Cookbook Review: Cravings by Chrissy Teigen

Supermodel, social media maven, and John Legend's better half, Chrissy Teigen has written a cookbook full of easy, practical, and mouth-watering recipes. I know what you're thinking. A supermodel writing a cookbook? What's in it? Salads and juice cleanses?

That is where you'd be wrong.

It takes a lot for me to perk up and take notice of a new cookbook. After a while, the genre of the cookbook gets rather tiresome because it feels like not only are the recipes regurgitated, but nothing new or innovative in terms of writing or format is being published.

Chrissy Teigen's cookbook, however is different. Even if you don't make a single dish from this book, it will have been money well spent because the writing in this book will have you belly laughing, as evidenced by Teigen's description of my favorite dish in the whole cookbook, Yellow Cake Baked Oatmeal:

Watching us come up with this recipe was like watching a group of stoners, except I am not into pot or weed or ganja or whatever it is called these days. I mean, I dip pizza bagels into Cholula butter and second-course it with Top Ramen salad dead sober. Can you imagine what weed does to me? Actually, maybe I go full opposite and am like, "Duuuddddde let's go get a saladddddd.

And if you're wondering what Yellow Cake Baked Oatmeal tastes more cake or oatmeal, that would be the former. It's one of the most delicious, ingenious things I have ever made for breakfast.

But this cookbook is more than just a one dish wonder. Every dish I have made so far has been more delicious than the next. I can't get enough of it. I'm waiting for Chrissy to get her own show on Food Network or Cooking Channel. I'd be setting a season pass all up in my DVR for that show.


Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat by Chrissy Teigen
Published: February 23, 2016
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Pages: 240
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Purchased Copy

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound. 

Cookbook Review: Endless Summer by Katie Lee

 In Endless Summer, Katie Lee invites readers to her home in the Hamptons, a place of beauty and bounty. Lee shows readers a different side of the Hamptons, one that is different from the life of indulgence, excess, and snobbery that is so often portrayed on TV and in movies. Here, Lee shows a more laid-back, down-home side of this place and while I'm still not completely convinced that it isn't the snobbish, persnickety hamlet of which it has been long portrayed, I also appreciate that Lee is giving readers a different view into this community that she loves.

As winter is approaching, a book like this just makes me long for an endless summer even more. Cold weather and I don't get along and so perhaps on those gray, depressing days, I can pick up this cookbook and remember what I have to look forward to when warm weather finally makes its way back to the northern hemisphere.

Individual recipes in this cookbook don't particularity stand out to me. Instead, it's the tone and the vibe of the book that intrigues me. The simple, clean layout along with the lovely yet no-nonsense writing makes Endless Summer a cookbook worth picking up and perusing even if you don't end up attempting any recipes from its pages.


Endless Summer by Katie Lee
Published: April 14, 2015
Publisher: Stewart, Tabori and Chang
Pages: 224
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound. 

My Drunk Kitchen by Hannah Hart

Fans of Hannah Hart's YouTube series My Drunk Kitchen will be further smitten with this "cookbook" of the same name.

If you've never seen My Drunk Kitchen before, do yourself a favor and go watch an episode. I guarantee you'll find yourself watching about 5 or 6 instead of just one. Here, I'll help you get started with this epic episode where Hannah cooks with Jamie Oliver. Basically, Hannah Hart parodies the genre of the cooking show with both humor and grace, and that is what you will also find in her "cookbook" as well.

I keep using the word cookbook in quotes because, let's be honest here, this isn't really a cookbook. No one is going to buy this to try to make anything therein, and yet, Hart has mastered the art of cookbookery without actually having written a serious cookbook. But despite the humorous, fun parody of the cookbook genre, the book has an underlying depth and heart to it once you root through all the puns and silly humor. 

As John Green states in the foreword of the book: 

...this is the wonder that is Hart's drunk kitchen: Whether you are deep in sadness or the happiest you've ever been, Hannah Hart knows how to make it better. She makes you feel less alone in the dark night of the soul, and even more joyful in the good times. 

