Three Recipes and a Cookbook (Weekend Cooking)

Happy Saturday! In today's post, I'm sharing some recent successful recipes and one new cookbook.

In my never-ending quest for interesting lunches (see last week's post), I came across a recipe for a deconstructed egg roll. It looked easy to make and delicious. In just about a half hour I was able to meal-prep this dish, divide it into four portions, and pop into the refrigerator for lunches. It reheated beautifully in the microwave, and Mr. BFR and I agreed I should make it again. The Egg Roll in a Bowl comes from the site Sweet Peas and Saffron (hit the link to get the recipe).

I made one change: I don't keep monk fruit in the house and decided to just omit the sugar altogether. We didn't miss it. At the end of the recipe, you'll find some options/variations: I used ground beef, broccoli slaw, and tamari. Note that in step 4, I made sure the slaw mix didn't get too soft; I knew we were going to reheat the dish, and I didn't want it to lose its crunch completely. Also, I sprinkled on the garnishes once I divided up the portions, just as a matter of convenience and so I wouldn't have to remember to do so later. This was a win.

-------------------------

During this past fall I had a hankering for sausage rolls. I used to make them all the time, but they slipped off my radar. When looking for a recipe online to double-check baking time and temperature, I came across Spiced Sausage Rolls from Indian for Everyone by Hari Ghotra (click for the recipe). Although I've made many a sausage roll without a recipe, I thought I'd give this one a try.

Here's what I did: I used olive oil instead of rapeseed. My green chili was a jalapeno. I used pork sausage and added the optional chili powder. Next, I interpreted the "large pinch" of coriander leaves as a few sprigs. Note that salt is mentioned in the directions but doesn't appear in the ingredients.

I use Trader Joe's all-butter puff pastry when it's available. It comes in two portions; I worked with one at a time, rolling each out to the correct thickness, but not measuring. I divided the meat mixture in half and rolled each puff pastry sheet into a log, placing it seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. After refrigerating, I cut each roll into 8 pieces, spread them around the pan, and then brushed with the egg wash. I baked 40 min, rotating the pan halfway through.

When I make sausage rolls for lunches, I let them cool completely before refrigerating, and we eat them cold for lunch. Puff pastry doesn't always heat up well. Note that you can use whatever ground meat you have on hand and mix in any spice or seasoning combo you want. Use the linked recipe for baking instructions.

-------------------------

Right after the new year, I was looking through our meat freezer and saw a boneless pork roast that I needed to cook up. I decided to make one of my all-time favorite dinners, chile verde. I don't have a go-to recipe, but remembered that Alpana from GypsyPlate (she used to participate in Weekend Cooking) had a Chile Verde recipe on her site. I followed the pressure cooker instructions, but Alpana includes slow cooker and stove top directions too. I didn't change a thing in this recipe, except I used Wegman's roasted salsa verde instead of making my own. This was incredibly good. I now have a go-to chile verde recipe. Seriously, give it a try. (I forgot to photograph mine).

-------------------------

Finally, the nice people at America's Test Kitchen sent me a copy of their Complete Guide to Healthy Drinks. I make a smoothie almost every day, and I'm really looking forward to giving some of the recipes in this book a try.

As it says on the cover, the cookbook includes all kinds of drinks: smoothies, juices, teas, tisanes, fermented drinks, flavored water, shrubs, spritzers, hot drinks, homemade non-dairy "milks," and broths. As you'd expect from ATK, there is also a section on equipment, so you can feel confident when buying. Don't miss the sections on ingredients and storage and the many very helpful features on techniques.

Here are some drinks I've marked to try: watermelon-lime agua fresca (I bet that's so refreshing in the summer), cafe mocha smoothie (with avocado and cocoa powder), old-fashioned mulled cider (hello, fall!), orange creamsicle smoothie (with carrots and yogurt), and spicy mango smoothie (dairy free but with a bit of cayenne). If it's America's Test Kitchen, you know it's good!

