The Modern Pioneer Pantry with Mary Bryant Shrader

How did you get started with traditional cooking?

My journey with food began early, in the kitchen with my mother. When I was about four years old, I asked her how to make toast. She smiled and said, “Well, first, you start by making the bread.” 

So together, we baked a simple sandwich loaf, sliced it, and toasted it. This was a lesson that became the foundation of how I view cooking. In my first book, I guide readers through a similar journey, starting with the basics my mother taught me.

By middle school, I was ready to take on dinner myself and roasted a whole chicken for dinner. In my excitement, I accidentally coated it in cayenne instead of paprika. My parents never let on until years later, praising my efforts but suspiciously drinking a lot of water that night.

Though originally from New York and trained as an attorney, my career path changed in my 40s when I moved to Texas to be near my parents. There, I met my husband and, when our son was born, I wanted to cook for him the way my mother had cooked for me. This meant lots of roast chickens, bone broth, homemade yogurt, sourdough, and other traditional, homemade foods.

I began sharing these skills with other moms, teaching small groups in my kitchen on Saturday mornings. Word spread, and I ended up teaching traditional cooking to families for free in my home kitchen for nearly 20 years. Eventually, someone suggested I teach on YouTube instead. The channel has grown beyond anything I imagined, with over a million subscribers today learning traditional skills with me. The pandemic only heightened the interest, as more people sought self-sufficiency, low-waste cooking, and comfort from scratch.

“The joy that I get from seeing the number of people interested in learning traditional cooking skills is amazing.”

Tell Us More About The Four Corners Pantry

In my book, I share what I call the “Four Corners Pantry,” inspired by my mother’s kitchen. These four corners are your working pantry, refrigerator, freezer, and extended pantry. 

The working pantry holds everyday staples, while the extended pantry is your backup. It’s for things like canned, dried, or bulk foods you can pull from when supplies run low. This way, you shop your own pantry instead of always rushing to the store. Within these categories, you can create sub-pantries for emergencies, like when you lose power, don’t have clean water, or when you’re sick. 

The key is to build it gradually: “Don’t make it overwhelming. This isn’t overnight! This is a journey!” It can take you two or three years before you build a traditional foods kitchen that you’re comfortable with.

I encourage simple, practical steps, such as buying an extra can each week or opting for frozen peaches when you’re canning instead of starting from scratch with whole fruit. Free up freezer space for meats, and let canned or dried goods stock your shelves.

The Modern Pioneer Pantry: A Complete Guide to Preserving Food
by Mary Bryant Shrader
DK Publishing, 2025

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Learn more

Listen to the full podcast episode with Mary Bryant Shrader here. You can learn more at marysnest.com and follow on Instagram @marysnest.