Cooking With Ideas

One More Cookbook -- And a Little Bit of Thyme

Yes, this is one more cookbook that came in the mail. Entitled the spice kitchen and subtitled everyday cooking with organic spices, among the many wonders of this orange-y red and other colored book is the fact that the only capital letters on its front cover are all the letters of the authors' names: SARA ENGRAM and KATE LUBER with KIMBERLY TOQE. That, and the Q in the final last name. (For a bit on the authors, click here. And even see the erroneous, I think, comment adding a U to the latter's last name.) Of course, one question I had immediately: is everyday cooking all that different with organic spices as compared to those grown other ways? I assume the main arguments are those we all know -- they're more eco-friendly, likely tastier, healthier, and more expensive. (Or at least allegedly so . . . for all four characterizations.) The two main authors (according to the back cover) "revolutionized the spice cabinet with tsp spices and Smart Spice, two unique lines of organic spices and herbs sold in one teaspoon packages for maximum freshness." (And possibly maximum packaging?) They do, of course, say this in the book, and advocate for use of their products. Hence they advocate for use of dried herbs and etcetera. That is, all their recipes call for these -- though they do indicate you can substitute fresh ofr frozen, and give you a formula for swapping.  (Not so different from all those pamphlets you find in antique cum collectible stores -- for baking soda and flour, for mazola oil and. . . this is in part a sales pitch. Today rather than pamphlets you get fancy cookbooks.)

Perhaps obviously, the book begins with an introduction and then a chapter entitled "Spice Basics." After that it moves to those cookbook staples -- breakfast; salads, soups and sandwiches; appetizers and snacks; entrees; side dishes; desserts and sweets; and, finally, metric conversions and equivalents. (All cookbooks should have the latter, even though we all know to check the answers out on line we just go here or here.) One of the oddities -- charming perhaps, though I found it a bit much -- is that the chapter on spices pairs each spice with an adjective. Cheerful coriander. Joyful marjoram. Tres chic tarragon. And queen cardamon. (Hmm. Maybe queen is a title not an adjective.) Quotations and bits of fact are sprinkled throughout (a cookbook tradition) -- On page 73, for example, you learn that in 1305 anise seed was taxed for repairs ot the London Bridge. And, on p. 161 (apropos of the title of this entry) that folks in the middle ages put thyme under their pillows to ward off nightmares. All in all, this is a physically attractive general cookbook liberally spiced with spice lore -- and with a range of recipes that attempts to raise the relatively ordinary up through the intentional use of spices and herbs. If you want a chocolate cake with chili, clove spiced caramel corn, a mac and cheese with basil, or pear cardamon bread, this one's for you.

For a video of the authors on their cookbook, click here.

Too (or Three) Many Cookbooks Too Little Time III (That's Three to You!)

Same picture, but in my imagination, the heap of cookbooks is shrinking. . . though it is not really shrinking in terms of what I want to cook from. . . . Again, check out the article from which the picture originates here. And, again, remember, I don't really mean it. There can never be too many books. Ever.

This trio of cookbooks focuses on location, location, location. Each of the three (yes, THREE) includes a location in its title: Barcelona, Venezia, and Big Sur. Beautiful locations. Beautiful cookbooks. Beautiful food.

Let's begin with The Barcelona Cookbook subtitled A Celebration of Food, Wine, and Life. Written by Sasa Mahr-Batuz and Andy Pforzheimer "with" Mary Goodbody. Surprise. Barcelona is NOT exactly the city in Spain. Well, yes it is. No it is not. It is a restaurant in Connecticut (wests Hartford to be exact) called Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar reviewed here. I love how the article begins: "the team behind [the restaurant] is steeped in humanities and food." The co-owners are a classicist (and English literature major) and a philosopher (and Russian literature major)  -- or at least that was their academic focus in college; and they are joined by Sasa Mahr-Batuz whose father was, if I got it right, an artist and whose background brings together Argentina, Austria and. . . Well, together they make up the restaurant Barcelona -- and this cookbook. And it is beautiful. And it does include tapas. Yes, it does. The book begins with an introduction and related stuff about the restaurant, but what really is fun is the recipes. (This may be because it is a genre about which I know virtually nothing.) first, cocktails and wine, then cold and hot tapas, than main courses and party dishes, and then desserts. Examples that drew my attention include some that I have had -- or made in other versions -- such as roasted olives, or citrus ceviche, and some not so unusual things like an heirloom tomato salad (as usual, the real issue is whether the tomatoes and balsamic are themselves wonderful. That's the secret, really it is), roasted chickpea [puree (aka hummus) with pita chips, But then, I saw it: rabbit with porcini mushrooms and read wine. I love rabbit. (NO, I have never cooked it. I will some day.) And I love cookbooks that actually make menu suggestions. I almost never follow them, but still, it makes for fun reading. Finally, there is some useful stuff here on spanish wines. Not to mention a beautiful picture of an orange being peeled.

