I think I’m down to the final books in my cookbook project.
The set of Julia Child Books is a keeper, of course. I do look thru recipes from time to time and have made a number of her classic recipes. It should be in everyone’s cookbook collection if for no other reason is her cooking changed the way we looked at food/cooking in the early sixties.
The last one is the Ball Preserving book.
I only water bath can so many of these recipes are ones I will never try but canning is a valuable skill to know and this is one of the classic books. I’ve seen a few others I’m interested in like Amish canning and might check them out at some point.
I’ve been making different jams for years and I have done salsas. This year with our garden not producing any/very few tomatoes,I doubt I’ll be doing anything with tomatoes unless I buy a lug from the CSA farm.That could end up too expensive but I might check with them as to a price.
I think ina garten is one of my favorite chefs. Most all of her recipes are things I would make.
I like looking at her books for inspiration not just in food but how to serve food and often she adds a directory of where to get items.
The Paris one is really nice as she has a list of where to go in Paris for certain things. Not that I’m going to Paris but I still like reading about it. I got most of the these at the pet bookstore for a $1.00 so an inexpensive form of entertainment.
Our weather has turned and it’s much cooler today with a high around 91. I can live with that.
Barclay went to his PC yesterday and he gave him a shot of some sort of anti inflammatory( not cortisone) and I guess it seems to have helped. He also got an xray but it only showed some arthritis, so that’s not the issue. It’s still the sciatica. Hopefully it will improve all week. It’s hard to be in pain.
The Minimalist Kitchen is by the blogger Melissa Coleman. I like the book and her approach. I do think it’s a somewhat entitled woman’s approach to minimalism. I mean, whose kitchen looks like that? But I still like her honesty and have used several recipes from the book. For now it will stay.
Simplicity at Home is a book I bought this spring as the Japanese stuff caught my attention. The book is by the woman who started Fog Linen. I adore linen but all of the stuff on the website is beyond my reach. Still, I like the book probably for the ascetics. I’ll keep for now as it is a good book to look thru on rainy days.
I’ve used Date Night In for a couple of years and her pizza dough recipe is the one I use the most and always works. I’ve made a number of other recipes too. I liked her before fame. Now her last book I bought new and promptly gave away as it wasn’t at all interesting. I think something must happen to bloggers and Youtubers that get noticed and offered book deals etc. I’ve seen it over and over. There’s one You tuber Shannon Torres that I really enjoyed but now it’s all the same content and all the same lingo to get subscribers to get money.( clean with me, declutter with me, why I am minimal, I understand that but something is lost in translation.
The same thing happened with Scandish home. I liked her originality to start( actually a couple of years) but then it all changed when she was clearly out for the subscribers and money. She’s very wholesome but clearly now wears makeup, has her hair done and on and on. She was a minimalist but since they moved into a house twice as big almost every vlog is about what she has just bought on Amazon and of course there’s the link.( that’s where you get a small % if someone buys from your link.) I don’t even bother watching her anymore. Everyone does evolve but sometimes the almighty $ is behind it.
Magnolia Table is a useful book and I’ve made a number of recipes. Her Chocolate chip cookie recipe is good. I’ll keep for now. I have room on my shelf so no problem there.
These four books are all very nice and if you find them in a thrift store get them but I wouldn’t go buy them retail( as I did). Just my two cents.
update: I looked thru Date Night In more closely, and I don’t think there’s anything else I would make from it so it’s going. It’s a nice book but if I’m not going to make her ‘ salmon cakes with chile and fresh herbs ‘ then it’s probably best to pass it on. I’ll take a photo of the pizza dough recipe and call it good.
These both are keepers. I’ve used both for multiple recipes. They are both excellent for vegetarian cooking. The “Expanding Light Cookbook” has the recipe for millet patties which is superb. I make those and serve with their recipe for “golden gravy’ which uses nutritional yeast. If you’re ever visiting N. Ca you can go to Ananda and there is a store and I think they have food also for sale. They have many yoga retreats as well as meditation. It continues to be a thriving community based on Yogananda’s philosophy. Being that it started in the late 60’s early 70’s that is saying something. Back in the day, Barclay was their rep for food service so he went out their maybe once every month or so.
These two are also keepers. Nigel Slater is a wonderful writer with a great sense of humor. His cooking(British) isn’t really my style, but I love reading about how and why he cooks. He and his partner bought this wonderful old house with a garden and some of these recipes are about using garden produce. They are beautiful books worth taking down and having a peruse thru on rainy afternoons. I suppose if I was moving they would go but for now they can claim a spot on my cookbook shelf.
The first book, “Kitchen Counter Cooking School “is one of my all time favorite books. It’s not a cookbook per se but accounts of the author writing about teaching some basics of cooking. The recipes are true keepers. The Alfredo sauce is remarkable and if you’ve never made homemade fettuccine alfredo, you absolutely must. It is so easy. Just follow her instructions about the simmering of the cream.
The” Goldy’s Kitchen” is also a favorite as her series about Goldy, a caterer, is so much fun. I just made the Mexican torta and it’s excellent. Her Spinach soup is my gold standard although I use an immersion blender to blend it smooth.
Both are keepers.
I like both these mark Bittman’s but the “How to cook everything” is I think better.
The other one is his new book and it’s okay and I’ve made a few things out of it but most of the fancier recipes I wouldn’t make. I will keep for now.
Most of the rest of the my cookbooks are keepers but I’ll still go thru some for the project.
Yesterday, after I got back from Sacto, I blanched and froze 6 bags of corn. Corn is coming in from the valley 5 for$1.00. I plan on getting another batch done this weekend.
So the project is: I have lots of cookbooks although that is probably relative. If I can find at least one recipe that is a keeper to make, I will keep the cookbook.
This is a signed Annie Somerville cookbook. I couldn’t find one recipe I wanted to make:( If anyone out there wants to pay postage, they can have the book.
So we’ve been to Greens at Fort Mason twice and really it is spectacular. If you are near San Francisco or are visiting you must add this to your to do list. Reservations are probably expected. We had reservations both times.
Now her other one Fields of Greens there are lots to try.
These all look delicious but I just don’t cook like this with these kinds ingredients.
Anyway, this one is on the way out. Didn’t make it.
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