3 Cookbooks for Sourdough Breads (Weekend Cooking)

I'm not telling you anything new when I say that interest in sourdough baking has skyrocketed in recent years. All three cookbooks featured today are focused on sourdough baking. Before I get to the books, I should tell you about my experience baking with sourdough. We love sourdough in the BFR household, and back when I used to bake bread almost daily, I had an active sourdough starter in my kitchen. At some point, when we stopped eating so much bread, I turned my attention to active dry yeast, which is where I've stayed for the last 20 years or so.

As sourdough has become popular again, I'm tempted to develop a starter and return to this style of baking. Perhaps this winter. In the meantime, I'm happy to read and learn from the many new sourdough cookbooks that have been published over the last couple of years.

Today, I introduce you to three that have caught my attention. Thanks to the publishers for the review copies of the following cookbooks. All three will be published in the next two weeks.

James Beard award winner Greg Wade oversees the bread program at Chicago's Publican Quality Bread. Wade is known for encouraging bakers to use organic grains and to support sustainable small farms. After taking note of the rising (heh) popularity of sourdough, he wrote his debut cookbook, Bread Head (W. W. Norton), with the goal of guiding and educating the newest generation of bread bakers.

Bread Head covers all the basics, offering tips on equipment, making sourdough starter, and buying and storing grains. Wade explains both the science and the art of bread baking, including details on how to use baker's percentages.

Besides sourdough bread recipes, Bread Head includes recipes for a few yeasted bakes as well as treats like doughnuts, galettes, and brownies. There's also a chapter on baking over wood or on a grill.

Some of the things I like about the cookbook are the glossaries of bread terms and grain types, the process guides (mixing, shaping, and so on), and great photos.

The recipes themselves are easy to follow and the ingredients are given three ways: weight, volume, and baker's percentages. The instructions are broken down by task (like mix, ferment, shape, proof) and include tips and help. Example recipes are Oat Cinnamon-Raisin Challah, Sorghum Blondies, Malted Rye Bread, Peach and Cashew Loaf, and Buckwheat and Thyme Loaf.

Recommendation: If you want to learn more about the art of sourdough bread baking, put Greg Wade's Bread Head on your list.

Yes, I know all the purists' thoughts on bread machines, but I own one and use it often. When I worked 60+ hours a week, it was a godsend, saving me time and cleanup. I use my machine for only kneading and rising; I shape the loaves by hand and bake in the oven. I'm also very hands-on during the mixing phase.

Bread machine queen Michelle Anderson has written a number of baking books and has perfected techniques for relying on the machine, including the baking. Anderson's newest book, Sourdough Breads from the Bread Machine (Harvard Common Press), is perfect for home bakers who love and depend on their machines.

Sourdough Breads from the Bread Machine starts with directions for making several sourdough starters, including a gluten free one. Anderson introduces different flours and grains and discusses various add-ins, such as cheeses, seeds, nuts, and fruits.

I'm especially impressed with the chapter focused adapting sourdough techniques for the bread machine. Anderson gives specific advice on types of machines and their cycles, provides a step-by-step guide to baking methods, anticipates bakers' questions, and includes a troubleshooting guide.

Sourdough Breads from the Bread Machine starts with basic recipes and then moves to loaves that use non-wheat flours and call for a variety of flavorings. There's also a chapter for hand-shaped bakes, including sweet treats. Some recipes are Black Walnut Rye, Garlic and Black Olives, Chocolate Cinnamon, Bleu Cheese and Bacon, and Herb Swirl Bread.

Recommendation: Put Sourdough Breads from the Bread Machine by Michelle Anderson on your list if you're looking to ramp up your bread machine skills.

If you do any kind of baking, then it's likely you've heard of James Beard award winner Ken Forkish. His newest cookbook, Evolutions in Bread (Ten Speed Press), is all about how he's adapted some of the breads and techniques from his Portland, Oregon, bakery for the home baker. His focus in this cookbook is on artisan pan breads that call for interesting grains and easy methods.

