Weekend Cooking: What's Gaby Cooking by Gaby Dalkin

Until I received a copy of What's Gaby Cooking (Abrams, April 17) from the publishers (as part of the Abrams Dinner Party), I had never heard of Gaby Dalkin or her blog (also called What's Gaby Cooking).

Boy have I been missing out. I'm now stalking following Gaby Dalkin everywhere social media allows. I love her recipes and her approach to food and cooking. Here's how I would describe what Dalkin means by "everyday California food": fresh, nutritious, easy, pretty, casual, and wonderfully seasoned.

And better yet, Dalkin is not so "clean" that she shuns the occasional indulgence. So besides new takes on beautiful main dish salads, fruit smoothies, and grilled fish and chicken, she also provides recipes for cinnamon roll-chocolate chip monkey bread, macadamia nut cookie scones, and cheesecake cookies bars.

We loved some of her cobb salad variations, balsamic beets with goat cheese, roasted asparagus with salsa verde, and taco skillet bake (shown in my photo above). I have a ton more recipes marked to try, including a green bean salad one of the other Dinner Party members really loved.

The recipe I'm sharing today is so, so good. We grilled the flank steak, as the recipe suggests, though my mother usually broils hers. So if you're not a grill kind of cook, you can still make this by slipping it under the broiler for about 6 minutes a side.

Don't be thrown by the parts (marinade, tomatoes, basil dressing): this is a super-easy, fast meal that I made on a busy weeknight. All you need is a green veggie (I went with roasted asparagus) and a salad. The leftover flank steak is perfect for sandwiches the next day. Or layer the meat and tomatoes over some fresh young greens and top with the basil dressing for a delicious spring lunch.

Balsamic Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Tomatoes
Serves 6 to 8
For the steak

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 to 6 sprigs thyme
• 1 (3-pound) flank steak

For the tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

Make the steak: In a large nonreactive bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, and seasonings. Add the thyme. Add the meat and turn to coat all sides. Cover and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours.

Make the tomatoes: Heat the oil in a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook without stirring for 2 minutes, or until they start to blister. Give them a quick stir, turn off the heat, and let them sit another 2 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grill the meat: Preheat your grill to medium high and oil the grates. Remove the steak from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the steak, turning occasionally until lightly charred all over, 10 to 12 minutes for medium. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

For the basil vinaigrette

• 1 shallot roughly chopped
• 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Make the vinaigrette: In a high-powered blender (I used a food processor), combine the shallot, basil, garlic, red pepper, oil, and vinegar. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes or until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Refrigerate up to 3 days)

To serve: Thinly slice (on an angle) against the grain and serve with the tomatoes and vinaigrette on top. (the photo of the finished dish is mine)

_______

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

NOTE: Mr. Linky sometimes is mean and will give you an error message. He's usually wrong and your link went through just fine the first time. Grrrr.
_______

Click for more

15 True Stories to Read This Spring

Good news for nonfiction fans: This spring is chock-full of new books that tell true stories in a full range of topics, including medicine, sports, politics, self-help, and history. I've concentrated on just four broad areas for today's round-up, and I'm highlighting books that are on my personal reading list.

Science and Nature

• Chasing New Horizons by Alan Stern and David Grinspoon (Picador; May 1): The subtitle of this fascinating story of NASA's New Horizons program says it all: "Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto." Written by the mission's principal investigator (Stern) and an astrobiologist (Grinspoon), this very readable account includes two glossy photo inserts.
• The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Steve Brusatte (William Morrow; April 24): Who doesn't love dinosaurs? Paleontologist Brusatte tells us all about their 200-million-year reign as the kings of planet Earth. His review of current dinosaur research, new fossil discoveries, and theories about their extinction is accessible, easy to follow, and well illustrated.
• The Man Who Climbs Trees by James Aldred (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; May 22): When you watch BBC nature documentaries and read your National Geographic, do you ever wonder who was behind the camera, bringing you up close and personal to nature? In this book, Aldred shares what it's like to be a nature photographer who specializes in working in the forest canopy and the tops of the world's tallest trees.
• The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World by Simon Winchester (Harper; May 8): Winchester's latest book examines how the notion of precision and the development of machines that ensured standard measures drove the Industrial Revolution and led to twenty-first-century technological wonders. Along the way, he talks about human nature, craftsmanship, and art.

