Cookbook Crush: Molly on the Range

When the world is full of uncertainty; and we're treading the waters of this new political chapter, I am trying to continue to push the positive, and keep this a safe, happy space, in spite of the ugly words and actions in the world right now.  Therefore, I am resuming my normal posting with a favorite series of mine, Cookbook Crush.  When the world seems daunting and scary, I often find myself burrowing into a good book, or five... and finding sanctuary and a safe quiet place to just "be" for a time.  

My latest cookbook crush is the first cookbook from a favorite food blogger of mine, Molly of My Name is Yeh.  I've been reading Molly's blog for probably five years now, following her adventures from studying percussion at Julliard in New York City, eating her way through the various burroughs to her move back to the Midwest to marry her college sweetheart and live on a sugar beet farm straddling the Minnesota/North Dakota border.  Everything that makes her blog memorable, warm, and endearing is lovingly wrapped up in this cookbook, Molly on the Range.  It's a blend of memoir, and anecdotal narratives, peppered with swear words, laugh out loud moments, and of course, recipes of the sweet, savory, holiday, and dessert variety.  The best kind of cookbook.

I checked it out from the library, but alas it was due before I got a chance to make any of her recipes.  Guess this one will have to go on my Christmas list.  Santa??

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Cookbook Crush: Date Night In

This episode of Cookbook Crush is especially special, as not only have I purchased this cookbook after my usual pre-reading via the local library, but I made three recipes from it within my first week of purchase.  Cha-Ching!  As such, it is definitely crush-worthy, and worth a look!

Date Night In is the brainchild of Seattle chef/baker Ashley Rodriguez, author of the popular food blog, Not Without Salt.  This cookbook reads as a smattering of heartfelt anecdotes, describing how amidst their hectic lives, both working full-time, and raising three kids, she and her husband Gabe felt the need to reconnect weekly in order to sustain their relationship.  However, not being able to afford pricy date nights out every week, they were forced to improvise. Hence, "date night in" was born.  They began having date nights every Thursday - meaning dinner for just the two of them - no kids allowed, enjoyed after their children were tucked away in bed.  

The cookbook is organized in a series of complete meals portioned for two people, in addition to timelines for prep in the days ahead, handy lists of ingredients needed to complete the meal, and notations relaying the significance of the recipes chosen.  Now often, I skip the little blurbs in cookbooks, after all I'm here for the recipes, right?  But no, not with this one.  Ashley's cookbook reads like a love letter to both her craft and her family, and it's emotion is palpable and inspiring.  

So far, I've made maple-coriander carrots, apple radicchio slaw, and strawberry shortcake trifle, with about a dozen other recipes bookmarked for future endeavors.  All were superb and I find myself actually excited to read and reread this cookbook again and again, it's truly that good!

Happy cooking!

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Cookbook Crush: At My Table

I have a lot of cookbook crushes these days - after months of lingering in my library queue, it seems that all the new cookbooks arrived ready for pickup all at once.  So gear up friends, this is likely to be the first of many new cookbook crush posts!

At My Table is the most recent cookbook by Nigella Lawson.  Truth be told, it's the first cookbook I've ever read by her, despite the fact that she's quite popular on the food scene and has a smattering of bestselling cookbooks over the past 15 years.  It might be high time I add her previous publications to my library queue, as every recipe in At My Table is pure gold!  It's packed with comforting, healthy-ish that dishes are hearty, flavorful, and relatively easy to concoct.  In addition to the fact that they don't require too many unusual ingredients, always a plus. Pretty much every page sound utterly  satisfying and delicious!

Thus far, I've made the beef and eggplant fatteh and bookmarked include turmeric rice with cardamom and cumin...  So many good recipes, so little time.  Christmas wish list cookbook perhaps?