I love that most of the recipes in Evolutions in Bread are for only one loaf, perfect for small households and for those who like to bake often. The sourdough starter detailed in this book features Forkish's flour-saver method, which is easy to make and nurture.

The beginning chapters are all about ingredients, grains, milling, and equipment. Forkish clearly describes the needed methods and skills called for in the cookbook. His eight steps (with substeps) for baking bread are a gold mine of information for baking your best artisan loaves yet.

The chapters are divided by time and technique and include recipes for classic breads like Black Bread, Brioche, Pain du Levain, Country Bread, and Spelt Bread.

Recommendation: Pick up Evolutions in Bread by Ken Forkish to learn a unique starter and for an incredibly helpful guide to baking artisan loaves in a home kitchen.

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6 Books for Food and Wine Lovers

Happy Saturday and Weekend Cooking day. Because it's been ridiculously hot here (as everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere), I haven't been overly motivated to cook or bake, and that has put me more than a little behind in my cookbook reviews.

Today I'm going to feature six food books that are on my radar. Three of these are for reading (or listening) and three are for cooking and baking. It may be a few weeks (or even into September) before I'll be ready to turn on the oven, but I should be able to tell you my thoughts on the foodie books before the end of summer.

Note that all these books were (or will be) published in 2022. I want to thank the publishers and publicists for the review copies. Because I haven't yet explored these books in depth, the following thoughts are based on my first impressions.

Mediterranean Small Plates by Clifford A. Wright (Harvard Common Press, August): Who doesn't love having substantial appetizers for dinner? In this cookbook, Wright takes us all the way around the Mediterranean Sea in small plates: from tapas in Spain to hors d'oeuvres in France; meze in Greece, Turkey, and the Balkans; and ending with mazza in the Mideast and North Africa. The opening chapters introduce us to the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, how to make a balanced small-plate meal, and a list of ingredients to have on hand. The chapters explore each region separately, providing recipes, background info, tips, wine pairings, and more. The cookbook ends with almost 20 menus for small-plate meals for entertaining. Pretty much everyone will find more than a few recipes that will fit their dietary plan; I was impressed with the variety of flavors and types of dishes. Note too that many of the recipes are easy and quick enough for weeknight dinners.

Ultimate Food Atlas from National Geographic Kids (Hachette, June): I cannot wait to delve into this fun, colorful, and informative atlas. Each chapter focuses on a continent (the Australia chapter includes Oceania) plus there's a chapter dealing with climate change and the world food supply. Each chapter discusses a variety of topics pertaining to the continent (such as food production, festivals, and global issues) and includes descriptions and photos of regional foods. Instead of going country by country, the maps and sections home in on areas that share climatic, geographical, or ecological traits. Fun facts, recipes, activities, games, quizzes, and super graphics make the book a delight to look through and easy to read.

Bake by Paul Hollywood (Bloomsbury, July): In this cookbook, the world's favorite expert on all things baking shares his recipes for classic bakes: cakes, cookies, breads, pastries, and other desserts. I love to bake and am looking forward to the fall when I can try some of Hollywood's versions of naan bread, shortbread, brownie cheesecake, orange brioche, sausage rolls, bread pudding ... and well, just about everything! Beautiful photographs (some showing a step-by-step process) inspire me to don my apron, get out my pastry board, and start baking. While waiting for cooler temperatures, I plan to read through the cookbook and learn Hollywood's techniques and tweaks and tips for achieving my best bakes yet.

To Fall in Love, Drink This by Alice Feiring (Scribner, August): If you don't know, Feiring is a James Beard award winner for her wine journalism. Besides books and articles, she also writes The Feiring Line newsletter about natural wine (see her website for more). The essays and short pieces in this volume work together as a memoir. Among the stories Feiring shares are ones about her observant Jewish family and childhood, about how she discovered the world of wine, about winemakers and the industry, and about the men in her life. Her focus is on wines that are free from the many additives used in most mainstream wines. She also introduces us to various wine regions around the world and suggests wines to put on your to-buy lists. I plan to savor this collection, one essay at a time.

