The Art of the Cookbook

“Always start out with a larger pot 

than what you think you need.” 

― Julia Child

Even as a child, I remember thumbing through the pages of my parents' cookbooks, discovering new dishes and finding foreign ingredients.  Back then, cookbooks seldom looked the way they do now.  No glossy full-page photographs or food stylists or assumption that the reader was a foodie--just the words of the chef, perhaps a drawing or two and the trusted recipe.  

"Pinkalicious" Raspberry Cupcakes

Yes, yes, I know some of you may say, why are you sharing a recipe that includes boxed cake mix?  Well, I say to you, naysayers, Giada does it!  And if it's good enough for Giada, it's just fine for me. 

Pretty Monday: Cookbooks

The Food of Spain...is delicioso!

Ahem...yes, darlings, I realize we are but a few mere hours away from Tuesday, but my Monday was not especially pretty.  Be it late, here are some pretties for your Monday (or Tuesday or Wednesday)...

One of Miss Dahl's Delights

On a lazy afternoon, one of my favorite pastimes is slowly meandering through a lavishly illustrated cookbook.  Sure, the old Larousse Gastronomique or Mastering the Art of French Cooking are invaluable to cooks for their methods and steps and advice...in other words: words.  But, the cookbooks I like best are those with glorious photos.  As an inherently visual being and an always-hungry one, books brimming with beautiful photographs transport me.  We eat with our eyes first, right? 

Sugar & Spice

“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!” 
― Julia Child, My Life in France

My dad is the culinary expert in my family.  He is a fearless cook who leads with instinct rather than recipes.  In my thirty years as his daughter, I can only think of one time when I didn't love what he served (the infamous puréed tuna Niçoise of 1997).  Generally though, when I'm stumped in the kitchen, I call dad.  He always know exactly what to do.  What should I add to this chicken dish?  Which herb suits sautéd green beens?  What is the perfect way to poach an egg?  

The Perfect Pear Spice Cake

 

My husband declares when I make him something new, "this is the best _________ I have ever had!"  I love this about him. His enthusiastic endorsements of my baking efforts keep me cooking and keep his belly full.  Yesterday with a bowl of ripening baby Bosch pears sitting on the counter, I was determined to make something different, something to celebrate the arrival of autumn. 

Dinner in Provence

“Why not make a daily pleasure out a daily necessity?”

-Peter Mayle, A Year in Provence

Well...truth be told, I didn't jet away to Provence for dinner, darlings (ahem, Dom Pérignon taste on a Bud Light budget?).  But, I had experienced a serious case of Francophilia earlier in the day and needed to prepare something French-inspired to satiate my hunger and wanderlust.  With a mix of fresh summer produce and Mediterranean flavors, voilà: winner winner chicken Provençal dinner!

Breakfast of Champions

Wow, watching Olympians compete sure does make me ravenous!  In honor of our mighty athletes, this morning I whipped up an extra special, extra large breakfast to fuel hubby and me on our morning run.  

Pancakes are my in my usual weekend repertoire, but today, I wanted something especially decadent.  Presenting....Almond Joy Cakes!  The nuttiness of almond flour combined with the richness of coconut milk and chocolate chips proved to be the ultimate Saturday morning treat.  

Brunching: Fig and Ricotta Pancakes

Growing up, the only fig I ever met came in the form of a Newton.  Now in the agricultural paradise known as California, I am lucky to have all varieties of fresh, seasonal produce available for culinary experimentation.  

Each autumn, my hubby consumes vast amounts of figs...usually with a wedge of brie as an evening snack.  So when I saw Tyler Florence's recipe for Spiced Fig and Ricotta Pancakes in the October 2011 issue of House Beautiful, I knew I had to sample the figgy goodness.  

Sunday Brunching

I cannot think of a meal I adore more than brunch.  (Well, in my pregnant state, pre-breakfast, second breakfast, big Euro-style lunch and midday snack are close to a tie with brunch).  Brunch means your guests will be fresh off a restful night of slumber.  Brunch means you can prepare much of your meal the evening before. And brunch means you can justify eating both sugary baked goods and eggy-cheesy goodness in the same glorious feast.

Dinner Time: Taco Tuesday

I've been craving a margarita like mad. But since I will be abstaining until this summer when the wee one arrives, I will satiate my Tex-Mex hunger with tacos this Tuesday.

Dinner Time

"Never eat more than you can lift." -Miss Piggy

 

At nearly five months pregnant, food has become my passion.  There are no more cocktails.  Doctor has ordered that I stay off my feet and forgo exercise.  Shopping has even been tabled for the moment.  So, clearly, food is the thing.  Lately, Miss Piggy and I seem to be using the same parameters for consumption. 

