Cookbooks for Right Now

It's Summer and easy to follow, straight forward recipes that don't take hours and hours to prepare appeal to me most. The cookbooks I've been enjoying lately definitely reflect that. But these are books you will treasure long beyond this season, they are filled with comfort food, creative recipes and great stories... 

What I like about Guliano Hazan's latest book, Hazan Family Favorites is the exact opposite of what I like about many of Marcella Hazan's books. It's loose and easy and very informal. It's about flavors more than about specific techniques. It's not all Italian recipes, though most of them are. The stories of Giuliano's take on beef bourguignon, Lael's meatloaf, and desserts from the nonnas are charming but the proof is in the pudding and I can't resist an easy recipe for Bolognese Meat Sauce, surprising recipes like Cold Minestrone with Rice and of course, the most famous Marcella Hazan recipe--My Mother's Butter, Tomato and Onion Sauce. Recipes like Italian Latkes, Maccheroni Soup with Sausage and Porcini, Braised Leeks and Peas and Polenta Cookies are all destined to become favorites. But that's just me, you may find other recipes win you over. If nothing else, the book gives you a peek into the home life of one of America's most respected Italian cooking families. The foreword by Marcella Hazan is also noteworthy. Don't skip it!

I've been a fan of John T. Edge since I heard him speak at the CIA Worlds of Flavor conference a couple of years ago. At the time he was working on The Truck Food Cookbook. I cannot tell you how happy I am to finally have this book! It's got great stories about the food trucks and vendors, but also terrific recipes. For me, the recipes are not necessarily ones I follow exactly, but use as inspiration. For example after making the Roast Duck Taco recipe once I'm now a kick of buying roast ducks from Chinese delis and turning them into curry, salad, and of course, tacos. The Sweet Potato Fries recipe taught me a trick that enabled me to perfect my parsnip chips. The book is packed with fabulous recipes for sandwiches, crepes, salsas, tacos and fusion dishes like Fried Brussels Sprouts (with fresh Thai chilies, mint, cilantro and basil) and Kimchi Quesadillas. Yum! 

It's been five years since I took a class from Ruta Kahate and reviewed her classic book 5 Spices, 50 Dishes. Her book and learning just a few key techniques definitely made cooking Indian food at home less of an ordeal and showed me how easy it could be. For even more ideas for Indian food in a hurry is her follow up book Quick Fix Indian: Easy, Exotic Dishes in 20 Minutes or Less. While I haven't cooked anything from the book yet, I did get to try some of the dishes at a lunch and cooking demo that Kahate recently did. My favorite dishes were the Wilted Spinach with Red Chili and the Coriander Shrimp with Zucchini but I've bookmarked the Paneer, Smoky Eggplant Bharta and  the "Instant" Chicken Biryani. One of the best features of the book is a shopping list of that will make cooking "quick fix" meals a cinch. With the right pantry staples and a few items you can prepare ahead of time like ginger paste, garlic paste, ghee, red masala, green masala and browned onions you are one step ahead of the game. No matter what the season. 

There are three  things I love about Herbivoracious, the first cookbook by food blogger Michael Natkin. His vegetarian recipes are not trying to replicate meat dishes and never call for "fake meat." As an omnivore I eat what I like, if I want bacon I'll eat it. But plenty of times, most of time in fact, I want vegetarian food. Vegetarian food that is bold, creative and satisfying. It's what I try to cook, and what Natkin cooks too. His very original recipes like Shiitake Tacos with Asian Pear Slaw, Bocoles with Spicy Sweet Potatoes, Tofu Packages fragrant with lemongrass and chiles and Golden Beet Tartare are exciting! His Mexican Breakfast Torta with refried black beans and scrambled eggs beats the pants off of any other breakfast sandwich you can imagine. His condiments like Sesame Salt, Onion Chutney and Tomato Confit will add pizzazz to almost everything. Last but not least, though not all the recipes are quite that original, they are all appealing and not terribly challenging to make. My only criticism of the book? Natkin shot the photos in the book himself, and the best ones are where he took a step back and styled the scene a bit. In general the photography suffers from too many close ups that don't always do justice to the food.

Disclaimer: These books were provided as review copies, the links are to Amazon.com where I do have an affiliate account. 

Chopper Chef Knife Giveaway & Favorite Knives

Congratulations to Greg Patent, A Baker's Odyssey cookbook author (a great book by the way) and The Baking Wizard blogger who won the Chopper Chef Knife in the giveaway.  

In looking at the comments I found it interesting that so most people love their chef knives best, especially the 8-inch, though some like larger and some like smaller knives. Santoku knives were popular too. 