So even though no one will open this book for the recipes, they will stay for the nuggets of humor and wisdom, such as: 

WARNING: Cooking in an oven, on a stove top, or on any heated surface (including city sidewalks in summertime) should only be attempted while accompanied by an adult. And by "adult" I mean someone who isn't drunk. It can be your kid sister too. She seems pretty responsible for a sixteen-year-old. I mean, she's always reading those YA books, so she must have learned a thing or two about life.

PRO TIP: It's always good to be eating while you're making something to eat so that way you don't eat it all if you're supposed to be sharing. 

LIFE LESSON: You might not at the standard of living that you aspire to achieve. But be patient. And sometimes eat some comfort food that you've sliced into a sushi shape. 

My Drunk Kitchen: A Guide to Eating, Drinking & Going with Your Gut by Hannah Hart 
Published: August 12, 2014
Publisher: Del Rey Street Books
Pages: 240
Genre: Humor/Cookbook
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy


If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound. 

The World on a Plate: 40 Cuisines, 100 Recipes, and the Stories Behind Them by Mina Holland

When we eat, we travel. 

And with that, Mina Holland lays out the thesis for The World on a Plate in the very first sentence. It's like beginning a piece of music on a crescendo. Unexpected and somewhat jarring, but certainly attention-grabbing. And every single chapter begins with these attention-grabbing statements that compel you to keep reading.

While not a cookbook in the strict sense of the word, The World on a Plate contains enough recipes to be considered a cookbook. But it is so much more than a cookbook. It's filled with history, culture, personal stories, and most importantly, decadent food writing.

I learned so much from reading The World on a Plate, most importantly, how to make a decent pomodoro sauce. Every time I make tomato sauce, it ends up tasting too acidic and raw, no matter how long I cook it or how much garlic and herbs I add to it. But Mina Holland teaches you the trick to the perfect tomato sauce with only three ingredients. She shares Marcella Hazan's recipe from the book The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking:

The Ultimate Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

2 yellow or white onions, halved
2 x 14 oz cans plum tomatoes
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt to taste

Lay onions cut-side down in a big saucepan. Pour tomatoes over the top, throw in the butter, cover and cook on low for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, blending in melted butter and gently crushing the whole tomatoes to a pulp. About 20 minutes into the cooking process you will begin to smell the flavors melding. 

I ended up using an immersion blender because I like a smooth tomato sauce, and I found this sauce to be a bit too chunky for my taste, so I think the next time I make this, I will true using canned crushed tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes. I also added oregano because I like my pasta sauce to have so Italian herbs in it. However you choose to doctor this up, just know that the richness from the butter and the sweetness from the onion is what makes the flavors come together.

Overall, The World on a Plate is a perfect read for someone like me who loves food and loves to travel. As Holland says in the introduction, food is a common language and it shapes our memory. It's hard to imagine talking about a culture without talking about its food. This is one book where I felt like I learned a lot and also enjoyed the beautiful writing. As evidenced by the myriad post-it flags, I will definitely be referring to this book for recipes, food information, and also a mentor text for really great writing.


The World on a Plate: 40 Cuisines, 100 Recipes, and the Stories Behind Them by Mina Holland
Publisher: Penguin
Published: May 26, 2015
Pages: 367
Genre: Nonfiction/Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound. 

Cookbook Review: Rose Water and Orange Blossoms by Maureen Abood

Maureen Abood grew up in a Lebanese family where food was the center of so many wonderful memories and stories. Rose Water and Orange Blossoms is a beautiful tribute to the food and stories from her childhood, and also of a culture she longed to know more about as she grew into adulthood.

Clean, vibrant photographs pair beautifully with mouth-watering and slightly exotic recipes such as roasted red bell pepper and walnut dip, cardamom green tea, and pomegranate rose sorbet. 