Shared with Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker)

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: 9 New Food and Cooking Books

Hello, my friends. Hope that all has been well with you. I'm still cooking and reviewing, but needed a little break.

In today's post, I want to share with you a bunch of food-related books I have on my list to examine more closely. I haven't fully read or cooked from any of them yet, so the following thoughts are gleaned from a combination of skimming through the text, marking dishes I'd like to try, reading bits here and there, and (in some cases) actually trying a recipe. I'll let you know what I think--either here or on GoodReads--after I take the time to read and explore each title.

Thank you to the publishers for providing the review copies. My reactions are purely my own.

What's the Difference? by Brette Warshaw (Harper Wave, June): This handy kitchen reference helps cooks distinguish between similar ingredients, like ale vs. lager, prawns vs. shrimp, and all the different styles of barbecue and types of flour. The information is presented in a straightforward manner and is divided into logical sections, making it easy to find what you're looking for. While it's certainly convenient to have a book that gathers all these kinds of data in one place, my guess is that most readers would simply use Google or the equivalent to figure out the difference, for example, between creme fraiche and sour cream.

At the Chinese Table by Carolyn Phillips (Norton, June 15): This memoir details Phillips's transformation from a food-loving language student in Taipei to eldest daughter-in-law of a traditional Chinese family. She talks about her discovery of the full range of Chinese cuisine, her courtship and marriage to a Chinese scholar, and how she eventually was accepted by her husband's family. Here she shares her almost 50-year love affair with China and its foods, ending each chapter with at least two recipes. Throughout are charming black-and-white drawings.

We Are What We Eat by Alice Waters (Penguin Press, June 1): In her latest book, Waters stays true to her ideals, outlining her philosophy on sustainability, the need to use local products, and the importance of home cooking or slow cooking. She talks about the pressure of advertising and economic issues as well as the effects the fast-food and convenience food industries have on farmers, on the planet, and on our health.

One-Beer Grilling by Mike Lang (Castle Point Books, May): The point of this cookbook is to provide grilling recipes that can be made "before you finish your first cold one." The cookbook is full of easy and very tasty-sounding recipes for sides, meats, sandwiches, appetizers, and even pizza. Almost every recipe is accompanied by a full-page color photo of the finished dish. I like the variety of dishes and the idea of quick grilling, which is perfect for busy families, weeknight dinners, and casual entertaining.

The Maine Farm Table Cookbook by Kate Shaffer (Countryman Press, June): We love Maine, so I was excited to see this cookbook pop up on my list. Here Shaffer introduces us to a wide variety of Maine producers, farmers, and fishermen, located throughout the state. We meet the people, we see gorgeous photos, and learn about Maine's food culture. The recipes are often family dishes provided by the local growers and producers. While the recipes feature local foods, they can be reproduced in any out-of-state kitchen.

What's Good? by Peter Hoffman (Abrams, June): This chef's memoir is one I plan to read a chapter at a time. Hoffman intertwines his journey from childhood to well-known chef with his discovery of specific flavors (maple syrup, garlic, stone fruits, for example), with inside information about the restaurant world, visits to farmers markets, seasonal foodie delights, travel, and the farm to table movement. This is just my kind of foodie memoir, and I'm looking forward to trying out the recipes scattered throughout. In fact, I've already tried one of the cocktails, which is made with a maple syrup simple syrup. Yum.

Cheese, Wine, and Bread by Katie Quinn (William Morrow, April): Though Quinn's new book does include a few recipes, its not really a cookbook. Instead this book is a deep dive into three specific types of food and three countries. In England we learn about all things cheese: how it's make, different types, melt factors, and the people and places that make cheese so delicious. Italy is all about the wine, from harvest to bottle to table. Again, we travel throughout the country and discover all its vast diversity. Finally we head to France to learn about bread, bread starters, baking bread, different kinds of bread, and the boulangeries we want to visit. Beautifully illustrated with drawings, graphics, and photographs.