If you didn't win, just a reminder, New West Knife Works is also holding a contest  and giving away an entire knife block. Head over to their Facebook page to enter.

Disclaimer: I was given a knife to review by New West KnifeWorks and they are also providing the prize in this giveaway

Strawberry, Bacon and Fried Egg Sandwich

Today is a very exciting day for us, for two reasons.  The first involves bacon.  Strawberry and bacon.  Remember a few weeks (months?) ago when we made these fun mini sandwiches?  Well we were so taken by the strawberry bacon combination that we decided to make another sandwich with our new obsession, but this time, a breakfast one.  Because breakfast needs some of that strawberry bacon love.  The second thing that makes today exciting is that we are guest posting over at Chef Dennis’s site!  We are so super excited and honored to be over there today!  Not only does he serve up mouthwatering food, he provides indispensable blogging advice.  So go and check him out!

See the full recipe and ramblings here...

Kitchen Knives & Chopper Chef Knife Giveaway

To cook you need a knife. It's as simple as that. You can "cook" raw food without a stove, possibly even manage a meal without running water, but cooking generally requires trimming, cutting, chopping, paring, slicing and dicing. The knife or knives you choose are up to you. Some prefer smaller knives, others like large knives. I've found that no matter how many knives you own, you likely will gravitate towards one or two. 

What knives do you need? 

If you had to limit yourself to the bare minimum, I'd say you should have a small paring knife, a large chefs knife and a serrated knife. The paring knife is ideal for trimming, peeling and small jobs in general, the chefs knife for just about everything else except slicing bread and tomatoes, which is why you need a serrated knife. After that it's really up to you. Which knives you choose, the style and size, are a completely personal decision, but I would recommend finding something you are comfortable using and that is the best quality you can afford. 

Choosing a knife

I have a few ceramic knives I enjoy using, but they are very delicate and can easily break and chip. Most knives are made from steel. But there are lots of different kinds of steel. Stainless steel knives are fairly inexpensive but don't retain a sharp edge for very long. Carbon steel does stay sharp longer, but is prone to darkening and requires proper care or it will rust. High carbon stainless steel pretty much offers the best of both worlds. I have Japanese and German knives. Both are good, none are perfect, and it's nice to have a variety of each. 

Chopper Chef knife review

Recently while my knives were being sharpened at Bernal Cutlery, a shop that specializes in sharpening using a Japanese whetstone, I had the pleasure of using an American made knife from New West KnifeWorks. I already have two of their steak knives and I really enjoy using them. The knife I received was their Chopper Chef Knife, which is similar to a santoku knife in shape. It's smaller than I typically prefer, but has nice heft, balance and an ergonomic handle. The cutting edge of the blade is very large. It's also gorgeous, thanks to the fusion wood handle. If you had to choose just one knife, this is a very good choice, small enough to handle paring and trimming jobs and heavy and long enough to chop your way through a large onion or even to butcher a chicken or chop meat for stew. 

Giveaway

Thanks to New West Knife Works I am giving away a Chopper Chef Knife (retail value $119) to one lucky reader! 

To win:

1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me which knife you use the most, or your favorite knife

2. The contest will end at 10 pm PST on Sunday, July 29, 2012. 

3. A winner will be chosen at random and will be announced on Monday, July 30, 2012.

4. Giveaway is open to US residents or anyone with a US mailing address.

5. One comment per person, please, and you must include your email address to win (in the registration is fine, you don't need to leave it in the body of the comment). 

New West Knife Works is also holding a contest of their own and giving away an entire knife block. Head over to their Facebook page to enter.

Disclaimer: I was given a knife to review by New West KnifeWorks and they are also providing the prize in this giveaway

Chocolate Sesame Ice Cream with Tahini

It is fascinating that every family has its own unique food culture.  Each person’s preferences and quirks all come together to create this culinary superpersonality that resides in the kitchen.  Our’s is named Charles.  Like Charles from MASH, a show for which we have an odd obsession.  Both of these Charles are fussy and arrogant. Charles is the presence that demands peanut butter in savory dishes.  Only savory dishes.  Not sweet ones.  He definitely eschews the classic chocolate and peanut butter combination.  Charles declares that no whole or chopped raw tomatoes are to be used.  Tomatoes have to be pureed into a state that shows no sign that a whole tomato fruit with pulp and seeds and insides actually existed.  Charles is squeamish around raw mushrooms, but not cooked ones.  Charles will eat green apples raw, but never ever cooked, which means no apple pie.  You get the picture.  I personally had a recent craving for chocolate and peanut butter.  But our friend Charles wouldn’t be into that.  It occurred to me that tahini, a preferred ingredient of his, can sort of act like peanut butter.  And though it may have started out as a compromise dessert, letting me curb my craving for chocolate and peanut butter without actually subjecting Seth, I mean “Charles,” to being in proximity to said combination, it became something more.  The tahini lends a wonderfully subtle earthiness to the chocolate, while the roasted sesame seeds became fun little crispy surprises with each bite.  It came into its own, satisfying everyone.  Even Charles.