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Cookbook Crush: Skinnytaste Fast and Slow

Of all of my cookbook crush posts, this one has to be the most "successful" in terms of recipes attempted, made, and flagged for future use.  I've had Skinnytaste Fast and Slow roughly a month (after checking out from the library to verify it's credibility), and as of today, I've made 7 of the recipes, several more than once.  The selling point of this cookbook is the abundance of slow cooker recipes, simplicity of directions, emphasis on quick prep, and overall flavor packed in every meal.  I mean it, every meal has been delicious!  In fact, I've discovered that two of my close friends also swear by this cookbook, and since our revelation, we've had an ongoing text thread sharing our latest meals, suggestions, and tips.  

I know, I know, I'm a big pusher of cookbooks, but don't believe me?  Here's the recipes we've made thus far: egg roll bowls, slow cooker hamburger stroganoff, slow cooker Korean-style beef tacos, Greek sheet pan chicken, slow cooker buffalo chicken lettuce wraps, Santa Fe turkey egg rolls with avocado ranch sauce, and slow cooker goulash with sauerkraut.  Most (but not all) have been hits with kids, which is also a huge bonus.  Truth be told, I was even reluctant to pick up this cookbook as I didn't love her first cookbook (I was a little put off by the title 'Skinnytaste' if I'm being honest), but I'm so glad I opted to give Gina Homolka a second chance.  Worth every penny.

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Cookbook Crush: Homemade Decadence

So I bit the bullet and bought Joy the Baker's new cookbook, Homemade Decadence on Amazon pre-order.  Yes, I couldn't even wait until it's actual release.  OMG you guys, this cookbook is awesome.  I love reading a cookbook like an actual book, cover to cover, reading the food "chapters," in sequence in addition to the little blurbs and notations that give you insight into the baker/chef's vision.  

This cookbook is seriously mouth-water inducing.  Some favorites from my first reading: for brunch: whole wheat, peach, and fresh sage scones, sour cream coffee cake with brown butter glaze, and roasted-potato breakfast nachos (hello, yum!)…Sweets: chocolate-malted oatmeal cookies with salted peanuts; dark chocolate, pistachio, and smoked sea salt cookies….Pies and Cakes: apple pie with cheddar-bacon crust, and of course, the cookbook cover's chocolate-peanut butter pretzel layer cake.  YUM!

 I might have to cook and bake my way through this Julie & Julia style. For real.

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Cookbook Crush

Despite the availability of recipes on the internet, I'm still a sucker for a good old fashioned cookbook.  There's just something about flipping through the page after page of delectable recipes to find the perfect one that an easy click to a website can't quite emulate.  These are a few of my recent faves:

 I'm sure you've heard of Joy the Baker, right?  If not, go swing by her fabulous blog, you'll be drooling over the recipes in a New York minute.  Her cookbook is no different, page after page of delectable eats and treats.

Everyone loves the Pioneer Woman.  Her new book, Food From My Frontier is great because all of the recipes are featured in play-by-play photographs so you can truly make sure you are executing each recipe correctly to create the desired final product.

I can't resist a good bakery cookbook - another fun one is The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook, a couple from Savannah, Georgia.  Their recipe of Mexican hot chocolate shortbread is swoonworthy!

Dinner: A Love Story is one of my favorite blogs!  Their cookbook of the same name is set to debut June 5th, and I can't wait to check it out!   

Any other fantastic cookbooks you've heard about that I should be reading?

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Cookbook Crush

It's All Good finally came up on my queue at the library, and let me tell you, this is a good cookbook!  Even in this day and age where recipes are perpetually available via the internet, there's just something about reading a recipe out of a cookbook that I prefer.  Call me old fashioned, I guess.

Gwyneth's cookbook focuses on returning to whole foods, eliminating processed foods, and creating a diet that is clean, healthy, and packed with proteins and leafy greens.  Basically, every page looks utterly healthy yet simultaneously delicious!  

While I enjoy homecooking, and enjoy trying out new recipes, but unless I have a specific recipe to follow point by point, I don't have a lot of memorized staples in my repertoire.  Particularly in regards to vegetables, which I typically prefer anyway as an entree to chicken or beef.  That's where I think this cookbook prevails; with recipes that seem easy enough to make, eventually memorize, and master without the need of skimming a cookbook page at every turn.  

