My New Favorite Things in the Kitchen
Several years ago, I was watching a program on HGTV about renovating kitchens. In one episode, a woman was sitting in a big, poofy chair reading a book in front of a fireplace – in the kitchen. The entire fireplace was surrounded with shelves filled with cookbooks. To this day, I get happy thinking about that woman and the happy place she created in her kitchen. It would be no surprise to anyone who actually knows me to hear that the kitchen is my happy place. And this year it got even happier with a few of my NEW favorite things.
EAT YOUR BOOKS: My cookbooks make me smile. And now, thanks to the brilliant mind of Jane Kelly, and the site Eat Your Books, I have found a way to utilize my cookbooks more efficiently. In addition to cookbooks, I also have a collection of food magazines that are neatly tucked away, in date order, in special boxes. Jane’s provided me with a way to access the recipes in the magazines without cutting the magazines to pieces or tagging the recipes with post-it notes. Needless to say I had a fun day taking all the color-coded tags off all the pages. I can; however, tag recipes and write notes in EYB so I can easily find the recipes again.
Here’s how the Eat Your Books site works. Once you register for an account, you begin entering your cookbooks and magazines on to your virtual bookshelf. Many, but not all, of the titles listed on the EYB site have been indexed. That means someone has gone through the cookbook and made an index of all the recipe names and the major ingredients. Let’s say you have a bucket of fennel and you want to find a few recipes that feature fennel. You could go searching through all your cookbooks and magazines (*sigh*) or you could login to EYB, go to your bookshelf, and type in the word “fennel” in the search box. A list of all the books and magazines on your shelf with fennel as an ingredient will appear. That’s how easy it is. You won’t find recipes…the search results will simply point you to the right place to look.
The annual membership for EYB is $25. Okay, that’s four cups of fancy coffee and it’s totally worth it. And, to sweeten the deal, EYB is now indexing recipe blogs, too. Trust me. If you have ten or more cookbooks, you’ll love this site. One more little, but not unimportant, item. Many of the indexed magazines have recipes online. That means you can put a magazine on your virtual bookshelf – that you don’t own – use it to meal plan, and then get directed to the online recipe. It makes me happy just thinking about it. Lastly, it’s a perfectly good reason to buy more cookbooks. Just sayin’.
FINE COOKING: One of the magazines I really enjoy reading is Fine Cooking. It’s my “go to” magazine for figuring out different ways to use one ingredient. For example, in one issue, they show you how to use carrots as a side dish for Thanksgiving – six different ways. I have hardcopy going back quite a few years, but they’re in a box in the basement so I could make room for more cookbooks. Several months ago, I bought a DVD recipe archive of Fine Cooking magazines going back to the first issue in 1994. The DVD offers lots of little extras like search functions, tips, and more. And, for less than the cost of a subscription, you can get each new year on DVD, too. But, I couldn’t stop there. Keep in mind that Fine Cooking is indexed on EYB, not all 17 years, but it’ll happen. I took the time to convert all the issues to PDF and uploaded them on to my number one favorite thing in the kitchen…
APPLE iPAD: It’s changed my cooking experience. I’ve now stopped subscribing to magazines in hardcopy. I read them on my iPad using Zinio or some other app, or I upload them to iBooks, or I search recipes in magazines on my bookshelf using EYB. I’m still waiting for the Lucky Peach magazine app to get out of the lab and on to my iPad – the first issue was a thing of beauty. There are several apps available for cooks in the App store, but I find I have such a great variety available on my bookshelf that I rarely need to look elsewhere. And, I also have quite a few eCookbooks, too. I rarely have excessive “downtime” in my life, but when a moment occurs where I’m waiting in a doctor’s office, at the airport, getting my oil changed, or I can’t sleep at night, I simply pull out my iPad and read a magazine or a book, my Bible, or plan a meal.
In addition to all my print resources, I also have a very large database of recipes. I’ve recently migrated them off of recipe software to Google Docs where I can now access them from anywhere using my iPad. Well, almost anywhere. I’m still waiting for Google to make an really good app to access docs. In the meantime, I use an app I don’t really like, but it works.
I use my iPad outside of the kitchen, too. It keeps the kids entertained for hours, I stalk people on facebook and twitter, I read books and blogs, and I get all the news I need in a 9.5″x7.31″ space.
Maybe one day you’ll find me sitting in front of a fireplace in my kitchen reading a cookbook. Meanwhile, my NEW favorite things make me happier in the kitchen. Well, my knives do, too. Okay, and my cookware. Hmmm…and my food processor. I do love my hand blender. Then there’s the food mill. Did I mention my knives?