Tessa Kiros is an author whose cookbooks I love. Well, at least I loved Falling Cloudberries, which I reviewed here. It redeemed cloudberries, reminded me of beauty and taught me lovely things. So, Venezia -- yes, that means Venice -- was a wonderful prospect when it arrived and now that I am finally really looking, it makes me smile.  And this is not entirely because it has a cloth bookmark. Nor is it the absolutely beautiful cover which shouts extravagance on the front -- and hints at more on the sepia back cover. It is because I had no idea what to expect when I opened it. And, because when I did, the phrase I saw was: "patience and risotto." I am not, as those who know me can tell you, very patient. I do, though, love a good risotto. And then I saw a phrase "galoshes and high heels." Nothing to do with food, but who can resist? In some ways, obviously, this is an Italian cookbook. These days, the larger geographical divisions are not what is the focus; Venezia, not the world of Italy to which it eventually came to be attached in national imaginations. Venezia -- that city of luminous history and . . . I have a suspicion that Tessa Kiros could make a beautiful cookbook about anywhere at all. Even Geneva, NY. Or Harrisburg, PA. Or where ever you are sitting right now, reading this. For an interview with her, click here or here.  I particularly like the latter where she names her "poison" as "prosecco" and names Bette Midler, Meryly Streep, John Travolta and George Winston as guests for her "dream dinner party line up."  For her site, which is alas under construction, you can click here (though right now it is pointless. Maybe not later!)

So, for the last of the three books -- there is My Nepenthe, subtitled Bohemian Tales of Food, Family, and Big Sur. Another physically beautiful book.The author is Romney Steel. And, she (yes, Rommey is a she) actually grew up on the Big Sur coast (so you now get what Bohemian means -- California Bohemia), so this book is in the genre of memoir cum cookbook and in that sub-genre associated with the history of a restaurant. Nepenthe, it turns out, is a famous, 60-ish year old restaurant. Who knew? Not me. I have no idea what I thought the word "Nepenthe" meant when I opened the box with the book in it. Somehow it made me think of absinthe? Not at all what it means. (Click here if you are curious.) In any case, this is, as I said, more memoir with recipes than the other two. Nepenthe was opened in 1949 by her maternal grandparents, and Romney clearly loved and loves the place.The book is filled with pictures of famous and not famous people at Nepenthe -- of the Big Sur coastline -- and of food. And it combines recipes with reflection. To be honest, I couldn't care less about the restaurant, never having heard of it before reading the book, but there was an intriguing amount of off cultural history here (Henry Miller, KIm Novak, Jack Kerouac, etcetera) -- and so the Bohemian was fun. Turns out hte restaurant appears in a variety of books -- and in the 1965 film The Sandpiper. If you're a California type, or just want to know about Nepenthe -- well, here's your book.

One final comment: All three of these books came from (aka were published by) Andrews McNeel, who publish a lot of cookbooks. I have no idea how these places stay in business these days, what with the economy and the impact on the book industry of the net and all sorts of things like that. But today, and the other days I have looked at their books and sighed, I am grateful. (And no, I do not work for them. I just enjoy their work. They produce beautiful, wonderful books. And that is all too rare.)