Overall, this is a gorgeous and accessible cookbook for the home cook. My main gripe with it is that the food photography, while stunning and mouth watering, does not come even close to looking like how the dish turns out in your own kitchen. I made both the roasted red bell pepper and walnut dip as well as the pomegranate and rose sorbet, and as you can see here, the colors don't come even close to the photographs in the book.


This is but a minor gripe because both dishes tasted delicious (though I thought the sorbet called for too much sugar -- the sweetness overpowered the floral taste of the rose water), but I don't want a cookbook to be so beautiful that it comes off like a song that's been overproduced, which is what people might interpret the photographs to be.

Overall I really enjoyed Rose Water and Orange Blossoms and look forward to discovering more of Maureen Abood's work in the future. As she is a fellow a Michigander, I hope she'll eventually do an event at one of my local bookstore hangouts so I can hear more of her family stories.


Rose Water and Orange Blossoms: Fresh and Classic Recipes from My Lebanese Kitchen by Maureen Abood
Published: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Running Press
Pages: 256
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound. 

The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook, edited by Kate White

When Quirk Books offered me the chance to read and review The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook, I was intrigued. I've always admired the slightly off-kilter books they put out, such as Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs and Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix. 

I wondered just how exactly they were going to sell mystery writers as a logical choice for compiling a cookbook. But then, in the introduction, they won me over. The introductory paragraphs talk about "Lamb to the Slaughter," the brilliant short story by Roald Dahl where a woman kills her husband by bashing his head in with a frozen leg of lamb and then serving it to the policemen who come to investigate his murder. Now that they have my attention, it was time to bring the point home, which editor Kate White does beautifully:

But food isn't just used as a weapon. It defines character. As the nineteenth-century French lawyer and gastronomic essayist Jean Brillat-Savarin stated, "Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are." That's especially true for the iconic sleuths in mystery series. We can't think of Miss Marple without her scones and tea (over the course of 12 novels and 20 short stories, she reportedly drank 143 cups of tea_, Kinsey Millhone without her peanut butter and pickle sandwich, Jack reacher without his pots of coffee, Alex "Coop" Cooper without her Dewars on the rocks, or Nero Wolfe without the outrages dishes his personal cook, Fritz, makes for him -- such as squabs marinated in cream and creole fritters with cheese sauce.

Considering how intertwined food and murder are in fiction, Mystery Writers of America (MWA) decided that it would be crime not to celebrate this idea, and thus we've created a cookbook especially for mystery fans.

The recipes in this book range from indulgent (Ellie Hatcher's Rum Soaked Nutella French Toast), to traditional (Beef Stroganoff), to practical -- and perhaps a tad mocking -- (Lee Child's Coffee, Pot of One). It is packaged in a beautiful hardbound edition with thick, unglossed pages and photographs peppered throughout. This would be a wonderful gift for any mystery lover in your life. Even if they don't like to cook, they'll still get a kick out of seeing their favorite writers and characters mentioned in these recipes.


The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook, edited by Kate White
Expected Publication: March 24, 2015
Publisher: Quirk Books
Pages: 176
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults/Mystery Lovers
Disclosure: Finished copy provided by publisher

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.  

Cookbook Review: Make It Ahead by Ina Garten

Ina Garten is one of the most recognizable personalities on the Food Network. With her popular show, Barefoot Contessa, and her trademark, "How good is that?" phrase to punctuate her dishes, it's no wonder her cookbooks are highly anticipated. And anticipate I did.

In this new cookbook, Ina makes possible what every entertainer wishes to be true: to make ahead as much food as possible. In Make It Ahead, not only does Ina share dishes that are easy to make in advance, but also taste better when made ahead of time.

With simple dishes and gorgeous photographs, this is one cookbook that I will be purchasing for my own personal library.