A Taste of Shanghai
How happy am I? I finished reading Richard Wong’s, Modern Asian Flavors: A Taste of Shanghai (Chronicle Books, San Francisco: 2005). Richard Wong is the founder and owner of chinablue. On the culinary page of the chinablue sight, you’ll find a selection of Wong’s sauces and glazes. In his cookbook, you’ll find recipes for Shanghainese sauces, too. Wong says, “Each sauce in the chapter is based on an original recipe for a Shanghainese dish as cooked by my family for generations.” Did you know that Shanghainese don’t cook with garlic? Oh, but I digress. The sauces are base flavors for all the dishes that follow. Add a little oil to the Tangy Ginger Sauce (pg. 30) and you have a salad dressing. Add some sparkling water and you have a refreshing spritzer. I love this concept. Once you master the sauces, you’re on your way. The sauce recipes are really simple but bursting with flavor.
In the Soup and Salad chapter, I loved the authentic Chinese Chicken Salad (pg.64) recipe. The Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers (pg.71) with turkey and mushrooms and the tasty Red Pepper Sauce look delicious. I can almost taste the flavors. The Barbecued Pork Short Ribs (pg.81) are marinated and basted with Sweet Scallion Sauce (pg.33), which is also used on the Sweet Scallion Shrimp (pg.93). I love this. The Sweet and Sour Rice (pg.116) has a simple list of ingredients. The notes say, “This salad has an innocently addictive, clean, sweet, and tart flavor.” Yummy! It looks fantastic. You won’t want to miss Chinese Spaghetti (pg.125) made with chunks of pork and tofu, and a delicious list of ingredients.
The Dessert chapter is AMAZING! I’m not kidding. And, as I often say, I’m not a dessert person. But c’mon. These recipes are lovely. Tangy Ginger Bananas (pg.130) or in the summer, peaches and nectarines, and in the fall, apples and pears. Peach Wonton Crisps (pg.133) are beautiful and tasty. Sweet Anise Custard (pg.136) brings out the Greek in me. And, tada, Strawberry-Lemon Tapioca (pg.139). Now that’s dessert.
Richard Wong filled this cookbook with joy, a love for life, and a celebration of flavors from Shanghai. Noel Barnhurst’s food images are beautiful and brings the food to life. A lovely combination. Thank you, Mr Wong. I hear the bell ringing!
Chef Jeff Cooks
If I had to choose between working in a kitchen for Gordon Ramsay or Jeff Henderson, I’d have a very difficult time making that choice – for many reasons. Ramsay is a kitchen king, a wealth of knowledge, a food god. Henderson is a teacher, a coach, a mentor. Now if Thomas Keller was a choice, well, don’t be silly. My bags are packed.
In 2008, Caressa and I faithfully watched The Chef Jeff Project on the Food Network. In the show, Chef Henderson puts six at-risk youth to work at his catering company to help turn their lives around. The show was quite a learning experience and I gained a great deal of respect for Chef Henderson. He understands how to motivate people, to make them want more out of life, and he inspires people to do better in all areas of their lives.
When I saw this book on the shelf at my local book store, Chef Jeff Cooks: In the Kitchen with America’s Inspirational New Culinary Star, by Jeff Henderson (Simon & Schuster, New York: 2008), I eagerly took the cookbook home. After paying for it. :)
Here’s a bit of what Chef Henderson says in the Introduction:
This is not just a cookbook; it’s a testimonial to my desire to succeed and inspire lives. It’s also a tribute to those who have been instrumental in shaping who I am today. I found my way into the kitchen by accident, but I believe today it was my destiny. God gave me my life’s vision behind the stove, and cooking has become my gift to you.
There are many black and white pictures throughout the book and the center signature is packed with beautiful color food images. The layout is simple with most recipes falling on one page. There’s also a reference section at the end. The table of contents is a little different and helps you to understand where Chef Henderson is going on his culinary journey:
- Stocks and Broths
- Appetizers
- Sauces and Condiments
- Soulful Soups and Chowders
- Salads
- Vinaigrettes and Dressings
- Family-Style Sandwiches
- Vegetables and Greens
- Potatoes, Starches, and Grains
- Dinners
- Time to Grill
- Baked Breads and Sweets
- Ice Creams and Sweets
The recipes are down-home, packed with flavor, and easy to execute. Although there is no doubt Chef Henderson can bring his Bellagio best to any dish, he isn’t a show-off and remembers for whom he wrote the book. I loved the stories scattered throughout the book – very delightful, very inspiring.
The Sweet Potato Soup (pg.59) will set you straight and get you saved. The King Crab Gumbo (pg.61) will wow your Southern friends. The Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing (pg.91) is better than the one I’ve tried to rip-off from Crocodile Restaurant for many years. The Turkey Smoked Collard Greens (pg.123) are far better than mine. The Caramelized Cabbage (pg. 128) was a delightful surprise. The Sweet Potato Risotto (pg.137), oh my, it was delicious. The Molasses Braised Beef Short Ribs (pg.176) will change your life.