Technically Food by Larissa Zimberoff (Abrams, June): This expose, written by an investigative journalist, takes a hard look at high-tech foods: those better-than-beef burgers, non-dairy cheeses, and molds and fungi. Zimberoff asks--and answers--the questions many of us have: Are these "foods" safe and nutritious? Are they really environmentally and ethically sound? Is the high-tech food industry just a way for Silicon Valley to make money or is it the answer to food shortages around the world? This book may change the way you shop and read labels.

Cook for Your Gut Health by Alicia A. Romano (America's Test Kitchen, April): I picked up this cookbook for a couple of reasons. First, it's from ATK, and second, it includes recipes specifically for people on gluten free, diary free, and/or low FODMAP diets. Though I don't have any of those restrictions, several of my friends and family do have to watch their diet. I wanted a reliable source of flavorful recipes so I don't have to worry about inviting those people to eat at my table. Not every recipe will fit all three diets, but ATK clearly labels their dishes so you can find exactly the right foods to cook. I've already made several recipes from the book and loved each one. I still need to read the information at the beginning of the book, which goes through gut health, discusses ingredients, and offers tips and suggestions. If you are on a special diet, you might want to buy or borrow this cookbook.

Shared with Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker)

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: The Ultimate Meal Prep Cookbook by ATK

I'm not sure why meal prep books are so popular right now, perhaps it has to do with COVID; I don't know. That's all to say that perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised to see that the new cookbook from America's Test Kitchen was called The Ultimate Meal Prep Cookbook (Random House; March 2).

I'm a huge ATK fan. Their recipes are always spot-on thanks to their extensive research and testing, and the recipes I've made from The Ultimate Meal Prep book have been delicious.

Despite the title of the cookbook, this is really more for meal planners than for meal preppers. At the heart of the cookbook are 25 weekly plans of four recipes and a bonus recipe (I'll explain in a minute). The beginning of the book includes tips for storing food properly, cooking ahead, and preparing veggies for the week to come. There's a lot of good information there, and even experienced cooks will learn something, like reheating strategies and how to properly store leftovers.

Each meal plan consists of five dinners meant to make the most of your grocery list and pantry. So, for example, if you need to buy fresh rosemary, that herb will show up at least twice that week so there's no waste. If you still have leftover herbs, ATK tells you how to dry or freeze them, so you don't have to throw them out.

ATK starts each meal plan with a description of why it works, what can be made ahead, how long the components of the meals will keep, a prep-ahead checklist, a grocery list, a pantry item checklist, and more. Some of this information is repeated with each individual recipe. Variations, substitutions, and serving suggestions are also provided.

The grocery list and checklists are based on the four main recipes. The fifth recipe each week is called a "pantry meal" and is meant to be a filler for households that need that extra recipe. For example, bigger families may not have any leftovers, but couples may find they need only the four dinners to make it through the week. The recipes for the suggested pantry meals are collected at the back of the cookbook.

Here's the good: The recipes are easy and doable even if you don't take advantage of any of the prep-ahead advice. The Ultimate Meal Prep Cookbook includes active cooking time for each recipe, which is a help for busy cooks. If you're new to meal planning, having a suggested weekly plan can be a godsend. If you're an old hand at meal planning, ATK's meal plans will work as a springboard to help you mix and match their recipes with your own. The pantry meal section is great for coming up with quick meals that use what you already have on hand. Nutrition information for each dinner is given at the back of the book. The meals are not assigned specific days, so you can be flexible about what you eat when.

Here's the not so good: The cookbook is very meat heavy. As most of you know, we're about 50 percent vegetarian, meaning I alternate fish/meat dinners with vegetarian dinners. Most of the meal plans in The Ultimate Meal Prep Cookbook include four fish, meat, or poultry dinners and only one vegetarian. People hoping to cut down on their meat eating will have to tweak many of the meal plans.