A Dish for All Seasons by Kathryn Pauline (Chronicle, August): I'm intrigued with the concept of this cookbook. Instead of dividing her recipes into four chapters (winter, spring, summer, fall), Pauline features a single dish and offers variations and transformations to fit the season. The main chapters are by meal or type of dish (breakfast, salads, sides); those chapters are organized by specific dishes. I'll illustrate the idea by focusing on one dish. Under "Mains" we find a section called "Sandwiches." Pauline describes her idea of a deli sandwich and then provides a grid for mixing and matching seasonal produce and flavors. Then she gives her best tips on how to create the "perfect" sandwich. Next she offers four recipes, one for each season. In this case, we find Shrimp Rolls, Boiled Corn, and Potatoes for summer, Falafel with Lemon Tahini Sauce and Lacto-Fermented Torshi for fall, a Meatball Sub with Caramelized Fennel for winter, and Bánh Mi for spring. Despite the examples I gave here, vegans, gluten-free eaters, and vegetarians will find plenty of recipes and seasonal combos to fit their needs. I'll likely use this cookbook before fall because I'd love to try some summer recipes while the farmer's markets are still in full swing.

Eat Up! by Ruby Tandoh (Vintage, July): If the name Ruby Tandoh sounds familiar to you, it may be because she was a finalist in the Great British Bake Off or because you've read some of her articles focusing on the intersection of food and society and culture at large. In this collection of essays, Tandoh focuses on issues that are near and dear to her, especially how attitudes about what we eat, what we look like, and who we are entangled and difficult to unknot. She talks about body shaming, being gay, emotional eating, and food in movies. She isn't shy to praise or condemn the foodie elite and food snobs. As I often do with essay collections, I plan to read this one piece at a time, all the while, taking Tandoh's advice to enjoy what I'm eating and ignore the naysayers. Note that she has a cookbook coming out in November.

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

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Review: Mediterranean Every Day by Sheela Prakash

I don't provide medical or dietary advice here on Beth Fish Reads, but it's well-recognized that the Mediterranean diet is endorsed by most medical professionals around the world. Good news for those of us who like our veggies, olives, and a bit of meat and fish on the side.

In Mediterranean Every Day (Harvard Common Press; Sept. 1), Sheela Prakash celebrates the foods she learned to cook as an American college and graduate student in Italy. The dishes she shares fit our busy schedules and are easy enough for most cooks. The flavors are bright and fresh, and the recipes call for common ingredients.

Prakash, a registered dietician, doesn't believe in dieting. Instead she advocates a healthy and nutritious lifestyle and kitchen. And, of course, delicious food.

The photographs in Mediterranean Every Day will inspire you to don your apron and roll up your sleeves. Even better, the recipes are clearly written and the dishes are simple to put together.

The cookbook starts with sauces, pantry items, snacks, and drinks. I made the Smoky White Bean Hummus for lunches and snacking. It took me all of 5 minutes to make, and I'm looking forward to serving this to guests.

In the soup and salad chapter we found a nice variation of a Nicoise salad and a delicious Spicy Sausage Rice Soup, which is perfect for fall.

Finally, we made three recipes from the mains chapter: Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Farro Bake; Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Oven Bake; and Skillet Lemon Chicken Thighs with Blistered Olives.

I marked a ton of recipes to try, such as orzo with shrimp and feta, whole wheat foccacia, no-cook summer tomato pasta, and citrus polenta cake.

Mediterranean Every Day by Sheela Prakash is a beautiful cookbook to look through, plus the recipes are accessible and use ingredients you can find at the grocery. I plan to cook from it often. Put this one on your buy list.

The recipe I'm sharing today should work for most of you; I've included the Prakash's notes and tips as well.

Note: Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this cookbook. The scans and recipe are used here in the context of a review; all rights remain with the original copyright holder.

Slinky Red Peppers with Capers and Sherry Vinegar
Makes 1.5 cups (220g), serving 4
Jarred roasted red peppers are a great convenience, but, unfortunately, all that time hanging out in the jar causes them to become pretty muted and bland compared to those made from scratch. Luckily, I've found a way to improve them. Marinate a jar of roasted red peppers with olive oil and sherry vinegar, throw in some capers for a salty, briny bite, and you have something that's much greater than the sum of its parts.