Midtown Scholar -- More than Food For Thought

Well, this is not a restaurant review, though I do eat there periodically. Often a cheese scone, a few times a yogurt even though they are cheaper across the street at the Broad Street Market, sometimes pound cake, and often a latte with caramel syrup. Yes, this is a really nice bookstore -- and I wish we had one in Geneva. It is huge, and it is filled with used books. Indeed, every time I go there, there are different ones, additional ones, wonders and wonders and wonders of books. The only flaw is that usually there is no "junk" - -those peanut-y books you read quickly and never really absorb. Instead, there are books and books -- scholarly and scholarly.

The store is the Midtown Scholar after all. And they have music and piles of children's books, and . . . art shows with wonderful photographs right now of abandoned buildings -- called, aptly "Abandoned America." (For the web presence "where historical preservation meets art," click here.)

Among the many wonderful sections (and there is a good religion one), right when you come in there is a really great area of food books -- cookbooks and much much more. I have purchased: Sherrie Inness's book entitled Secret Ingredients: Race, Gender, and Class at the Dinner Table as well as volume 2 of The Cambridge World History of Food. (I am yearning for volume 1, and keep watching the piles of books come and go wondering, is there someone out there that only liked volume 1?) And, of course, I have bought books about religion and higher education, and today, a calendar. But mainly, I look -- at a book on molecular gastronomy, at a book on jewish home cooking, at this book and that. I want to buy more than I can imagine carrying. It is definitely a wonder. For some reason it makes me think of a lovely eatery in Wellsfleet called The Wellfleet Bookstore and Restaurant which has its own oyster bed and definitely does food (not to mention martini's) more seriously than the Midtown, but hey, bookstore, food, heaven.

Nonna's -- Harrisburg

A tiny joint nearby, this has a sort of oddly sweet sign on the outside announcing that the garage door actually works. And inside, there are both friendly folks (Grace and Ray are the owners; Philip serves me breakfast once in a while when I go there), local free papers of various sorts, and good food. It is not perfect; once in a while the pasta is a bit heavy and I have to admit there is better coffee in the neighborhood. And yes, I yearn for fresh squeezed oj when I have breakfast out (or at least something not from a bottle labeled tropicana). But, I like Nonna's and go there regularly. Maybe I like it because the owners live upstairs, and they are sort of pursuing a dream running the place. They're almost always there, and Grace is often at a table hunched over her computer.

Here's a link to all sorts of reviews.

But why else do I  like it? I like the eats. For example, there is a polenta appetizer which is more or less always on the menu (even though it seems to be a special), which has some lovely olive tapenade and artichokes on it. The first time I had it it was perfect; I keep trying to get back to that moment of "oh my god this is in my neighborhood" but have not quite had as good an experience since then. Still, it's pretty good. And the place just reminds me of the Jersey Shore -- and not just because I know the owners are from New Jersey.

Another reason? They know what Taylor's Pork Roll is, and it is one of the meat options for their breakfast sandwich, which also comes on a very good roll. For me, Taylor Pork Roll is, among other things, a dash of nostalgia. And this is just the right thing with their imperfect coffee (too weak, alas) and tropicana juice in a bottle.One thing I do like about the juice, is here it feels right just to get it out of the refrigerator yourself. (Sometimes I have a black cherry soda.)

Besides all this, or maybe also, once I had a sandwich and several times pasta. The pasta is, as I say, not perfectly light, but pretty good and the servings are big. No, -- huge. Dinners also come with salad and I get the blue cheese vinagrette. And a roll. (same one as they use for the breakfast sandwich.) Once I had a way too garlicky chicken and pasta dish, but I have also had some pasta meals there that were quite good. And I did have a shrimp corn chowder one evening that was nicely spicey.

Besides the restaurant, you can also buy cheese and meat there, as well as some other things. In the main it is Boar's Head meats.

As I have said, the people are nice, the ambiance friendly, and it's nearby. For their menu, click here. Then go for it. I do.

What Do You Eat When You Eat Alone?

This year, I am eating on my own a lot. So, when I got around to it, I am finally reading a book that I had around by Deborah Madison and Patrick McFarlin. Its title?  What We Eat When We Eat Alone: Stories and 100 Recipes. It is a hardback, shaped just like a novel. It is pretty darn chatty, and has delightful -- sweet in a non-sacharin sort of way -- illustrations. In fact, the whole thing is making me smile when I am not feelign particularly smile-y.

