Something From Nothing: A Cookbook

by Alison Roman

Something from Nothing is Alison Roman’s latest book featuring over 100 deceptively simple, casually stylish, impossibly delicious recipes that make the most of your pantry.

In Something from Nothing, New York Times bestselling author Alison Roman gives you a collection of simple, smart, timeless recipes that rely on a home cook's best kept a well-stocked pantry. Making the most of your shelf-stable bottles, bags, jars and cans, Alison shows you how to cook as she does–loosely, intuitively, and with maximum flavor. With each recipe you’ll fall deeper in love with the magic of pantry cooking by using flavorful, hardworking ingredients, leaving you to ask, “How did something so wonderful come from basically nothing?”. In this book, you’ll find warm, opinionated writing coupled with classic recipes, both with signature Alison flair, such   

Snacks and Herbed Artichoke Dip; Spanish Tortilla (with Aioli and Friends); and Labne with Caramelized HarissaSoups and Kimchi and Tomato Soup; Golden Mushroom Soup with Buttered Orzo; and Ginger and Greens Chicken SoupVegetables and Forever-Roasted Squash with Brown Butter Dates; Braised Green Beans with Anchovy; and Spiced Butter-Roasted Carrots with Walnuts Saucy Roasted Eggplant Pasta; Bolognese with Fennel; Carbonara for TwoBeans, Rice, and Other Crispy Baked Beans with Mushrooms and Parmesan; Polenta with Fresh Corn; Caramelized Beans with Tomato, Cabbage and Browned ButterMeats and Crushed Olive Chicken with Turmeric; Steak, like Tartare; Crispy Fish with Garlic Yogurt, Capers, and Greens
Whether you’re feeding yourself on a busy weeknight or hosting a last-minute dinner party, this book has just what you need. For easy, straightforward recipes that still impress, Something from Nothing has you covered, showing you how to turn every bag of beans, tin of anchovies and jar of olives into a meal worth celebrating.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Food and Drink, Culinary

320 pages, Hardcover

Published November 11, 2025

About the author

ALISON ROMAN is the author of the bestselling cookbook Dining In, a bi-weekly columnist for the Cooking section of The New York Times and a monthly contributor at Bon Appétit Magazine. Creator of #thestew and #thecookies, her highly cookable recipes frequently achieve massive popularity in both home kitchens and on the internet. A native of Los Angeles, she lives in Brooklyn until she moves upstate like everyone else.

(source: Amazon)

Reviews

[Michaela Zadow · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5: Now I do not usually count recipe books as official ‘books’ unless they warrant it, and wow does this pass the test. I may be biased as Alison is my dream dinner party guest, but I actually laughed out loud in parts as she shares odes to crisps, dried beans and anchovies. I honestly have no ‘skip recipes’ and every recipe has a ‘mini essay’ which I loved. Now time to cook!!!

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

well, we may have found our favorite cookbook of 2025! so many delicious recipes that I can't wait to make accompanied by gorgeous photographs that really bring the dishes to life. love this beautiful book

[Heather Alderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cookbook! I love the format and the relatable stories with each recipe. Although I wouldn't call many of these ingredients as "pantry items", I like the way the author describes alternate ingredients to fit your kitchen and tastes and that they don't have to be at their peak freshness (use up that wilted spinach!). I am looking forward to trying a lot of these recipes, particularly using anchovies more.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend this book highly enough! I who have never made soup from scratch made my own stock, chicken soup and matzo ball soup while reading this. The recipes are fun and rewarding. Even if you don’t cook, the book has an old school charm to it that makes reading it feel wonderfully unplugged.

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many gems in here! The recipes are simple yet delicious, and good for a variety of occasions.

[Molly Goulet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think this will be my fave one yet.

[Carol Irvin]

Another anchovy cookbook 🤮

[Luke Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Alison's best work. Her magnum opus.

Not only did every recipe make me go - YUM - I cant wait to cook this, in her usual writing style, I found myself giggling and smiling and just feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

I cant wait for her memoir in approximately 15-20 years.