• 1 (12 oz; 340g) jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into slices
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sherry vinegar
• 2 teaspoons capers, chopped if large (rinsed well if salt-packed)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine the roasted peppers, olive oil, vinegar, capers, a pinch of salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Stir and let marinate for about 20 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Let the peppers come to room temperature before serving with toasted baguette slices or sturdy crackers.

Prakash's note: Although I really like serving this in a bowl alongside toasted baguette slices for DIY crostini, it's also just a nice thing to keep in the refrigerator all week to spoon over meat, fish, or even scrambled eggs.

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

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Weekend Cooking: 9 Books for Food & Drink Lovers

Hello friends! It’s been a hot minute since I connected with my very favorite blogging group—all of you at Weekend Cooking. Part my absence was just needing a break and part is my lack of desire to learn the new Blogger interface. (And at this point I’m not really interested in paying someone to move everything over to WordPress.)

I’ll get the hang of it and all will be fine again.

Today’s post is a round-up of 9 food and cooking books I’ve been exploring since the beginning of the summer. Hope you find something you like here. All these books should be available at your local independent bookstore or library; note that publishing dates are from Edelweiss+ and may not be accurate.

• Modern Cast Iron by Ashley L. Jones (Red Lighting Books; Aug. 18): This book lives up to its subtitle; it is indeed a “complete guide” to cast iron and includes good information on how to buy pans, season and clean them, and even how to turn that crusty flea market find into something you’ll be happy to use. Jones includes a handful of recipes that will take you from breakfast through to dinner (we made the chocolate chip cookie skillet cake--see my Instagram for a photo). The recipes are easy and doable, but the worth of this book is in the excellent advice for incorporating cast iron into your modern kitchen.
• Dirt by Bill Buford (Knopf; May 5): I’ve been a fan of Buford’s since I first listened to his book Heat in 2006. In his newest cooking memoir he shares his journey to learn all there is to know about French cooking; never mind that he didn't really speak the language. His self-directed humor and conversational tone mixed with a natural talent for storytelling, makes Dirt a don’t-miss read. A six-month stay in Lyon, with his wife and toddler twin boys, turned into a years-long learning opportunity. You’ll be craving all things wonderful on your plate, even as you discover the strict rules and techniques that are de rigueur for French chefs.
• The Truth about Baked Beans by Meg Muckenhoupt (NYU Press, Aug. 25): This well-researched look into the culinary world of New England dissects the myths and reveals the truths of the region’s signature dishes. From Native Americans to the Pilgrims and through every wave of immigrants thereafter, every group has made its mark on household New England cooking, and—spoiler alert—most of those dishes are different from those that have gained legendary status. Firsthand accounts reveal the cultural biases, fear of the unfamiliar, and more that shaped the region’s culinary reputation. Well worth your time.

• Beautiful Booze by Natalie Migliarini and James Stevenson (Countryman Press; Aug. 25): I’m usually a wine (and sometimes beer) kind of woman, but other times I’m all about the cocktail. In these days of self-isolation, there’s something fun about coming up with the perfect afternoon, evening, or weekend drink to brighten your day and make you dream about a future when you can invite your friends and family into your house again. The “beautiful” part of the title of this cocktail recipe book isn’t a lie: the photos and the drinks themselves are simply gorgeous. I’m not kidding. The book includes all the expected information about stocking your bar, picking glassware, learning mixing techniques, and making homemade syrups. The drinks look heavenly.
• Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden with Martha Holmberg (Artisan; May 2): This wonderful vegetable-forward cookbook is just what you want to guide you through your year of veggies. I can’t wait until I can go to the farmer’s market again and explore all the freshest produce of the season; when that day happens, this is the cookbook I want by my side. In the meantime, I can use the recipes to make the most of grocery store curbside pickup. Although the recipes are centered on seasonal vegetables, this is not a fully vegetarian cookbook, so if you don’t eat meat, you’ll want to look through this before you buy it. Wondering about the six seasons? Summer is divided up into early, mid, and late harvests.
• The Ultimate Pasta Machine Cookbook by Lucy Vaserfirer (Harvard Common Press; Aug 4): I’m inspired by this down-to-earth, easy-to-follow guide to making homemade noodles. The techniques sections cover all kinds of pasta makers, from sheeters to cutters to extruders, including stand-alone electric machines, hand-cranked machines, and attachments to a mixer. The recipes look easy and fun, and Vaserfirer provides directions for gluten-free pasta too. I’m waiting for cooler weather to give these recipes a try, although now that I think about it, quarantine is the perfect time to perfect your pasta-making skills. Great photos and clear directions throughout.