Biography

• Jane and Dorothy: A True Tale of Sense and Sensibility by Marian Veevers (Pegasus; April 3): Veevers's double biography of Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth compares the two women's parallel and divergent lives. They were born just four years apart and endured similar social restrictions on their creative talents but chose different solutions.
• The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the Love Affair That Rocked the Crown by Penny Junor (Harper; April 10): Admit it, you're curious about the woman who changed the nature of the British royal family forever. Junor's balanced biography of Camilla presents a side of the duchess little known outside the UK.
• Francis I: The Maker of Modern France by Leonie Frieda (Harper; April 10): Frieda outlines the life of the Renaissance king who made France a mighty nation and set the foundations for its strong, enduring future. This new account of Francis I is based on archival material and is written by an experienced historical biographer.
• Visionary Women by Andrea Barnet (Ecco; March 13): Barnet outlines how four cutting-edge women changed the world by following their passions or telling their truths. The women profiled are Jane Jacobs (journalist), Rachel Carson (marine biologist), Jane Goodall (primatologist), and Alice Waters (chef/restaurateur), who continue to both inspire us and make us fully see the world around us.

Contemporary Culture

• Figures in a Landscape: People and Places by Paul Theroux (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; May 8): Besides Theroux's signature travel pieces, this collection of previously published essays includes a look at his reading life as well as surprising experiences with well-known individuals (such as surfing with Oliver Sacks!). He is always entertaining and thought-provoking.
• The Last Cowboys: A Pioneer Family in the New West by John Branch (Norton; May 15): For 150 years the Wrights have herded cattle on their Utah spread and made a name for themselves as bronco-riding rodeo champions. Branch followed the multigeneration family for three years, recording the twilight of the American West.
• The View from Flyover Country: Dispatches from the Forgotten America by Sarah Kendzior (Flatiron; April 17): Kendzior's essays add insight to why America's heartland helped place Donald Trump in the White House. The pieces look at politics, economics, racism, sexism, and the future of the country's working and middle classes.
• Unwifeable by Mandy Stadtmiller (Gallery; April 3): The essays in Stadtmiller's collection present the frank, funny, and universal story of her life as a single thirty-something woman in New York City, juggling a professional career with the messiness of dating. Stadtmiller has been called "a real-life Carrie Bradshaw."

On the Water

• Disappointment River: Finding and Losing the Northwest Passage by Brian Castner (Doubleday; March 13): This is the double story of Alexander Mackenzie's 1789 search for the Northwest Passage and author Castner's 2016 canoe journey along the same route. Castner's engrossing account presents a mix of history, travel, anthropology, and nature.
• Into the Raging Sea by Rachel Slade (Ecco; May 1) and Into the Storm by Tristram Korten (Ballentine; April 24): Both of these books look into the October 2015 sinking of the ship El Faro during Hurricane Joaquin, killing the entire crew. Slade focuses on the specifics of the disaster onboard ship as well as the event's place in the broader context of the U.S. merchant marine fleet and climate change. Korten focuses on the Coast Guard's heroic rescue of the crew of the Minouche, another ship caught in the storm, as well as its failed, desperate search for the El Faro. The two accounts together offer a well-rounded view of this tragedy.

Click for more

Wordless Wednesday 493

Forsythia, 2018

I braved the snow flurries to get this shot! Click image to enlarge. For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Click for more

Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: 4 Short Book Reviews

I had my last busy, busy week of work and then ran full-speed into my annual spring lace-making workshop. Yikes! I think I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation!

I didn't think I'd get much reading or listening time last week, but I ended up finishing two books and and listening to two more. Okay, so one of the audiobooks was only two hours long, but still . . .

I was inside lacing during all the beautiful warm weather and emerged from the workshop just in time for the cold and rain. Oh well, plenty of nice days ahead.

Because last week was kind of crazy, my short reviews are going to be even shorter than normal.