I am not done the book, but it is an oddly soothing book right now. It turns out the fact that I am a totally different eater -- and cooker -- when on my own is not weird or somehow a sign that I don't really like to cook or that I don't care about food or my health or . . . It is not merely about not liking to do dishes or the difficulty of obtaining foods when car-less (not really in my case as the Broad Street Market is nearby, I live within blocks of good restaurants, and I can always rent a car and get to a more fulsome grocery store). Whatever it is about, it is probably mostly ok that I have whole meals of sweet potatoes slathered in butter, squirts of lime juice and. . . Indian spices. Or, that I love baked potatoes with (again) loads of butter and salt and pepper, especially the end when I eat the "jacket" (yep, that's the outside) with even more butter and salt and pepper, folded up like a taco. Or that I buy ethnic frozen food, or skip meals or dine on cereal at 9 pm, or . . .

One of these days, I will review the book, really I will. But meanwhile, what do you eat when you eat alone?

Too Many Cookbooks Too Little Time II (That's TWO to You!)

Thanks again to TimesonLine for the picture. And yes, read the article! And remember, I don't really mean what the title of this entry says. There can never be too many books. Ever.

The first cookbook for this review is a dandy little book entitled Spice Up Your Life by Bindu Grandhi. Its subtitle is "The Flexitarian Way." Also known as "the flex cook," here's her site. But first, what's a flexitarian? Here's what wikipedia says, including its first use in October of 1992 by a newspaper in Texas. And yes, it more or less means I am vegetarian -- except not always. Or, as MSNBC put it, meat eating vegetarians. A paradox? Yes. A foodie movement? Yes. And in Spice Up Your Life, Bindu Grandhi is just that: a meat eating vegetarian. (And also the daughter of a cookbook author, Vasantha Prasad, author of Indian Vegetarian Cooking from an American Kitchen, and a physician author father, author of Stop Overeating for Good). Between this heritage and her MBA from NYU, no wonder this cookbook is out there available for us all to purchase! And yes, this is a flexitarian cookbook with an Indian flair. With 2 of 7 chapters devoted to animal products (chicken and shrimp), the remainder of the cookbook focuses on various vegetarian Indian foods (for the most part), ranging  from breads (nan, pooris) and chutneys to side dishes like red cabbage with green chilies or various curries, from drinks like lassis or chai  to desserts of various sorts (both indian and not). I love Indian flavors and some of these look very easy so I may in fact try them; for example, there is a baked broccoli with spices that looks like a tasty treat. Hmmm.

The second cookbook for this entry has an ISBN number but I cannot get it to pop up on the side bar, so reading this is your only chance to get to know it! It is a spiral bound book entitled Amrit: Luscious and Heart Healthy Indian Meals, authored by Purnima Nandkishore. And, as its front cover notes, the "nutritional analysis" is by Karen Yee, MS, RD, LN. It is available from www.AmritForHeart.com where it is described as a cookbook featuring "MediterrAsian fusion" to promote "better heart health among people of South Asian origin." As the site (and the book) make evident, the cookbook's origins lie with a personal encounter with the risks of high cholestrol and heart problems in the author's family. As she writes "In [the] US alone, one in three American adults - 80 million people live with some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD).  In 2009, $475 billion will be spent on its treatment and related loss in productivity. The population from the Indian subcontinent (which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal) has the highest rates of CVD worldwide. The incidence of diabetes among south Asians living in the UK and US is as high as twelve to fifteen percent, compared to three to five percent in people of European ancestry. Recent studies have stated that Asian Indians in the United States and globally have the highest rates of morbidity and mortality because of coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes."

Perhaps you knew this? I did not. In any case, that's what has led to this interestingly multicultural cookbook -- with recipes for hummus with cilantro and brussell sprouts with artichokes or asparagus and beets with fennel viagrette as well as loads of other foods which emphasize nutritionally useful foods which focus on heart health, and spiced with a truly Indian flair. The potato fenugreek frittata is mouthwateringly wonderful sounding. And, the directions are clear. I confess, I am likely to ignore completely the educational aspect -- each recipe is followed with an analysis of the healthiness of the ingredients. And there is a very broad ranging bibliography as well as websites that focus on heart health. Yet muffins made with fenugreek greens (aka methi) -- well that might lead me back to the kitchen out of sheer curiosity.