• Unvarnished by Eric Alperin and Deborah Stoll (Harper Wave; June 23): This memoir has been billed as the Kitchen Confidential of the bartending world. That alone would get me to read this, but the book has also won tons of praise for its candid perspective of life on the other side of the bar. Alperin extolls the professional side of his chosen career, dispelling the notion that a good mixologist is somehow in limbo waiting for his or her "real" job opportunities to appear. I haven’t read this yet, but it’s currently at the top of my fall reading stack.
• Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table by Carole Bumpus (She Writes Press; Aug. 18): In this second travelogue, food adventure, memoir mashup, Bumpus takes us to Normandy, Brittany, Loire, and Auvergne, where she met local families, learning about their foods, recipes, and traditions while cooking and talking at the kitchen table. If you’re interested in authentic French foods and wines, have a love of travel, and understand the importance of family, you’ll love Bumpus’s books. I’m reading this slowly, savoring every (tasty) word.
• Women in the Kitchen by Anne Willan (Scribner; Aug. 11): Willan’s books have a permanent place in my personal cookbook collection. Her latest is a look at a dozen women who lived and cooked at some point during the last 300 years and who (as the subtitle suggests) had a major influence on the way we eat and cook. I just received my review copy of this book (as in yesterday!), and I can’t wait to dive in. The book consists of short biographies and then a sampling of each woman’s recipes. I might not make Hannah Woolley’s seventeenth-century recipes, but I’ve already cooked from books written by Edna Lewis, Irma Rombauer, and many of the others. I’m looking forward to learning more!

Thanks to the publishers for providing review copies of these titles. Fuller reviews will be available on Goodreads or Instagram sometime during the following weeks.

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

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6 New Cookbooks I Love

If you're a reader, then you already know October is an awesome month for new book releases. But did you know October 2019 is turning out to be one of the most amazing cookbook months we've had in a long while?

In fact, I have so many cookbooks to cover, I've run out of Saturday Weekend Cooking space. Still I really need to share all the great new books with you. Thus I'm trying something different this month. Here's the breakdown of what to expect.

• Twitter, Instagram, or Litsy (@BethFishReads): I have already posted some photos and stories of dishes I've made from October cookbooks. You'll see more throughout the month.
• Weekend Cooking: I'm devoting Saturdays to books from the Abrams Dinner Party.
• Today's Read: I have two Tuesdays devoted to individual cookbook or food writing reviews. Last Tuesday was Aaron Sanchez's new memoir, Where I Come From (from Abrams).
• Mini-Reviews: Finally, I plan to write two posts devoted to mini reviews and features (today is the first one).

We're eating really well in the BFR household, and I'm having a ton of fun discovering new favorite recipes.

Now that you have the October cookbook scoop, let's get to the first batch of reviews, presented in no particular order. (Note: print or digital copies of all of these were provided by the publisher)

I love collecting cookbooks with a literary theme and those celebrating favorite novels or authors. It should come as no surprise that Wini Moranville's The Little Women Cookbook (Harvard Common Press, Oct. 1) caught my eye. With this celebration of the 150th anniversary of Little Women in hand, you can re-create many of the foods and drinks mentioned in the story. Moranville took a three-pronged approach. First she made note of the many food references in the novel; then she looked a period cookbooks and archives to find recipes. Finally, she made sure those recipes were doable in modern times and tweaked them to 21st-century tastes. Each recipe is introduced with a quote or a blurb to tie it to Louisa May Alcott's book, and throughout the cookbook, you'll find other information about the Alcotts and about food in the mid-1800s. Marked to try: maple-cornmeal drop biscuits, chicken salad with grapes and almonds, Hannah's cottage pie.