• Mrs. by Caitlin Macy (Little, Brown; Feb. 13): The story revolves around three couples who seem to have little in common beyond the fact that they send their children to the same exclusive preschool in New York's Upper East Side. As we get to know the parents better, we discover layered ties among them, deep secrets, and the pressures of keeping up with the 1-percenters. I didn't connect well to the characters and was less impressed than other reviewers who compared Mrs. to Big Little Lies. You might do better. Vanessa Johansson did a good job narrating the unabridged audiobook (Hachette Audio; 10 hr, 8 min), but her rich, expressive performance couldn't really save the story for me. (freelance assignment)
• Dictionary Stories: Short Fictions and Other Findings by Jez Burrows (Harper Perennial; April 10). Burrows's clever collection of short pieces (including drawings) is composed almost entirely from the sample sentences you find in the dictionary to show how a word is used in context. It's hard to explain, but this book is such a delight for anyone who loves words. My already good relationship with the dictionary has been altered forever. Don't miss this book. Oh I think it'd make a great graduation gift too. (copy provided by the publisher)

• The Creature of the Pines by Adam Gidwitz (Dutton BYR; April 10). This book, the first in the new Unicorn Rescue Society series, is geared for young middle grade readers and offers fun and diverse characters as well as good action-adventure. What if mythical creatures were real and needed humans to save them from trouble? Kids (and their parents) will love timid Elliot and gutsy Uchenna, cheering them on as they save a Jersey Devil from the bad guys. Your big decision will not be whether to read Creature of the Pines but whether to read it in print or on audiobook (Listening Library; 2 hr, 12 min). January LaVoy's absolutely fantastic performance is not to be missed. She created a variety of engaging voices, built the tension, and amped up the action. The print book, though, has some great illustrations: decisions, decisions. (Check out the video for more on the series; auidobook provided by the publisher.)
• Loyalty in Death by J. D. Robb read by Susan Ericksen (Brilliance Audio; 12 hr, 15 min). This ninth in the In Death series was written in 1999 and was slightly creepy, considering it involves massive terrorist bombings in New York City. Although the bad guys are political terrorists and the story is set in the future, it was still kind of eerie to be listening to this book in a post-9/11 environment. Anyway, I still love the characters and their continuing personal growth as much as I like the mysteries and author Robb's vision of the future (including technology). (personal copy)

And finally, here is the promised video:

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Barista (documentary)

Do you drink coffee? Do you have a favorite local coffee shop and a favorite barista? Did you know there was such a thing as a barista competition?

I love coffee, though I drink most of my coffee at home. I didn't know about the competitive world of baristas until I saw the 2015 documentary Barista, written and directed by Rock Baijnauth (Filmic Entertainment).

The film follows five people--four men and one woman--on their quest to win the International Barista Competition. To qualify for the main contest, each of the baristas had to first put in a good showing at his or her district competition.

Although 1,000 baristas enter the regionals, only about 40 move on to the finals. To compete, the contestants must make three rounds of drinks (espresso, cappuccino, and a signature drink) for four tasting judges, who evaluate taste, appearance, foam and foam art, aroma, and so on. In addition, during their 15 minutes of competition, each barista must also tell a compelling story about themselves and the coffee they're making and serving.

Until watching Barista, I had no idea that it was so difficult to be the best in the barista profession. I found it interesting, but perhaps not surprising, that all five baristas mentioned that they often have to defend their chosen career. I liked getting to know the competitors and seeing them prepare for and compete in the finals.

On the other hand, there was a lack of tension in the documentary. I didn't develop a deeper fondness for one barista over the others, so I wasn't heavily invested in the results. In addition, Baijnauth made an effort to include the wives of two of the baristas in the movie, but instead of giving us more insight of the men's competitive spirit, the women ended up seeming more like props, which was a little disturbing.

Regardless, if you like coffee and are curious about competitive baristas, you'll enjoy Rock Baijnauth's  documentary Barista, which is available through streaming (currently via Amazon Prime).

BTW: I'm at a lace-making workshop most of today and tomorrow, so I'll be late visiting your links.

_______

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

NOTE: Mr. Linky sometimes is mean and will give you an error message. He's usually wrong and your link went through just fine the first time. Grrrr.
_______

Click for more