Just for fun, I decided to try one of the suggested meal plans. I picked Week 13. I made a couple of changes, though. ATK suggested shrimp burgers one night, but we went for grilled salmon instead. The rest of the dinners were Steak, Mushroom, and Spinach Rice Bowl; Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Asparagus Salad; Tortellini and Vegetable Soup with Pesto; and a pantry meal of Coriander Spiced Couscous with Chickpeas. The steak bowl was supposed to topped off with a fried egg, which we opted out of, since the steak was filling enough for us. The suggested pantry meal was a lentil dish, but we had just finished a big batch of lentil soup and didn't want to repeat. The meals were delicious and easy to make and worked well for us. Some dishes lasted two nights, and others gave us enough leftovers for lunch.

The scan above comes from the promo material and shows the cover page for Week 3. Don't the meals look yummy? Click the image to enlarge it.

Recommendation: As I often say, you don't have to meal plan or prep to use the recipes in a meal prep cookbook. America's Test Kitchen's The Ultimate Meal Prep Cookbook can be used by non-planners as a source of easy, quick, and delicious weeknight dinners. Meal planners will appreciate ATK's suggestions; sometimes it's nice to have an already put-together plan. Meal preppers may learn new tricks. Vegetarians and people trying to reduce their meat consumption can still use many of the recipes but will find it harder to follow the suggested meal plans. Vegans should look before buying.

Coriander-Spiced Couscous and Chickpeas

Serves 4-6

• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1-1/2 cups couscous
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1-3/4 cups broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1-1/2 cups frozen peas
• lemon wedges for serving

For the couscous: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add couscous and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are just beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and wipe the skillet clean.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onion, salt, and cook until softened and just beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, coriander, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and chickpeas and bring to simmer.

Stir in peas and couscous. Cover, remove skillet from heat, and let sit until couscous is tender, about 7 minutes.

To finish: fluff with fork and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.

BFR's Notes: I added some leftover crumbled feta cheese on top. Recipe and scans shared in the context of review; all rights remain with the original copyright holder.

Shared with Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker)

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs by America's Test Kitchen

Do you love America's Test Kitchen (ATK) as much as I do? If you haven't yet tried their books and recipes, you're missing out big time on a trusted recipe source.

Why am I a fan? Because they test, test, test every recipe, offer hints and tips, and tell you exactly why you need to use that ingredient or that technique.

I learned to cook at my mother's and grandmothers' elbows, though I did take home ec in high school and experimented like crazy once I got my first apartment. I didn't use cookbooks geared to children because the recipes were so dumb. Every dish was a little too cutesy for me or was totally unappealing.

 Modern kids' cookbooks often have the same failings. So when I learned that ATK was coming out with a cookbook for children, I just had to take a look. Enter The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, Oct. 16).

Where was this cookbook when I was young? Or when I was in high school? I love this book! First of all, the recipes were tested by 750 middle schoolers, mostly in their home kitchens. These real kids made the dishes and gave honest feedback--the good and the bad. If a recipe was too hard or the flavors weren't there, ATK tweaked until they got it right in the eyes (and stomachs) of their young chefs.

I so appreciate the general style of this book. The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs makes no assumptions about previous skills and knowledge, but at the same time ATK respects its audience. In fact, this cookbook is perfect for any new cook of any age.

Front of the book: The early chapters contain a ton of useful information, such as how to use the book, how to read a recipe, and what cooking terms mean (chopping, dicing). Young cooks will also find explanations of equipment and techniques and safety tips, all presented in fun fonts and bright colors.

Back of the book: At the back of The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs, interested cooks will find nutritional data for each recipe, metric and weight conversion charts, and information on healthy eating (such as how to make good food choices).