One of the sad, sad things about my late-in-life peanut allergy is that I can't eat Asian food in restaurants. This is really hard because I love noodle-y food like pad Thai. Thank you Maki Watanabe, your new cookbook Asian Noodles (Tuttle, Oct. 29) is just what I needed. Now I can make my own noodle dishes from Vietnam, Thailand, China, Korea, and Japan at home. If a dish calls for peanuts, I can make a substitution. Here are a few things I really like about this cookbook: Each recipe is accompanied by a beautiful photo of the finished dish. I especially appreciate photos when I'm learning new techniques or working with new ingredients. Watanabe includes instructions for cooking the different kinds of Asian noodles to help make her recipes no-fail. I love the variety of dishes, including stir-fries, noodle bowls, soups, and desserts. Finally, you'll find tips and tricks and useful information scattered throughout the book. Recipe I tried: five-spice pork noodles (yum!) Marked to try: Taiwanese chicken noodles, chicken pho noodle soup, stir-fried mi fun with lots of vegetables.

It's really hard to believe that I bought my first Tartine cookbook a dozen years ago. The new Tartine by Elizabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson (Chronicle, Oct. 1) is a pastry and dessert book for today's baker. About half the book features updated versions of older recipes and the other half consists of new delights. Yes, the original recipes work just fine, but the new book includes gluten-free options, more whole grain breads, less sugar, new methods, and new ingredients. The cookbook contains gorgeous photos and recipes for everything from muffins to scones, pies, cookies, and cakes. One feature I really love is the "Kitchen Notes" sections that accompany many (all?) recipes. Here you'll find all kinds of tips, from how to transfer the dough to the pan to how to make substitutions and information on why a certain ingredient is called for. These are the gold mine of the cookbook. Marked to try: black tea blondies with caramel swirl, pecan maple pie with kumquats and bourbon, almond-lemon tea cake.

One of my go-to, totally reliable cookbook authors is Ellie Krieger and her new book, Whole in One (Da Capo, Oct. 15) speaks to me on a lot of levels. Her dishes are always healthful, and I love one-pot cooking (especially because I don't have a dishwasher). The recipes in this book are broken down by main ingredient: plant and dairy proteins; meats, fish, and fowl; and desserts and, as I've come to expect from Krieger, the recipes are straightforward, easy to follow, and use regular ole ingredients. The dishes are also popping with flavor. Here's more good news: most of the dishes can easily be make on a busy weeknight.  I suspect this cookbook will be well used in this house. Krieger starts with a discussion of needed equipment (yay for cast iron!), her thoughts on good food and nutrition, and suggested pantry items. Then come the tempting recipes. I didn't even bother to mark recipes, because, really, I could make everything in the book. Recipes I tried: broccoli Cheddar skillet strata (cast-iron skillet), herbed pork tenderloin with delicata squash and Brussels sprouts (sheet pan).

Long, long ago, I drank the America's Test Kitchen Kool-Aid, and I've been a fan ever since. The newest book from America's Test Kitchen Kids is The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs (Sourcebooks Explore, Oct. 1). This book, like others in their Young Chefs series, is colorful, informative, and sometimes funny. The photos show a diverse group of kids baking up a storm, and each recipe includes notes and reviews from young recipe testers. As you can expect from ATK, the recipes may be suitable for youngsters but there is nothing childish about the results. In fact, although I've been cooking and baking for more years than I'm going to admit here, I learned a few things from the beginning chapter on ingredients, techniques, and tips. The kid testers' notes are really honest; for example, one girl said she hated squeezing the liquid out of shredded zucchini, but because her family loved the bread she baked, she decided it was worth it. Recipes include scones, quick breads, muffins, and a variety of yeasted breads -- even pretzels. If yeast scares you, start with the recipes in this book. Marked to try: cheese bread, pumpkin bread with chocolate chips, fluffy dinner rolls.

