By Leigh O’Connor.
There are cookbooks that simply offer instructions and then there are cookbooks that invite you into a feeling. ‘Something from Nothing’ by Alison Roman belongs to that second, rarer category - the kind of book that reassures you, nudges you and reminds you that the act of cooking can be both ordinary and quietly transformative. It celebrates the magic that happens when a few humble ingredients come together under the warmth of intention.
Alison has built her career on this very magic. Known for her bold yet approachable recipes, she has always had a gift for making flavour feel accessible. Her background spans restaurant kitchens and editorial work, experiences that shaped her understanding of what real home cooks want: food that tastes incredible without requiring perfect conditions.
Her previous books established her trademark style - vibrant, conversational and full of personality - but ‘Something from Nothing’ feels especially intimate, as though she has stepped directly into your kitchen to show you what’s possible with what you already have.
Opening the book feels like rummaging through your own pantry with new eyes. Alison emphasises the simple beauty of everyday staples: a tin of anchovies, a bag of beans, a jar of olives, the last shallots rolling around the bottom of the drawer. Instead of treating these as afterthoughts, she treats them as the starting points for something generous and satisfying.
Her recipes prove that you don’t need a bounty of fresh ingredients or elaborate techniques to create something memorable; you need curiosity, confidence and a willingness to trust your instincts.
The emotional pull of the book is gentle but powerful. Alison writes with the kind of honesty that feels like friendship. She understands the reality of weeknight fatigue, the panic of "there’s nothing in the fridge” and the comfort of transforming whatever you have into a warm, nourishing meal.
Her recipes often begin with the forgotten, the leftover, the pantry item you bought months ago - and end with dishes that feel rich, layered and full of life. It’s a reminder that constraints can spark creativity and that cooking is as much about care as it is about ingredients.
‘Something from Nothing’ ultimately feels like an ode to resourcefulness and reassurance. It tells you that you don’t need to be prepared, you don’t need to be perfect and you don’t need abundance in order to create something wonderful.
All you need is a few ingredients, a bit of curiosity and the belief - encouraged on every page of this book - that you are capable of shaping something comforting and delicious out of whatever life hands you.
We have three recipes for you to recreate at home:
This version is vegetarian, with lots of browned butter - which is also used to lightly fry some onions before dousing them in vinegar - taking the place of the bacon fat. The result is a mess of just-cooked, kind-of still crunchy, lightly frizzled then almost pickled onions that really do bring something special to the could-be-ordinary potato salad.
Shrimp scampi: fun to say, more fun to eat. It’s a true classic, bright red prawns (shrimp) cooked in an ever-so-brothy wine-laced sauce full of garlic and butter.
You might find this recipe above-average delicious thanks to the above-average amounts of things like wine, butter and garlic. Plus, a little touch of fish sauce takes it to just this side of salty, herbs add perkiness and lemon is mandatory for squeezing over.
While the salmon in this recipe could easily be grilled or seared, it’s the slow roast that is the finest way to cook a large piece of fish, especially salmon.
It’s the salty, lemony, sesame-forward dressing that we are here for and it could be spooned on any number of things – fish, yes, but also chicken, rare steak, pork chops, or a pile of roasted cauliflower.