[Rachel P · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s unlike me to consider reading a cookbook as “reading a book” in the same way I do reading, say, a novel or a memoir. I am cheating the system and doing that here, though, as reading this one cover to cover brought so much joy. It is thoughtfully written, and sweet without being cloying, and reminded me why I love cooking for people I love as much as I do. It sparked creativity and made me want get in the kitchen and work with what I had, and do better about how much waste I kick out while I work. One of the best cookbooks I’ve found, and such a delight to read (especially while working through 2666)…

[Leane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook is especially valuable for any cook who just wants to eat at home and use what is on hand in the pantry, the freezer, fridge, and cabinets. Roman gives realistic advice, manages expectations for any level of cook from beginner to expert, and includes vibrant photography for most recipes. And as usual, every entry in this well-documented and entertaining cookbook is a pleasure to read and will make your mouth water. Roman infuses her playful sense of humor and personal experience into her description before each recipe and throughout other parts of this instructive cookbook. Each recipe has very clear directions and an ingredient list plus suggestions for what it should be eaten with, and what you can do ahead, and other notes. I am a champion skimmer; but I found myself lingering and enjoying her prose. She organizes the book by the categories: Snacks, Soups & Stews, Vegetables, Beans & Grains, Pasta & Noodles, and Meats & Fishes. While not a fan of anchovies or celery, I appreciated her championing of them and especially enjoyed reading How to Roast a Chicken, How to make a Very Good Tomato Sauce, her take on Buttered Polenta with Fresh Corn, How to Make a 6-minute Egg, and the simple pleasures of Roasted Sweet Potatoes as she combines simple snack/meal fixes with more complicated and time-consuming ones artfully. Book has a complete Index. Try her previous cookbook if she is new to you: Nothing Fancy and Sweet Enough, and readalikes may be well as others by Sam Holland, Nadiya Hussain, and Emily Ley.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the interest of full disclosure, I have Alison Roman's first three cookbooks, and while I am not often opening Sweet Nothing, the other two are in regular rotation for me, especially Nothing Fancy, which has a number of salad recipes that are outstanding--they easily scale up for a crowd, allow you to have a varied looking array of vegetable side dishes that are quite easy to make. My most recent child who got married had my spouse and I do the food for both the groom's dinner (130 guests) and the wedding (200+ guests) and I did several of her recipes. The prep can be done ahead of time and the salad assembled right before with surprisingly delicious and beautiful results. So that is a long way around saying I am a big fan.
This cookbook, which is all about assembling a casual yet stylish table of food using mostly things that you have in your "pantry"--which includes refrigerator, shelf, and freezer--things that you should have on hand, not necessarily what you actually have on hand. The recipes are inspired, especially if you like anchovies, and this approach to eating is quite timely what with the rising cost of basic food in the United States. She emphasizes things that are available year round--celery is one of her favorites--and that are not high cost.
Lastly, this is a fun read, and I recommend what I did--read it cover to cover.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

First and foremost I am an Alison Roman fan girl, a groupie, an enthusiast. Her style of cooking is how I cooked before I found her on YouTube. I own all of her books and her recipes have allowed me to expand my culinary vocabulary.

Thank you for the gift of preserved lemons 🍋.

Alison’s new book captures her evolution and where she is in life. Running her business, becoming a wife and mother. This season of life calls for slowing down and making comforting dishes. I can definitely see the influence of her store in the ingredients of the recipes. I too crave a slow down, intentionality in the food I make, how I spend my time.

All of Alison’s charm and wit can be found in the recipe blurbs. I can’t wait to cook many recipes from this book. I love the cozy lighting, the olive cover, the vintage feel of this book. I saw what you did there with the snail salt dish… I saw it and I loved it.

One minor critique is that this book has some of her most famous recipes which, tbh, is a little bit of a let down, it feels recycled. I get it, they’re delicious and new readers will be dazzled. But my guess is many of us found Alison through these recipes and these feel unnecessary.

I hope Alison continues to create her videos and recipes to share with everyone. I, of course, will continue to support her in all things!