Chef Henderson, who lives in Las Vegas with his wife (*sigh*) and three kids, recently worked on a book project called The America I AM: Pass It Down Cookbook (Smiley Books), to honor and preserve African Americans collective family food histories and legacies. It’s due out February 2011. His first book, the memoir Cooked, was a New York Times bestseller and is slated to become a feature film. This is not “just” a cookbook, it’s a food journey and a story filled with over 150 recipes. Enjoy!
Cat Cora’s Classics
A twist, indeed. From one Greek girl to another…well done, Cat Cora.
Honestly, this is not what I expected when I purchased Cat Cora’s Classics With A Twist: Fresh takes on favorite dishes (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: New York, 2010). Cat Cora successfully takes “everyday classics” and imparts fresh and exciting flavors, while keeping things healthy and delicious. And I say, “Prove it!”
There’s no denying her Greek heritage. Her use of feta, Greek yogurt, pita bread, olives, and oregano brought joy to my heart. But she didn’t limit her flavors to a Mediterranean cast of characters. If you’re looking for a way to add a few flavorful stand-by recipes to your routine, you’ll like this book.
- The appetizer/drink chapter served up 14 offerings – my favorites (so far) are Greek-style nachos, warm onion dip, baked jalepeno (just pretend there’s a doodah over the n), stuffed mushrooms, and smoked salmon and wasabi tea sandwiches made with brioche. I love brioche.
- The soup/salad chapter served up 21 offerings – loved the tom-mozz skewers w/bloody mary vinaigrette; chopped vegetable salad w/a mustard vinaigrette; chicken soup w/coconut milk, fresh basil, and chiles; Japanese udon noodle soup; turkey, leek, and potato cream soup; spicy caesar salad w/chipotle croutons; minestrone verde; American tomato soup (not a can-opener in sight); sweet potato clam chowder w/bacon. That’s some serious eats with a whole lotta flavor.
- The main and side dishes are combined together for a total of 34 offerings – there’s way too many good recipes to list them all so I’ll do some serious editing: Greek grilled feta butter sandwishes; salmon burgers w/herbed sherry mayo; sweet corn risotto w/herbes de provence; potato and mushroom “risotto” w/sage (big winner); chicken stroganoff w/tarragon and mustard; spinach paella; tomatillo lamb stew.
- The dessert chapter didn’t wow me…but then I’m not really a fan of dessert. However, there was one recipe that stood out: Caribbean sweet potato pie w/coconut and rum. Hello!
- Last, but certainly not least, is the “Good to know” chapter, where Cat offers up eleven of her basics: stocks, sauces, herb blends, and more.
For the record, Cat Cora is no slouch. She became the first female chef on Iron Chef America. She is the executive chef of Bon Appetit, and she’s the author of Cooking from the Hip and Cat Cora’s Kitchen – of which I own neither and that needs to be rectified immediately, or in time for my birthday. :) Then again, I’ll be happy to wait for Christmas.
She has a restaurant called CCQ in Costa Mesa, California, and Kouzzina at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
And, in the event you’ve forgotten, she’s a Greek girl. Opa!
Thai Food and Cooking
Back in 1990-something, my friend Craig and I walked in to Five Star Thai Cuisine, a small restaurant in downtown San Diego. He’d been there a few times before me so he knew the menu and proceeded to walk me through it. We were mesmerized by the Mee Krob and ordered it every time we visited the restaurant. Needless to say, we were very disappointed when Five Star closed its doors. At that time, there were no other Thai restaurants in the area. The memory of that Mee Krob has haunted me for years and years. Though I’ve eaten in many Thai restaurants since then, I’ve never been able to find it on a menu.
As I was walking through the pages of Judy Bastyra & Becky Johnson’s, Thai Food and Cooking, A fiery and exotic cuisine: the traditions, techniques, ingredients and recipes (Anness Publishing Ltd 2003,2010), I came across a recipe for Mee Krob (pg. 210) and here’s the recipe intro:
The name of this dish means “deep-fried noodles” and it is very popular in Thailand. The taste is a stunning combination of sweet and hot, salty and sour, while the texture contrives to be both crisp and chewy. To some Western palates, it may seem rather unusual, but this delicious dish is well worth making.
I really enjoyed this recipe book. It’s oversized, 12″x9″, and filled will beautiful food images. The authors take you into a Thai kitchen and introduce you to the simple ingredients found in the pantry – almost 40 pages of tasty info. I liked this section: the notes, pictures, and instructions. The recipes are relatively simple, the ingredients – perhaps a bit difficult to find in your average grocery store – add a depth of flavor not found in most dishes.
The recipes are broken down in to the usual categories including a chapter on rice dishes and one for noodle dishes. The appetizer and snack chapter took me by surprise. A very, very delightful bunch of tasty morsels that I fully intend to test on friends and family at my earliest convenience. IMHO, there are no loser recipes in this collection. My hat is off to the authors for a lovely work of art and a great collection of recipes.
