normal daily diet, and regularly rotating this supply. The pamphlet adds, "For longer term needs, and where permitted, gradually build a supply of food that will last a long time and that you can use to stay alive, such as wheat, white rice and beans. These items can last 30 years or more when properly packaged and stored in a cool, dry place."
The Federal Emergency Management Agency also advocates storing an emergency supply of food and water in the event of an earthquake, hurricane, winter storm or other disaster.
But, "This cookbook is NOT what you can do with food storage in the event of an emergency," said Girsberger. "Nobody wants to live their daily life like they're living in an emergency. It's the combination of having both food storage and a well-stocked pantry that makes your meals very convenient, healthy and easy," she said.
The book's subtitle, "Combining Food Storage with Everyday Ingredients for Delicious Food," tells the story. This book isn't devoted to 101 ways to survive whole wheat or dried beans. Aside from the "Getting Started" chapter, many of the 200-plus recipes aren't that much different from what you'd find in other family-meal cookbooks.
The "Getting Started" chapter lists some of the basics to store and equivalent measures when using items such as reconstituted powdered milk and dry beans. It also has a list of pantry and freezer items to keep on hand, such as seasonings, canned tomato sauce, and frozen ground beef or chicken.
"It's the items in your three-month supply — your pantry — that make your regular food storage taste good," Girsberger said. "Now instead of dreading those buckets of wheat, you see them as nutrition for your family."
Having a well-stocked pantry also makes it easier to quickly pull together dinners such as Tamale Pie Casserole, Beef Zucchini Skillet Dinner or Italian Meatballs.
"I don't have to run to the store to get a can of tomatoes, it's there in my food storage," she said. "There's a trend to get families back to the dinner table, but 5 p.m. hits and people wonder what they're going to do for dinner. These are recipes that aren't complicated and don't use a lot of exotic ingredients. You just need your pantry items and a few fresh things that we all usually stock in our fridge."
Girsberger had an emergency preparedness business during the 15 years she lived in Valencia, Calif., and she has done numerous seminars on food storage.
"As I talk to people, that's one of their biggest frustrations — it's hard to devote that money and space for food storage if you really don't know what to do with it," she said.
She initially planned to write a book on emergency preparedness. But when the project turned into a cookbook, she brought a friend, Carol Peterson of Valencia, Calif., on board. "She has a degree in food science, and she's been a caterer and food stylist, and she's also a nutritionist. She brought a lot of experience to the table."
Girsberger said that dried beans are probably the hardest food-storage item to use.
"You have to think ahead and soak them overnight," she said. "But, you don't necessarily have to have dried beans in your food storage. You can use canned beans."
Powdered milk can be used in hot chocolate, smoothie drinks and baked goods. The book gives directions for using it to make homemade yogurt. Some of the recipes call for whole wheat flour; others can be modified to include whole wheat as a person becomes accustomed to it.
Girsberger also stores popcorn, which can be popped over a fire if necessary, or ground into cornmeal. She cautions, however, that not all wheat grinders can grind corn; people should check their manufacturer's guidelines.
Another caution: The book gives directions for bottling butter by pouring melted butter into oven-heated canning jars, placing canning lids and rings on them, and letting the jars vacuum-seal. However, a notice on the National Center for Home Food Preservation's Web site said this method, which has been widely circulated on the Internet, hasn't been sufficiently tested for safety. It noted that the butter doesn't come to a high enough temperature, or contain sufficient acid, to prevent growth of spores that could cause botulism.
"We don't recommend any canning process that hasn't been researched through a science-based study," said Brian Nummer, Utah State University's food safety specialist. "But we do know that the canning jars aren't made to withstand the dry heat of an oven. There's a potential for cracking."
When asked about it, Girsberger said she was unaware of this advisory. "I have cases of bottled butter that are six years old and it's still perfect, but I'd hate to tell anyone to do it if it's against what the USDA advises. It's also easy to keep butter in your freezer, or you can use powdered butter and powdered margarine."
TAMALE PIE CASSEROLE
This recipe calls for cornmeal, which can be ground from (unpopped) popcorn in your food storage.
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound ground turkey or beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 10-ounce can mild enchilada sauce
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15-ounce can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 1/2 cups grated jack or cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, egg and milk. Set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet, brown ground turkey until no longer pink. Drain excess fat. Add onion, enchilada sauce, oregano, diced tomatoes and corn. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir meat mixture into cornmeal mixture. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Sprinkle with grated cheese, bake until cheese is melted. Serves 6. — "The Essential Food Storage Cookbook"
LEMON OAT BITES
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups flour (whole wheat if desired)
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
10 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into chunks
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest (outer yellow peel, finely grated)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix oats, flour, sugars, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs. In a greased 9-inch square baking pan, press 3 cups mixture; set aside remaining mixture for topping. Bake for 12 minutes.
Combine milk, lemon juice and zest in a small bowl. Pour over crust and evenly sprinkle reserved oat mixture on top. Bake an additional 25-28 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool on wire rack. Cut into small squares. — "The Essential Food Storage Cookbook"
FROSTY CHOCOLATE DRINK
1 1/2 cups very cold water
1 1/2 cups powdered milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Dutch cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
20 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend on high for 2 full minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 4 12-ounce servings.
For Chocolate Banana: Add one banana.
For Chocolate Peanut Butter: Add 1/4 cup peanut butter.
For Chocolate Mint: Add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract.
Ice Cream Chocolate Shake: Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. — "The Essential Food Storage Cookbook"
E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com