A few recipes I've got my eye on...

+ grilled asparagus + portobellos with shallots + soy dressing

+ broccoli rabe with garlic + red chili

+ simple beet salad

+ carrots with black sesame + ginger

+ charred corn with chimichurri

+ roasted cauliflower + chickpeas with mustard + parsley

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Cookbook Crush: Cravings Hungry For More // Dinner Last Night: Chicken and Dumplings

Do you follow Chrissy Teigen?  Sports illustrated model turned cookbook author, her debut cookbook came out in 2016 to rave reviews, and her sophomore cookbook, Cravings Hungry for More is just as appetizing.  I've always loved reading cookbooks cover to cover, and this one is an enjoyable read.  Teigen's personality resonates throughout, each recipe is marked by wry, witty, often self deprecating, and hilarious commentary.  Her food captions and blurbs alone indicate she doesn't take herself or fame too seriously, and I appreciate the blend of down home, kick back and nosh kind of recipes.

I I made her recipe for Chicken and Dumplings last week for dinner, and while my kids were extremely skeptical of dumplings in soup, my husband and I thought it was delicious.  The cookbook is organized by sections; breakfast, soups, sandwiches, dinner, snacks, Thai mom, and my personal favorite, "potatoes and their friends," a girl after my own heart.    

Recipes that had me salivating were the crispy buffalo smashies (potatoes), grilled eggplant with crispy shallots, jerk lamb chops with sweet + salty banana rice, coconut short rib curry, and of course, the everything bagel cream cheese breakfast bake.  If any recipe is going to make me return to dairy - pretty sure it will be that one.  This cookbook should be read with a knife and fork, because you'll want to dig right in!

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Cookbook Crush: The Minimalist Kitchen

I am going through a bit of a cookbook renaissance my friends.  I've noticed my cookbook shelf has a few stand out favorites and a sizable handful gathering dust.  I no longer turn to Giada DeLaurentiis with the same enthusiasm as I once did, namely since we've cut back considerably on our pasta consumption.  As for other favorites of years past, I've decided it's time to swap out those I've neglected and refresh my shelf with some new titles.

I still check everything potential cookbook out from the library first.  If you don't do this, convert now, it's a huge money saver!  If you're anything like me, who can easily be swept up in the silken pages and delicious color photos of cookbooks when they're breezily displayed on bookstore shelves.  At any given time, I have about ten cookbooks in my library queue.  Typically there is a wait, so I just bide my time and enjoy my thirty days once they arrive in my name.  I typically read them post bedtime, bookmarking the recipes, before trying to discern if number of sticky notes justifies the price.

A recent favorite which will surely be dogeared once it arrives is The Minimalist Kitchen, the brainchild of Melissa Coleman, you may know her from the blog The Faux Martha.  This cookbook boasts all my favorite things, lovely full paged color photos of the food, easy step-by-step directions, easy tabs indicating make ahead, or ideas for quick substitutions should you not have an ingredient on hand.  I also want to eat every. damn. thing. 

I made her quinoa bimibap bowls for dinner, which was surprisingly well received by my kids, hooray!  Other pages currently sporting sticky notes include the blender dutch baby, soba bowls with peanut sauce, a quick 'n dirty fried rice, takeout cashew chicken, baked falafel pitas with tahini sauce, and while I'm not currently indulging in dairy, I couldn't help but salivate over the recipe for roasted banana cream pie.

Sound good?  Well then, put it on hold already!

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Cookbook Crush

I have my eye on a new cookbook for my Christmas wish list, JERUSALEM the cookbook to be exact.  My friend Lindsay made us an amazing meal from here, chicken with caramelized onions and cardamom rice, and that alone has me intrigued to discover what other gems author Yotto Ollenghi has to offer.  When I looked up this cookbook on Amazon to read a few reviews, I was delighted to that consumers are quite happy as well.  Literally of all 397 reviews posted, they were almost unanimously 5 star reviews.  