[Anne Libera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mostly don't count cookbooks as books read but truly, I have read this cookbook from beginning to end since i got it for Christmas. And I subscribe to Roman's newsletter which means that I have cooked fair number of these recipes before this ever came out. I know Roman's tone isn't for everyone but I really enjoy her point of view on cooking and the recipes chime really strongly with my personal taste (this is not a cookbook for those who hate anchovies as an example). I have made the Roast Chicken with Leeks many times (I like to spatchcock it and cook it for a slightly shorter time frame), the leek salsa verde might be my favorite part. I look forward to coming back to this book many times.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautiful cookbook that focuses on easy, quick recipes using things that you have on hand. It's perfect for weeknight cooks, or when you're looking to stretch the next trip to the grocery store. The chapters that shine for me are the soups and stews and vegetables. Pasta is strong too, with some different combinations. This is an elevated cookbook for people who are cooking during the week (though there are some roasts and weekend-y recipes too).

There are A LOT of tomato recipes (pro) and way too many anchovy recipes (con, for me). But this is a well-crafted resource for everyday cooks. Lost of veggie options, too.

[Joleen Teo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Interesting ideas and combinations, but I’m not sure who the target audience is. So many of the recipes are non-recipes and instead, just steps to assemble. Not that that’s a bad thing, but I could have gotten the same information from a bullet point list of interesting food combinations. Some ingredients are very niche, and I assume that people who already have these ingredients on hand know what to do with them, or don’t require step by step assembly instructions. On the other hand, if these ingredients are new to you, then the title “something from nothing” might not apply. By all means, try the recipes, but they will be pricier than “nothing”.

[Justina Trisko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes- I read all of Alison’s cookbooks like a long awaited novel. This is the best one yet- a divine commentary on pantry staples paired with recipes that make you instantly starving- recipes you theoretically could make right now- without going to the grocery store because you already have everything. Except maybe heaps of fresh dill.
I don’t buy cookbooks, everything in my cupboard is a family heirloom or a Mead notebook of recipes. But I bought all 4 of this woman’s books and I’d buy them again.

[Abbigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mainly loved three things about this book: 1) focus on pantry staples and the idea of "something from nothing" which I think about all the time already from my own pantry 2) the "eat with" sections on almost every recipe that are both practical and cheeky (a great detail for people who love menus at the end of cookbooks) and 3) how elegant this book is what could be a "make it through the day" sort of cookbook.

Displays Roman's signature humor and tastes, which I love even if hers dont match mine 100 percent (anchovies and dill).

[Bookmarked ByLisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Food for the soul: this book has an array of easy recipes mostly from pantry sourced goods. What I enjoyed most about this recipe books were Alison's short blurbs for each recipe allowing us to get to know her as a person. This book will surely make you smile while cooking some heart warming foods. Loved it! Thanks @hardiegrantbooks for such a delicious book!

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something I love about Alison Roman's recipes. I like the way she writes about them - the language isn't flowery or romantic, it's just getting down to brass tacks TIME TO EAT FOOD. And regarding the food? The lady just gets it. It's exactly the kind of food I like eating. If you are a fan of Roman's newsletters or other recipes, you will love this book. Don't hesitate.

[Allison Butterbaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The recipes I’ve made so far have all been wins. One of, if not the most beautiful cookbooks I have ever had; however, a liiittle pretentious. The anchovy and potato chip pages didn’t hit home for me. Most recipes are exactly what the title states: delicious meals made from a handful of staple ingredients.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always enjoy her writing and simple but interesting recipes. The recipes in this one use a lot of pantry staples (if your pantry is full of things from your local Mediterranean grocery store -shoutout Mandro's) to make nourishing meals that feel complex - I'm excited to make more of the recipes this winter. I appreciate how much she loves sour/savory/fermented/briny foods.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I grow up I want to be Alison Roman

One of my fav genres of food is meals I can whip up from pantry regulars so this is the perfect cookbook imo. EVERY recipe in this book looks approachable and delectable!! I will update once I make some/all dishes in this book

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely my favorite Alison Roman so far.

[Kayla Darling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roman’s style of both cooking and writing is so warm and approachable. This collection renewed my spirit and made me excited to try some new dinners.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars

A large collection of endlessly riffable recipes that are easy and made with pantry ingredients. Can't go wrong with that.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decided to read cover to cover, because I heard that “cookbooks are for reading.” Loved. Can’t wait to cook.

[John Gibbons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming home cooked food whipped up from just pantry staples. Alison is truly a whimsical, intelligent, and creative chef.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't wait to try some of these recipes! Got hungry just flipping the pages!

[Juli Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forgettable, and somehow smug about it.

[Suzis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Buying for my own personal library.