The recipes: Of course, what most of you really want to know about is the recipes. Thank you, thank you, thank you, ATK. The cookbook is all about real food, not cute food or simplistic dishes or things no one really eats. These are familiar foods (some with new twists) that any chef would be proud to serve to friends after school or to present to the family table. Here are some examples

• Breakfast: granola bars; avocado toast with eggs; waffles
• Snacks: homemade salsa, quesadillas
• Soups & sandwiches: wraps, homemade veggie burgers
• Dinners: pasta, meatballs, pork chops, stir-fry, chili
• Baking and grains: brownies, biscuits, quinoa with herbs
• Sides: unique salads, Mexican street corn

Each recipe is rated for difficulty, has an accompanying photo, and clear directions, including estimated preparation and cooking times. Many recipes include variations (called "Make It Your Way"), illustrated guides to techniques, serving tips, and reviews from the young chef recipe testers.

Recommendation: I can't say enough great things about American Test Kitchen's The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs. If you have an interested young chef in your house or if you're a twenty-something who hasn't a clue what to do in the kitchen, this is the book for you. It truly is the book I wish I had when I was a kid. (Review eGalley provided by the publisher)

Note on the scans: The photos and recipe scan come from uncorrected proofs and are used here in the context of a review. All rights remain with the copyright holder (ATK, Sourcebooks).

The following recipe was scanned from The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs. I thought a scan would give you a better feel for the cookbook than if I had typed it out. Click the image to enlarge, so you can read the text. (Remember this is from uncorrected proof.)

_______

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

Weekend Cooking: Multicooker Perfection from America's Test Kitchen

Have you drunk the America's Test Kitchen Kool-Aid? If you have, then you're sure to be an addict a fan. I am fully in the ATK camp and love their product reviews and their recipes.

Although I've been using a pressure cooker for years (see my stovetop pressure cooker post from 2011) and feel very comfortable with it, I'm happy to learn new tricks, especially for using the electric multicooker (Instant Pot is a popular brand), which I've owned only a couple of years.

In their new cookbook, Multicooker Perfection, ATK reviews machines, offers advice, and provides well-tested recipes. I went ahead and bought a copy, sight unseen, because I have total trust in ATK.

The focus of Multicooker Perfection is to take a single recipe and give directions for making it fast (under pressure) or slow (using the machine's slow-cook setting). Soup in under an hour in the evening or soup that cooks all day while you're at work: you choose.

If you're thinking about buying a new electric pressure cooker / multicooker, start here. ATK reviews different brands of pressure cookers (spoiler: the Instant Pot is not their top pick, though it is still a recommended brand) and explains how the machines work.

If you caved under peer pressure and bought an electric pressure cooker but have no idea what to do with it, ATK will be your hero. This book (similar to the Melissa Clark's pressure cooker book, which I reviewed last fall) highlights the tasks the electric pressure cooker does best. Because the recipes come from ATK, you know they will work, and the authors even tell you exactly why they work. The recipes demonstrate basic pressure cooker techniques, making it easier for you to adapt your family favorites.

You may have noticed I've said little about the slow cooker directions included with each recipe. Frankly (and this is just my opinion), I wouldn't use my machine on the slow setting. I have slow cookers that work just fine, and none of the pressure cookers ATK reviewed received an "excellent" score for its ability to mimic a standalone slow cooker.

Multicooker Perfection is divided into four main recipe chapters, covering what I consider the stars of the pressure cooker:

• Soups, Stews, and Chilis
• Easy Suppers
• Roasts and Ribs
• Simple Sides

A fifth chapter collects "Ten Unexpected Things to Make in Your Multicooker." The recipes are all easy and cover a wide range of flavors: Asian, African, European, New World, and down-home. I appreciate the good balance of meat/fish recipes to vegetarian/vegan; there are dishes to meet almost every dietary style.