Anyone own this cookbook?  If so, what's your favorite recipe?

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Cookbook Crush: Cravings

You guys - I cannot tell you how much I love, love, LOVE this cookbook.  It's no surprise, I get a small thrill every time discover a new worthy cookbook.  Just like finding that latest and greatest I-couldn't-put-it-down book that everyone's been talking about, this discovery represented that for me.

  First, I had no idea who Chrissy Teigen was.  When I stopped ready Us Weekly years ago, I purged all my unnecessary knowledge of random celebrities, names of spouses, kids, names of their restaurants, etc. etc.  In case you also haven't heard of her, she's mildly famous for her modeling days and being John Legend's wife, but more importantly wildly funny.

For the record, a good cookbook in my mind's eye includes the following:

 a). it speaks to me

b). colorful pictures of the food, I'm terribly visual, so pages with just recipes is a no-go

c). narratives to explain the nostalgia, passion, or thinking behind the food

d).  enough delicious sounding (easy) recipes to make my stomach rumble

Cravings is ALL of these and more, though this is far from your typical cookbook!  It is peppered with swear words, healthy-ish recipes but the title speaks to the content, as it is layered with cheesy, rich, and decadent "real life" recipes you actually crave too.  I appreciate this, as who really craves beets, or salad.  Maybe once in a blue moon?  

Trust me, it's worth it.

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Cookbook Crush: Ready or Not! Nom Nom Paleo

The Ready or Not! Nom Nom Paleo cookbook has been in heavy rotation in our house lately as we've cut down on dairy and gluten consumption as a family.  The best part of this cookbook is it makes delicious healthy and flavorful paleo recipes quick and accessible.  I'm happy to report back the recipes we've tried thus far have been kid-approved while being delicious for the adults as well!  The format is also very user friendly, with step by step photographs of the food alongside the written instructions. Also appreciated are suggestions for how to modify or adapt a pressure cooker recipe to suit a slow cooker, that kind of thing.

Last week, I posted our success making bo la lot (betel leaf beef rolls).  We've also tried the Pressure Cooker Bo Ssam (a salty sweet caramelized Korean beef).  The recipe was inspired by David Chang's Momofuku version (I used the adapted instructions for a slow cooker since we don't have a pressure cooker) - it was divine!  I was sorely disappointed I didn't make enough for leftovers.  We've also made hobo stew, souvlaki, and XO pork with blistered green beans.  In addition to having about fifty more recipes bookmarked. 

If you've considered making some dietary changes but still like your familiar favorites - this cookbook is a great gateway into the land of Paleo/Whole 30.

Cookbook Crush: The Lost Kitchen

Have you heard of The Lost Kitchen?  It's a farm to table restaurant in Freedom, Maine that's become so hugely popular they only take reservations by written note. How clever is that?  The chef, Erin French changed to this reservation policy after seeing her demand outpaced her restaurant size.  Low and behold, she received 20,000 reservation requests!  Intrigued by this concept and her restaurant itself, I did some digging, and discovered The Lost Kitchen also has a cookbook, also titled The Lost Kitchen.

The cookbook catalogues her arduous journey to from a secret supper club to establishing the restaurant, only to be literally locked out and lose everything in a messy divorce.  I found her story extremely compelling, a bonus narrative to the pages upon pages of delicious farm fresh recipes.  Notably the rhubarb spoon cake, chamomile creme brûlée, and apple cider and rosemary sorbet (she does have more recipes than purely desserts, I assure you).  

It's a cookbook I hadn't seen on any recent bestseller lists, or Amazon bookstore shelves, but one worthy of a read, or at least a timely flip through. 

Cookbook Crush

The latest cookbook I'm coveting - The New Brooklyn Cookbook. Only the trendiest of trendy contributed to this bad boy. I checked this out from the library, and have been salivating over delectable dishes from Brooklyn's finest ever since. Now all I want to do is hop on a plane and eat my way through the borough!