I try to stay out of the food world's drama, so I have nothing to say about Christopher Kimball's departure from ATK or Cooks magazine. I still like his recipes and his veiw point on food and cooking (though I don't know much about Milk Street). His new cookbook is titled The New Rules (Voracious, Oct. 15), and its subtitle promises that the recipes "will change the way you cook." I haven't had much time to really delve into this one yet, but each of the 75 chapters takes you through a particular flavor, ingredient, technique, or dish. For example, you'll learn why a sheet pan is better than a traditional roasting pan, how to get the best flavor from garlic, how to use nuts with pasta dishes, and tricks for braising. Kimball presents each rule and then offers a couple of recipes that put that rule into action. There are also informative features, such as one about oils and their smoking points and a super one on spice blends. The recipes are appealing (Roman Braised Beef with Tomato and Cloves) but are omnivore heavy, so vegetarians and vegans might want to look before buying. I haven't marked any recipes in particular, but I'm interested in trying out several of the "new rules."

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Weekend Cooking: 3 Good Cookbooks

I don't know about you, but I like to spend the week between Christmas and New Years getting organized. This year, as I was going through my books, I found a few cookbooks I really wanted to share with you but didn't--for whatever reason.

Before I find room for these cookbooks on my real or virtual bookshelves, I wanted to give them a moment in the limelight.

I'm starting today with three titles that are at the top of my to-try list. Let me know if you've explored any of them. Each cookbook has lots of promise, so I hope you find at least one to add to your wish list.

Homegrown by Matt Jennings (Artisan, Oct. 17, 2017): Jennings has made a name for himself in the food world, catching the eye of the James Beard committee and Food & Wine, among others. He's currently located in Boston and is chef/owner of the brasserie Townsman. I'm always a bit hesitant to pick up a cookbook by a restaurant chef because I'm worried the recipes will require fancy tools, professional ovens, and/or expensive ingredients. Thus I was relieved to see that Homegrown's recipes are pretty straightforward, in a contemporary creative cook kind of way. The dishes are modern takes on the flavors of New England and most look doable for experienced cooks. Jennings includes tips and notes, full-page photographs, and even lists needed equipment (like a meat thermometer or a springform). The book is arranged by the source of the main ingredient (dairy, farm, orchard), and each section includes a "feast"--a complete meal to show off New England's best ingredients. Note there are (as can be expected) a number of seafood recipes, and there are also a handful of game dishes. Three recipes: Evie's Pub Cheese (for snacking), Maple-Lime Grilled Chicken Legs (with a bean salad on the side), Summer Tagliatelle ("like a BLT sandwich dressed in pasta's clothes").

Packed: Lunch Hacks and Recipes to Squeeze More Nutrients into Your Day by Becky Alexander and Michelle Lake (Nourish, Feb. 14, 2017): If you've been following Weekend Cooking, then you know I'm on a never-ending quest for easy, healthful lunch ideas. I don't know why I have breakfast and dinner nailed, but I've always had a problem with lunches (except leftovers, of course), especially meals my husband can take to work. Alexander and Lake to the rescue! Their nutritious, easy, cost-effective, and "realistic" ideas are just what I need. The recipes, complete with packing and serving tips, are very appealing and come together quickly (though you may want to prep or cook on Sunday). I particularly love the section on "fork-free meals," which includes dips and nutritious sandwiches. If you're on a special diet (paleo, vegan, GF), you'll find recipes to suit you, though you should probably borrow Packed before you buy. Besides the recipes, you'll also find "healthy hacks" to make your lunch hour more enjoyable. I was relieved that most of the recipes require no microwave (but you'll want a couple of wide-mouth thermoses for the soup) and use everyday ingredients. Probably best suited to adults or teens. Three recipes: Pear, Hazelnut & Goat Cheese salad (perfect for fall); Coronation-ish Chicken Sandwich (curry flavors); Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup (store-bought mushrooms & almond milk).