Two of the chapters are self-explanatory, the others, not so much. In "Easy Suppers" you'll find mac and cheese, poached salmon, pasta dishes, and several recipes that call for braising. "Simple Sides" includes mostly vegetables but also risotto and bean dishes. Among the recipes in the final chapter are homemade almond milk, mulled cider, and Boston brown bread.

As I mentioned earlier, Multicooker Perfection is best suited to new users or those who haven't yet developed the confidence to use their pressure cooker several times a week. I don't make all the dishes ATK suggests for the pressure cooker (I think it's just as easy and fast to make mashed potatoes on the stove as it is to use the pressure cooker, for example), but that's just me.

Experienced multicooker users will want to borrow a copy of Multicooker Perfection from the library; the rest of you can just go ahead and buy the cookbook. You won't be sorry. I'm not, and I've been using a pressure cooker for more than 20 years.

Here's a scan with a recipe for a vegetarian curry. The recipe below and the photo of the pulled pork tacos above are from America's Test Kitchen's Multicooker Perfection (all rights remain with the original copyright holders). Click the image to enlarge it, so you can read the recipe.

_______

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

Weekend Cooking: One-Pan Wonders by America's Test Kitchen

As you well know, I'm an America's Test Kitchen (ATK) junkie, so it's no surprise that I bought their newest cookbook, One-Pan Wonders, which comes from their Cook's Country division.

I love the concept of this cookbook: 138 recipes that truly use just a single pan. I also love that the recipes use different kinds of pans, which are listed in the book's subtitle: sheet pan, Dutch oven, skillet, roasting pan, casserole, and slow cooker. I'm only sad that the book doesn't include pressure cooker recipes.

I'll start my review of One Pan Wonders with some comments on the design and organization. I'm happy to report that each recipe is accompanied by a full-color photograph of the finished dish and includes the approximate amount of time the recipe takes from start to finish. Dishes that can be cooked and served in an hour or less are flagged with a "Weeknight Friendly" icon, which is a big help for those of us who are in the kitchen pretty much every night.

The ingredients are generally readily available, and the amounts and preperation instructions are clear. The step-by step recipe directions are straightforward and include donesness tests, tips, and helpful information (such as how to reheat and serving ideas). Thank you, ATK.

In addition, each recipe is introduced with an explanation of why it works, which both makes us smarter and better informed cooks and helps guarantee success. In fact, this is one of my favorite things about ATK--they do the research and gladly share their results.

The chapters are divided by pan type, which I think makes sense. If you're looking for a sheet pan recipe or you want to use your slow cooker, you can turn right to those chapters. But if you have some chicken breasts to cook, then you'll have to check the index. The good news is that the index seems to be well thought out.

So what about the recipes? There are so many flavorful choices in One-Pan Wonders--from curries to skillet lasagna (in one pan!) to amazing roasted meats and veggies--that you'll find a lot of new dinner recipes to try. Yes, you'll see the expected beef stew and pulled pork, but one-pan huevos rancheros, Korean short ribs, shrimp and orzo, and stuffed eggplant? These are recipes you'll not likely find in other books. And if you take the time to read the "why this recipe works" sections, you may figure out ways to make your own family favorites into one-pan wonders.

I admit that so far I've used the cookbook more for the information and for inspiration than I have for actually re-creating recipes. Last night, for example, I started with the Roasted Pork Chops and Vegetables with Parsley Vinaigrette recipe (shown in the first scan), but used boneless pork chops, my own array of vegetables, and skipped the vinaigrette because I used a barbecue spice rub on the pork (and sprinkled some on the veggies). But I learned that one avenue to success for a dish like this was to give the vegetables a head start so they and the meat would be finished at the same time. The dinner was delicious and the colorful vegetables were pretty (and, sadly, I forgot to take a photo).

Recommendations: America's Test Kitchen One-Pan Wonders is perfect for anyone looking to save a little time and cleanup in the kitchen. It's also great for those who want to learn about cooking techniques. You'll find a lot of tempting and flavorful recipes for weeknight and weekend cooking and will appreciate the beautiful photographs and clear instructions. Vegetarians, especially, will want to borrow before buying because there aren't a lot of choices for you. I, on the other hand, will be turning to this book again and again.

