If you have pent-up guilt..., if you were lectured by your parents..., or if you just want to be frugal about using all the food you paid for, The Use-It-Up Cookbook is just the book for you. By following its instructions, you will rid yourself of the guilt and use up what's left of the package, jar, bottle, bunch, or can! Two bananas have become more brown than yellow. You've moved the half-carton of buttermilk in the refrigerator yet again to retrieve something on the shelf behind it. Why not look up the recipes for bananas and buttermilk in The Use-It-Up Cookbook to see how you might be able to incorporate them into this evening's dinner or tomorrow's lunch? The same can be done with the bunch of celery that has at least one or two stalks that are still green and that barely used can of tomato paste. What makes this cookbook so useful is that it's designed to help you do this, unlike more traditional cookbooks that do not list minor ingredients such as these.

Few cooks today have enough time on their hands to skim or browse through entire cookbooks to find recipes that will let them use up their leftovers. The audience for The Use-It-Up Cookbook is the busy cook looking for a quick solution as well as the gourmet looking for new ideas for using these ingredients. It will also appeal to frugal cooks who enjoy being creative. The recipes are simple and easy to follow. Several types of dishes are represented in the recipes, including salads, entrees, sides, soups, breads, and desserts. Each chapter contains several recipes, with a creative guide and space for readers to record their own notes. Organized in alphabetical order by ingredients, the book includes an appendix with information on food storage, and Web links for more information.