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Cookbook Crush

If you're new to my blog, you might not know my insider tip for buying new cookbooks.  Before I ever purchase a cookbook, I always check it out at the library first.  This allows me to weed out the superb from the sub-par, and peruse each book at leisure, before I make the financial commitment to cook beyond my culinary means. 

My latest borrow from the library was What Katie Ate by Katie Quinn Davies.  She also has a blog of the same name with plenty of delectable eats.  This cookbook boasts impeccable food photographs, funky fonts, and an artsy piecemeal spread of text and graphics that has a vintage vibe.

Some recipes that stood out to me...

+ Strawberry, apple, and almond breakfast muffins

+ Caramelized onion and goat cheese tartlets with balsamic syrup

+ Pumpkin ravioli with brown-butter sauce and roasted pecans

+ Barbecued sweetcorn with chile, mint, and lime butter

+ rhubarb, mascarpone, and hazelnut tartlets

Yum!

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Cookbook Crush: Pull Up a Chair

I really don't need to pine over another cookbook.  But this one, Pull Up A Chair...it's just too delightful to resist.  Perhaps it was her lovable Kelly Capowski alter ego from the Saved by the Bell glory days, but Tiffani Thiessen seems like a much more relatable, dare I saw "normal" celebrity turned cookbook author.   She just doesn't seem to take herself too seriously in the vein that Gwyneth many others tend to do.  

Her recipes are reasonable, inventive but not too complicated, and at first glance, I felt like I'd make more than I wouldn't.   the sound of most.  A few that popped out at me; nectarine caprese salad, pickle and potato salad, and samosa hand pies with apple chutney (which I did make, and it was delicious).

Anyway, it's worth a perusal at the least. Bon appetit!

Cookbook Crush

Currently crushing on this cookbook, Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan. Consider this cookbook the new-age ode to the joy of French cooking, inspired by Ms. Julia Child herself. I checked this big book out from my local library and am just in awe of page after page of delicious, fantastic recipes leaping out from the page in beautiful bold photographs. I even started to bookmark recipes before realizing, oh wait, this isn't even my copy... Birthday present perhaps?

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Cookbook Crush: It's All Easy

Alright peeps, it's official, I'm on the band wagon.  I'm drinking the GP Kool-Aid because this cookbook is AMAZING!  I haven't been sold on GP's other cookbooks despite my enjoyment in reading them; flipping through the glossy pages and perusing the names of eclectic recipes.  While I've enjoyed the idea of them, they've all seemed a bit complicated, far fetched, or obscure for weeknight family dinners, but It's All Easy is a game changer.

In typical cookbook-reading fashion, my copy is already ridiculously bookmarked up with yellow post its, I've made three of said bookmarked dishes, and the verdict: all were easy-ish and most importantly, scrumptious!  Winner, winner, chicken dinner!  Or in GP's case, mostly vegetarian, organic, farm-to-table, cage-free goodness, etc. etc. etc.  

Tried and true from our kitchen - Moroccan chicken salad wraps even had my husband swooning, pan bagnat, and Indian creamed spinach - all of which have all been superb.  

While I won't go as far to claim this title is entirely accurate, I'm definitely enjoying eating the fruits of my investment. Keep it up GP!

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Dinner Last Night: Takeout Cashew Chicken

Dinner last night: takeout cashew chicken a la The Faux Martha's new cookbook, The Minimalist Kitchen. I featured this cookbook on the blog a few weeks ago as my most recent cookbook crush, and have since purchased and bookmarked up about 90% of the pages with sticky notes. 😍 This recipe was delish, healthy and clean, passed the kid approval test, and made for superb leftovers. 

Cookbook Crush

After watching the Top Chef finals in Singapore and Samantha Brown Asia, I'm very interested in the street food culture. We were lucky enough to try some amazing street food in Japan, especially yakitori and takoyaki. And as always, street food is best when cooked right in front of you and eaten standing on a busy city corner!

So now, I'm crushing on this cookbook, Thai Street Food. It debuts soon, and I can't wait to try and replicate the best of SE Asia's street food on my own!

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