Since it's been especially chilly in SoCal this week, I've been craving comfort food.  Generally, comfort food equals calories.  But, I've discovered a delish lasagna dinner that's perfect for a cool lazy winter's evening but easy on the (in my pregnant case, ever-expanding) waistline.

Ladies who Brunch

Confession: I am jealous of Gwyneth Paltrow.  Big time.  Not because her hair always looks perfectly blond (the woman never has roots).  Not because her ensembles seem effortlessly chic (who cares if she has a stylist).  Not because she speaks perfect Spanish.  Not even because she gets to listen to Chris Martin sing whenever she wants....

I'm way jealous of GP because she got to cook brunch with Ina Garten! 

A Weekend Trip to Morocco

 

Though no passport stamps were acquired (boo)...we did dine on a divine chicken tagine for dinner. 

For the non-Moroccan foodies out there, a tagine is in fact both a braised Moroccan dish and a stoneware container (see exhibit A above). Even if you don't have one of these magic looking baking dishes, with the right ingredients and your slow cooker, you can make the warm, stew-like dish taste like it's straight out of Marrakesh. 

Cooking with Miss Dahl

Confession: at night, when the rest of you flip through magazines or novels on your night stand, I read cookbooks.  There is something so hypnotic about letting my eyes wander through lists of ingredients before I doze off for the night.  

As I turn a cookbook's pages, I get intoxicated by the perfectly delicious color photographs.  I imagine dinner parties I might host or recipes I might try. And, as I shut my eyes for the evening, I dream of fluffy meringues or caramely apple tarts or cozy chicken pot pies...and, of course, I wake up ravenous.

 

This all leads me to my recent great cookbook discovery. Months ago, I started seeing Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights appear everywhere in blogland.  I must admit, what immediately attracted me to the book was the pink and turquoise color palette on the cover.   Just recently, after drooling over the book on Amazon, I treated myself to my very own copy. 

Dinner Time

Saturday evening, along with some dear friends, I dined at a wine bar in Orange County called Wine Works for Everyone.   But more than just pouring glasses of Pinot Noir and Viognier, the restaurant specialized in dishes that paired well with their favorite wines.   The experience (food, wine, and ambiance included) was perfectly lovely, one that I will repeat as soon as possible.

At Wine Works, we ordered a Malbec from Argentina, a wine that seems to have become wildly popular (due to low price and consistently deep flavors) in recent years.  To compliment the spicy notes of the Malbec, I selected short ribs from the menu.  The meat was so perfectly autumnal and satisfying that I set out to recreate the dish at home tonight. At first I was mildly phobic about this seemingly tricky cut of beef, but I discovered a slow cooker recipe that closely mimicked the ribs I tasted over the weekend and was extraordinarily easy as well! 

Dinner Time

In the middle of the week, I need dinners that are fast and involve a few ready-made ingredients.  I love "fortifying" marinara sauce by adding onions, garlic and fresh herbs.  Tonight, I made one of the ultimate comfort foods: stuffed shells.  The benefit of this recipe is that I had enough to make double batches and freeze one for next week!  As Ina would say, "how easy is that?"

Taste Testing: Pumpkin Pancakes

From time to time, I like to share some of my latest culinary finds with y'all.  I am not one to stick to my shopping list---I impulsively add new grocery items to my cart according to my whim.  Recently at Trader Joe's, I discovered "Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix." 

Dinner Time

Fall's flavors are comforting and belly-warming, perfect for a Monday night dinner.  

Tonight we dined on seared pork chops with pear-apple sauce, Parmesan Brussel sprouts and roasted butternut squash and sweet potatoes.  A feast made for a fall evening!

Dinner Time (sort of)

It is is a truth universally acknowledged (forgive me Jane Austen) that bacon can cure any woes, even the most extreme case of the Mondays.  

Scrambled eggs with salsa, buttermilk-banana hotcakes & maple bacon

Restaurant Reverie

In a 2009 episode of No Reservations, Tony Bourdain considered a vanishing breed of New York restaurants: restaurants that were unchanged since the first day they opened their doors. He visited Jewish delicatessens and Italian pasta shops, but his stop at the anachronistic Le Veau d'Or is what delighted my Francophilia the most.  

The minute he set foot in the tiny Upper East Side gem, I sensed I HAVE to eat there and soon, before the place becomes culinary history.  Le Veau d'Or was established in 1937, and the cozy red banquettes, menu of frog legs and escargot, and eighty-five year old maître d' Robert continue ooze Parisian charm and timeless sophistication.