Texas Slow Cooker by Cheryl Jamison (Harvard Common Press, Sept. 12, 2017): You might be surprised to learn I'm a huge fan of the slow cooker, considering I own three pressure cookers. Well, I also own a slow cooker or two as well. Jamison is a veteran cookbook author, and clearly knows her way around a recipe and how to get the most out of a slow cooker. Besides solid advice on how to buy the right machine for your needs, she also suggests four must-have items: specific baking dishes and a 3-inch ring biscuit cutter (for use as pan stand). The recipes take you from breakfast to dessert and absolutely have a Southwest, Tex-Mex attitude. I was looking through the starters and snack section, which I think would be great for any casual get-together (especially those dips and wings). As you might expect, Texas Slow Cooker has a number of chili recipes, but you'll also find German meatballs and creole flavors. More unusual ingredients are game and goat, but most of the peppers and spices are readily available in a good grocery or via mail order. As the entire USA is experiencing freezing weather and our friends in the other hemisphere are starting to think twice about turning on the oven, this cookbook would be a welcome addition to almost any kitchen. Three recipes: Chicken Breasts with Chipotle Cream (cheesy goodness), Chile Relleno Casserole (no stuffing or frying required), Praline Bread Pudding (need I say more?)

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Weekend Cooking: I'm a Baking Fool

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, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

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Snow winter weekends are the perfect excuse for baking. And I spent yesterday afternoon doing just that.


For weekday bread baking, I rely heavily on the bread machine to do the kneading and the first rise. The following recipe comes from one of my favorite bread machine books: The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger (p. 202).

Semolina Country Bread

1½-pound loaf

• 1⅓ cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1¾ cups bread flour
• 1¼ cups semolina flour
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon gluten
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons SAF yeast (2½ teaspoons bread machine yeast)

Place all the ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer's instructions. Set crust on dark and program for the French bread or basic cycle; press Start.

Beth Fish's notes: I use just 1 cup of water. I set the machine to knead and let the dough rise once. I take the dough out, punch it down, shape the loaf, and let it rise a second time. I bake it on a stone at 375°F until the internal temperature is about 200°F and the loaf looks golden brown.

Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook at an Indie

Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook at Powell's
Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook at Amazon
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Published by Harvard Common Press, 2000
ISBN-13: 9781558321564


What's a snowy weekend without a something sweet? Mr. BFR requested Texas sheet cake, and so I took the opportunity to try a recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond (p. 218). She calls it Chocolate Sheet Cake and her version is a bit sweeter than the recipe I normally use, but it was easy to make and came out moist and yummy.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Makes one 18- × 12-inch cake

Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ pound (2 sticks) butter
• 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder

Icing

• 1¾ sticks butter
• 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• ½ cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir together and set aside. In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda. Mix with a fork and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the cocoa. Whisk together to combine. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil. When the butter is melted, pour the boiling water in the pan. Allow to bubble for a moment, then turn off the heat. Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture. Stir together for a moment to cool the chocolate, then pour in the egg mixture.

Stir together until smooth, then pour into an ungreased jelly roll pan and bake for 20 minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the icing. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Add the milk and vanilla. Add the powdered sugar. Stir together. Dump in the pecans and stir until well combined.

Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, pour the warm icing over the top. You'll want to avoid doing much spreading, so try to distribute it evenly as you pour.

Beth Fish's notes: (1) Pan size: the standard jelly roll pan is actually 17½- × 11½ inches, which is what I used. (2) For the cake: the boiling water was not listed in the ingredients. My advice is to start the water right away, I was stuck keeping an eye on the cocoa-butter mixture while waiting for the water to boil. (3) For the icing: I added another teaspoon of milk because it was too thick.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks at an Indie

The Pioneer Woman Cooks at Powell's
The Pioneer Woman Cooks at Amazon
These 3 links lead to affiliate programs.

Published by William Morrow Cookbooks, 2009
ISBN-13: 979780061658198

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