There’s something about cold weather that inspires us to cook comfort foods and gather our friends around the table. Here are some new cookbooks to provide inspiration for our fall (it’s not over yet) and winter entertaining.
Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites
by Deb Perelman
Deb Perelman is one of the first food bloggers I followed. Her recipes are delicious and her writing style is friendly and accessible. The year her first cookbook, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, was published, it was on my Christmas wish list. I’m excited about this new book.
Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites contains “recipes that are unfussy” and supports Deb’s belief that “cooking should be an escape from drudgery.” That sounds good to me. It might be nice to fuss over a meal from time to time, but not at the end of a typical work day.
Here are some culinary options:
- Polenta Baked Eggs with Corn, Tomato and Fontina
- Broccoli, Cheddar and Wild Rice Fritters
- Cauliflower Wedge Salad
- Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar
- Wild Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie
- Crispy Short Rib Carnitas with Sunset Slaw
- Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake
The Home Cook: Recipes to Know by Heart
by Alex Guarnaschelli
Part of the description of The Home Cook: Recipes to Know by Heart took me by surprise, “For generations raised on vibrant, international flavors and supermarkets stocked with miso paste, harissa, and other bold condiments and ingredients, here are 300 recipes to replace their parents’ Chicken Marbella…”
Is someone replacing my beloved Chicken Marbella?
Not wanting to be left behind in the food world, I took a closer look at the recipes in this “All-in-one cooking bible for a new generation.” I was hooked at Fennel Orange Salad with Walnut Pesto.
Other tempting recipes include:
- Glazed Five-Spice Ribs
- Spicy Farro and Chicken Soup with Cilantro
- Poached Salmon with Paprika and Dill
- Orecchiette with Bacon, Lemon and Cream
- Pear Almond Crisp
- Chocolate Almond Whoopie Pies
- Orange Walnut Bundt Cake
P.S. I’m still making Chicken Marbella.
Myers + Chang At Home
by Joanne Chang and Karen Akunowicz
Joanne Chang’s Banana Bread recipe (you can find it in Flour) is my most frequently used recipe. I use it to make banana bread and I adapt it to make other fruit breads.
Myers + Chang At Home is on my wish list. I was drawn to the photo of the Hakka Eggplant on the book’s Amazon page. This sentence sealed the deal, “The important ingredients are the thick dark soy sauce which adds a licorice-y taste and tons of Thai basil, which lends a different dose of the anise kick that is already present in the dish.” “Licorice-y” and “anise kick” are compelling flavors to encounter in a savory dish.
I hope to try some of the following:
- Kale and Fennel Salad with Fuyu Persimmons
- Lemony Shrimp Dumplings with Kimchi-Yogurt Dipping Sauce
- Red Miso-Glazed Carrots
- Lemongrass Pesto
- Tea-Smoked Pork Spare Ribs
- Indonesian Fried Chicken and Ginger Sesame Waffles
- Vietnamese Espresso Ice Cream
State Bird Provisions: A Cookbook
by Stuart Brioza, Nichole Krasinski, and JJ Goode
State Bird Provisions: A Cookbook is going to up my game in the kitchen. When word gets out that I serve Duck Liver Mousse on Warm Duck-Fat Financiers, people will be eager for a chance to dine at my table.
This cookbook is full of creative food combinations that will give us new ideas for entertaining this season. For example:
- Black Butter-Balsamic Figs with Basil and Fontina Fondue
- Sweet Corn and Mt. Tam Cheese Pancakes
- Porcini Fried Rice with Balsamic Spring Onions, Ramps and Porcini Aioli
- Steak Tartare Toasts with Green Garlic and Caesar Aioli
- Rice-Crusted Trout with Garum, Brown Butter, Hazelnuts and Mandarin
- Nectarines with Whipped Crescenza Cheese, Basil Oil and Pink Pepper
- Lemon Curd Ice Cream
Sweet: Desserts from London’s Ottolenghi
by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh
Yotam Ottolenghi hooked me with his appetizers and main dishes in Plenty, Jerusalum, Ottolenghi, etc. Now he and Helen Goh join forces to tempt us with a delicious array of recipes for desserts and other confections in Sweet: Desserts from London’s Ottolenghi. I’m looking forward to trying some of these “sweets.”
Here are some examples:
- Custard Yo-Yos with Roasted Rhubarb Icing
- Cranberry, Oat and White Chocolate Biscuits
- Brown Butter Almond Tuiles
- Almond Butter Cake with Cardamom and Baked Plums
- Apricot and Thyme Galettes
- Hot Chocolate and Lime Puddings
- Saffron and Almond Ice Cream Sandwiches