For more information about One-Pan Wonders and for eight recipes (including two vegetarian ones), visit the America's Test Kitchen website.

Note: The scans come from One-Pan Wonders and were used in the context of a review. All rights remain with the original copyright holders, The America's Test Kitchen.

Published by America's Test Kitchen, 2016
ISBN-13: 9781940352848
Source: bought (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

_______

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.

_______

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Pressure Cooker Perfection by America's Test Kitchen

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. 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. For more information, see the welcome post.

_______

As you might remember, Lorna Sass has long been my go-to guide for pressure cooker dishes (see my earlier pressure cooker post). Apparently I'm in good company, because Christopher Kimball, of America's Test Kitchen (ATK) fame, also used Sass's books when he first experimented with cooking under pressure.

Because pressure cooking has been gaining in popularity, ATK decided to investigate. They spent a year testing the techniques and recipes collected in their Pressure Cooker Perfection. The result is 100 fail-safe dishes that just might change your life, or at least your dinner table.

I know, I know. You've heard horror stories of pressure cookers exploding, and you're scared of the hiss and steam. Or maybe you just don't believe that you'll have a flavorful chicken broth after only about an hour of cooking. I've never quite understood the fear, but I promise you that modern-day cookers are safe, and they will, as the subtitle to Pressure Cooker Perfection notes, "change the way you cook." I use my cooker at least once a week, and I couldn't live without it.

If you are totally new to the concept of pressure cooking, this book is a fine place to start. ATK takes you through everything you need to know. They introduce you to the vocabulary, offer step-by-step guides, provide cooking charts, and even suggest brands of cookers. After reading the opening sections, you'll feel as if you had gone to pressure cooker school--and I mean that in good way.

True to ATK form, the recipes in Pressure Cooker Perfection have been tested and retested to guarantee success. Each one is accompanied by photos, clear instructions, easy-to-find ingredients, and even a troubleshooting section. Beginners will feel confident with this book by their side, and experienced pressure cooker cooks will appreciate picking up a few new tips and techniques.

 The recipes are quite basic and are designed to help you feel comfortable with the pressure cooker and learn general procedures that you can use later when adapting your own recipes. The broths, soups, chilies, roasts, pasta sauces, risotto, and side dishes all look tasty would be welcome by most home cooks.

I was particularly attracted to the pasta sauces, soups, and roasts, which are standard pressure cooker fare. New to me is the concept of indoor barbeque recipes, some of which rely on liquid smoke. Now I'm curious about making ribs and wings in the cooker and definitely plan to give them a try. Once you taste a juicy, flavorful whole chicken made in under an hour, you'll be adding it to your weeknight table

Near the beginning of Pressure Cooker Perfection you'll find detailed guides for cooking meats, beans, grains, and vegetables. These charts are the key to adapting your own recipes for the pressure cooker; you'll turn to the charts again and again over the years. And of course you can trust ATK's timing recommendations because they are based on solid, practical experience.

If you've toyed with the idea of getting a pressure cooker or if you have one that you've been too afraid to use, pick up a copy of Pressure Cooker Perfection and embrace the modern world of pressure cooking. You'll be surprised at how easy the cookers are to use and how delicious your food will be. (Note on the photos: the photos were scanned from the cookbook; all rights remain with ATK.)

You might remember that I made a curried split pea soup in the pressure cooker a few weeks ago. I love that I got all-day flavor in under an hour. What could be better for busy cooks? Take a look at the following short video to find out what some restaurant chefs have to say about using the pressure cooker (video made by ATK and available on YouTube). Then lose the fear and start cooking under pressure.

America's Test Kitchen, 2013
ISBN-13: 9781936493418
Source: Bought (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

Click for more