Since people are cooking more, reading more, and watching more, I thought I would share a weekly update of what I’ve been up to. I did start working from home full-time last week (the week before) was our “spring break”), and my kids sort of started back to remote school, but then there was a pause in schooling (I know, very confusing). I am lucky because my kids are teenagers, so they are not as high-maintenance as yo...
My husband bought this The America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook (2001) at a used bookstore quite awhile ago, and I hadn’t made anything from it yet. So I sat down and looked through it the other day, and it’s full of good stuff. As I’m sure most of you know, America’s Test Kitchen is a real kitchen in Boston where they test recipes that they publish in Cook’s Illustrated Magazine and demonstrate on their P...
I know most people are cooking more, reading more, and watching more. So I thought I would share what I’ve been up to over the last week or so. But first, a shout out to all of the health care, grocery store, and warehouse employees and so many others who are trying to keep us all safe and healthy! And to everyone else, stay home! It will make the jobs of those essential workers so much easier. Ok, off my soap box. Here are some t...
OK, today I’m trying something new. I call it Anatomy of a Failed Recipe. I think it’s good to admit that not every recipe we try is going to work out great, even if we have been cooking for a long time. It might be the recipe isn’t great. It might be that you are trying a new technique. It might be that you substituted ingredients that did not work out. And it might be that you didn’t have much patience, so you ...
Ok, so since we are all cooking at home a lot, I thought I would go ahead and share some recipes. Canal House Cook Something: Recipes to Rely On by Christoper Hersheimer and Melissa Hamilton is one of those basic recipe cookbooks that are great gifts for anyone who is just starting to cook. A lot of the recipes are just variations on a simple recipe. The one I tried out, Pimiento Cheese, is about as basic as it gets. This is something m...
I guess I have Food Network nostalgia, because here’s another TV star cookbook. Everyday Italian: 123 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Giada De Laurentis is true to its name. These recipes are Italian-American dishes that are quick and easy. She’s not trying to be super authentic or artisnal in her cooking, but she is trying to create dishes that are inspired by her Italian heritage that are easy for home cooks. I think she ...
Whatever happened to Emeril? I remember when he was super popular on the Food Network, and I was a big fan. I lived in Louisiana for a little bit, and I learned to love Cajun food. It’s become a lot easier to get pretty decent Cajun food in the Midwest, but it’s still fun to try some of these dishes at home. I have several Emeril cookbooks, and they are all good. But Emeril’s Potluck: Comfort Food with a Kicked-Up Atti...
It’s a new year, and I should be posting about a new cookbook. But right now I have been pretty stuck on The Fresh and Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. I even bought my own copy, which is rare. I already posted the Crunchy Lentil Salad, which I’ve been making a lot. The recipes in this book are simple, healthy, and tasty! So if you have an Instant Pot, I highly recommend you get a hold of this book. Korean Chicken Bowls Serves ...
I made this cake a few weeks a go, so I wanted to get a short post out about it. The cookbook that this comes from is Simple Cake: All You Need to Keep Your Friends and Family in Cake. The concept is great; it includes ten basic cake recipes, and then variations on those basic cakes. I really want to try out all the recipes! This may be one of those cookbooks I actually purchase, which is high praise. I wanted to try the basic Cinnamon ...
Serves 6 1 1/2 cup lentils 2 cups water 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup minced shallots 1 English cucumber (about 2 cups, diced) 1 red bell pepper 1/2 cup parsley 3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries 3/4 cup sliced almonds (optional) Combine the lentils and water in th...