Ingredients
1 cup whole milk
6-8 ounces good chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup cocoa powder
pinch salt
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup tahini
¼ cup roasted sesame seeds

Ingredients
In a large microwaveable bowl, whisk together the milk, chocolate, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.  Microwave gently in 20 second intervals, stirring between each one.  Once the chocolate has melted completely, stir in cream, vanilla, and tahini.  Chill.  Place in ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions.  Stir in the sesame seeds when the ice cream is about 2/3 of the way churned.  Finish churning, then eat!

Vegetarian Green Chili recipe

Vegetarian green chili was the request for dinner the other night. Chili is very popular at my house. But I rarely make it the same way twice. It might be red or green made with white beans or black beans. I have made it with pork, beef, bison, turkey and chicken, but I like the challenge of creating a truly satisfying vegetarian chili. Somewhere a Texan is not very happy about that.

For this version of vegetarian green chili I knew I wanted to use Green Pepper Tabasco sauce which is made with jalapeños. Fresh jalapeños can vary greatly in heat, but the jalapeño version of Tabasco is always consistent. In addition I used many other green ingredients, some traditional like roasted chiles and tomatillos and one very non-traditional ingredient, spinach. I know that might sound strange, but it's really good. The slightly sour edge of spinach and tomatillos cuts through the starchy sweetness of the white beans. This recipe is a keeper and I know I will be making it again. By they way, when you buy tomatillos, choose the small or medium ones, not the large ones, which can be spongy and almost hollow.

I don't know about you, but I get very carried away when it comes to chili toppings. I usually set out little bowls with sour cream or plain yogurt, shredded cheese (queso fresco this time), chopped green or red onions, chopped cilantro and lime wedges. What do you like to put on top of your chili? Did I miss anything good? With the chili I serve cornbread, tortillas or tortilla chips.

Vegetarian Green Chili 

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 pound white beans
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken if you prefer)
8 ounces (2 small cans) chopped mild green chiles, drained (such as Hatch or Ortega)
1 cup water
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped
1 Tablespoon Green Pepper Tabasco

Instructions

Cook the white beans according to package instructions. Drain and mash about 1 cup of the beans. Set aside.

Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat, when hot, add the oil. Add garlic and onion and cook, stirring often, until golden about 7 - 10 minutes. To the onions add the cumin, give it a stir then add the tomatillos, salt, sugar, broth, green chiles, and water; heat to boiling over high heat.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes, covered.  Stir in beans the beans, cilantro, spinach and Tabasco sauce; simmer until greens are wilted.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I created this recipe on behalf of Tabasco and I was compensated for it. The choice to post it here, was my own.

Green Bean Panko Oven Fries with Wasabi Sour Cream

So it is summertime, and the supermarket and farmers markets are teeming with vibrant and fresh produce.  Oodles of it.  Mounds of it.  Stone fruits and berries.  Musky melons.  Tender leafy greens.  Sweet corn.  Zucchini and summer squash.  And tomatoes.  Oh the tomatoes.  And you get the picture.  And I feel like I’m supposed to be turning this into salads, letting each piece of produce shine with little adornment, reveling in the joy that comes from eating food at its peak of flavor.  I’m pretty sure it has been mandated that salads are supposed to be the thing you eat lots of in the summer.  And I have maybe made maybe one salad so far?  I’m not sure what the problem is.  Perhaps rebellion?  I have been doing the opposite, though, and turning veggies into oven fries!  So here are green bean fries with a wasabi cream dip.  Of course there would be a dip!

Ingredients
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 cup panko
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin

Dip:
8 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
1 teaspoon lime juice

Instructions
Heat oven to 425.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Boil the green beans for 2 minutes then place in a bowl of ice and water to stop the cooking.  Beat the egg and milk and place in a shallow bowl.  In another shallow bowl, mix together flour, panko, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin.  Coat each green bean first in the egg mixture and then the panko mixture.  Place on a greased or lined baking sheet.  Repeat for each green bean.  Bake about 25 minutes, turning them over about halfway through so that they can crisp and brown on all sides. 

To make the dip, stir the sour cream, wasabi paste, and lime juice together and refrigerate until serving.