So: two health oriented books with a South Asian focus -- or, perhaps more accurately -- a South Asian/American focus?

Too Many Cookbooks -- Well, Not really CookBooks -- in the Mail Period!

These are not cookbooks, but they are definitely books that came free in the mail and . . . I am definitely working on reducing the pile. Watch the blog for upcoming entries that feature several cookbooks per entry! Meanwhile, here are two books for your consideration:

Tips Cooks Love is a small sur la table book and thus sort of cute. By Rick Rodgers, it is organized alphabetically as terms -- ranging from foods (asparagus, oysters, ice cream -- not in that order of course!) to techniques (braising, deep frying), utensils and cooking paraphernalia (dutch ovens, thermometers), and some tables (e.g.,conversions) . . . KInd of a nice browse, and I did figure out how to collect duck fat (basically, when you make a duck, use a baster to collect the fat that collects, refrigerate till firm, scrape off jellied juices on the bottom, and remelt, put into heatproof jar, and stick in the refrigerator where it will store for a month or the freezer for 3 months). At $15, it might make a stocking stuffer (of Hanukah evening) gift? 

The Cocktail Primer is just than. Written by Eben Klemm, "master mixologist" of B.R. Guest Restaurants in NY City, this is a $20 hardback. For a bio of Klemm (and some other fun folks) click here. ANd the book itself lets you know that he did not start life with an aim to be a bartender; rather, he managed a molecular biology lab at MIT -- and actally has an upstate connection having grown up in upstate and gained a degree from Cornell. What's the book got? After a section called "getting started" which focuses on various liquids and equipment, there are chapters on "martini's children," "beyond manhattans," "the simple sours," "the complex sours," "muddled drinks," and "highballs." A fun book - not a necessity but definitely a fun book.

Garden Vietnamese -- Harrisburg

I was feeling pretty sick the other night so went off to a local place for dinner only to find them closing. But, they were nice enough to fix me up a take out package for soup, Vietnamese soup. And it was really really good. Here's what it was: a big container of broth, a styrofoam container with slices of white meat chicken, noodles, carmelized/crispy shallot slices, green onions, a baggy with bean sprouts (crisp and crunchy) and a variety of herbs including cilantro and mint and basil, and a small container of some mysterious brownish stuff that was a sort of salty/ tangy/somewhat hot condiment (I assume). So: when I got back to my apartment, I took some of the noodles and chicken and put them in a bowl with some of the stock and. . . well, you get my drift. It was absolutely great. As was the Pepsi, of all things, that I had along with it. All to make me feel a bit better, which the meal definitely did.

It was partly because it was only a few blocks from my place that it was so great. Partly the tasty broth. Partly the weird comfort of soup when you are sick and lonely. Partly the mint surprised me (even though I should have expected it) and so I smiled even against my better sense. And apparently now I have finally eaten in a pho restaurant.

And where did this wonder come from? Garden Vietnamese, located at 304 Reilly Street in Harrisburg, which is the corner of Reilly and North Third.  For other reviews, try here or here.

Too Many Cookbooks Too Little Time I

Once in a while I get a cookbook in the mail. Well, now it seems like a frequent event. And yes, I read them. But for some reason I am feeling like they are piling up. Maybe that's because they are? Anyway, I am going to have to force myself to do multiple entries for a while. I just have to -- or they will sit there generating not the pleasure of cookbooks but the guilt of. . . well, that's just what I do not want. So: here's a bit of reflection on some of what is in my pile of cookbooks. And remember, I don't really mean it. There can never be too many books. Ever. Meanwhile, and crucially, thanks to TImesonLIne at this site for the picture; it's worth clicking away and seeing what the picture originally illustrated, an articlke on what to do with books you want to get rid of. There are loads of good things to do with them that are both environmentally friendly - and people friendly.

So, a few cookbooks:

The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen has as its subtitle "Delicious MEATLESS recipes that will CHANGE the WAY you EAT." Despite that typography, it's an attractive hard back book and I admit I like it as a read/peruse. And it is not just meatless, it is (or at least a large part of it is?) vegan. What's vegan? It means no meat -- and no animal products like cheese, milk, etcetera. In addition to sections on starters/small plates, salads, soups, sandwiches, entrees, and desserts, the book includes discussion of why to eat vegan, various vegan "myths," vegetable proteins, and, in fact, a listing of his favorite (13) vegan restaurants. The pictures are beautiful. I particularly like the pages which have the author's favorite greens (nothing even vaguely odd or surprising, but a pretty picture), favorite pickled things ((okay, I was a little clueless about the pickled yellow radishes and the japanese cucumber), and my personal favorite, the page of mushrooms. Now, I shall never ever cook with seitan, but lots of the other recipes look enticing: asparagus and meyer lemon risotto, lemon pistacchio cookies with wild blueberries,  celery root soup with granny smith apples, and some dandy quinoa salads. Not to mention quinoa maki with avocado and cajun portabello fillets. You can also find them here.

Turns out, on cruising the web after writing this, that this guy is famous. He's the chef who "prepared
vegan meals for Oprah Winfrey's 21-day vegan cleanse. He has since catapulted to fame, catering Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's vegan wedding, Arianna Huffington's party at the Democratic National Convention, and the first vegan dinner at the U.S. Senate." (All that according to his web site.) And on the bio through Oprah's site, you can learn about his non-profit Veg Advantage organization. For reviews of his cookbook, try here or here. So, who knew that when the mail came I was getting introduced to part of Oprah's culture too. 

All in all, here's what I think: cooking from this one might be fun. Even though it seems healthy.It's a keeper. 

Turkey Day Was Here Again -- Hoo Ha Hoo Ha

I love turkey. I admit it. So, I love thanksgiving. And this year I was lucky. Not only did I get turkey without having to cook it, I got a dandy Thanksgiving gift of a quick read Turkey Day Murder. No, I did not witness the death of a turkey -- rather I read Leslie Meier's book of that name which was a gift from my blog-inspiration. And, I had Thanksgoving (American) dinner at Dano's on Seneca which had an amazing menu, though I did go for the more traditional chocie of the turkey. (I preceded it with raclette and followed with Mohn torte which is my all time favorite at Dano's -- a poppy seed laden cake. IN fact, the cranberry chutney was actually nicely tart and probably the best cranberry sauce with turkey I have ever had. The whole meal was dandy and the company wonderful.

But, back to the book. Yes, I have read others by Meier and reviewed them here (even though I had forgotten that at the time), even the relatively recent Bake Sale Murder. (For an earlier review, try here.) And yes, I already said that the Lucy Stone here is NOT the crucial historical figure in women's rights, though Meier's use of the name causes her to come up on google alongside the famous woman with whom she shares her name. 

But, back to the book. Oh yeah, I have not gotten to the book yet! It was a fun read, just perfect for Thanksgiving Day lounging (especially when I was not cooking so there was no risk of burning anything). The best thing about this quick read was that there was no distracting heterosexual romance, just a stable marriage (yes, heterosexual). Instead, this time the sub-theme was the return to the emptying nest of a child during his first year of college. Though I sometimes want to get away from anything college-related, this king of worked for me -- it was not too overdone, not a distraction from the main event of murder and mahem among the cozies, and not entirely out of the range of possible realities. Indeed, there is a whole genre of bloggery on this topic (see here) or tips for parents and kids on stress management on that first Thanksgiving home (try here or here). In fact, I have vague memories (well, it was many years ago) of my mother typing (yes, that does date me) my first college papers on my first thanksgiving home. The character in this book seems to have o work to do on his break. Wonder where he's attending?

Anyway, alongside this theme, there is, of course, much more. For example, it's thanksgiving so -- there's the Native American theme -- with the victim a Native activist, a casino in the works, and ancient artifacts at risk of being lost. All in all, Meier loads on to Thanksgiving lots more than political correctness -- though she does get a potentially edifying fact or two into the mix. (For example, not all Native Americans/Indians share the same views of casinos.) The relatively insane nature of politics in small towns -- and the entangling of personal relationships with politics -- also gets its comeuppance.

So: next time you're in the mood for turkey or for murder, try Turkey Day Murder. . . 

For more on this book, try here.