Since I don't follow many recipes to the letter anymore, choosing instead to riff off ideas I read in magazines and cookbooks or see on TV, my assessment of whether or not a cookbook is successful is if I learned something new about food. In this case, Ina taught me that you can make whipped cream ahead if you add a little bit of creme fraiche to stabilize it. Given that little nugget of wisdom, along with mouth-watering dishes like:

• Roast Chicken with Bread and Arugula Salad
• Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy with Onions and Sage
• Gingered Basmati Rice
• Roasted Cauliflower Snowflakes
• Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
• Chocolate Cake with Mocha Frosting
• Tri-Berry Crumbles

this is bound to be a cookbook I call upon again and again when it comes time to entertain.


Make It Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
Published: October 28, 2014
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Pages: 272
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound. 

The Real Food Cookbook by Nina Planck

A recipe is not a commandment; it is a record of something someone once cooked. And perhaps another person ate, perchance enjoyed.

I was drawn to this cookbook by the beautiful cover, and I was further left smitten when I opened the pages and took in all the simple beauty that is contained inside. I love the writing, the pictures, and I especially love Planck's food philosophies, as evidenced by the quote above. I haven't actually attempted any recipes from this cookbook yet, but even if I never cook anything from it, just owning it would be enough for me as it is a feast for the eyes and a treat to read. The recipe below is one I'm especially excited to try since it sounds refreshing, and I've never tried or even seen a watermelon radish before. It also happens to be the recipe from which I pulled the quote above, as you can see by the lack of measurements. It is also the dish featured on the cover of this cookbook.


Shaved Fennel, Apple, and Radish Salad

1 orange
olive oil
salt and pepper
watermelon radish
fennel
green and red apples
chives or parsley
walnuts

1. Juice the orange. Whisk a dressing using four parts olive oil to one part juice. Season.
2. Shave the radishes, fennel, and apples in very thin slice on a mandolin.
3. Mince the herbs.
4. Toss it all, coating the vegetables thoroughly with the dressing.
5. Scatter walnuts on top.


The Real Food Cookbook: Traditional Dishes for Modern Cooks by Nina Planck
Published: June 10, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury 
Pages: 256
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound. 

Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You CAN Make at Home by Ina Garten

Ina Garten is best known for her wildly popular Food Network show The Barefoot Contessa. Barefoot in Paris takes her to France where she proves just how easy French cooking can be. So often we think of French food as fancy and complicated, but every recipe in this cookbook has minimal ingredients and simple steps, making the home cook feel comfortable navigating French cuisine.

Not only are the recipes simple, but so are the page layouts and photographs. There is very little fanfare on the page, emphasizing the theme of simplicity.

My one criticism of the book is that most of these recipes have already made an appearance on her show, so there is nothing new or exciting that Ina brings to this cookbook, other than it's just a collection of her already aired recipes. Seeing as how I can pretty much access all of these recipes on foodnetwork.com, there isn't much motivation for me to actually purchase this cookbook. It is, however, a lovely book to peruse at the bookstore or check out at the library.



Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home by Ina Garten
Published: November 1, 2004
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Pages: 240
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy

If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.  

Carla's Comfort Foods: Favorite Dishes from Around the World by Caral Hall

Having read so many cookbooks in my life, at this point, it's difficult to find ones with new and different perspectives. Which is why I was so excited to read Carla's Comfort Foods: Favorite Dishes from Around the World. The premise of this book is that all cultures have their own versions of comfort foods and if you look at the base recipes, many are similar. In the southern U.S. we have grits, in Italy, it's polenta. In Spain they have paella; in Latin America it's arroz con pollo.

So rather than the typical cookbook layout of appetizers, main dishes, desserts, etc. Carla's Comfort Foods is laid out by different types of dishes (tomato soups, creamy soups, slaws, pickles, rice, potatoes, seafood, etc.) and each individual dish is labeled with the culture that dish came from at the top of the page. Hall also includes a handy-dandy chart at the beginning of the book to help readers see what herbs and spices are most prevalent in each type of cuisine.

Something else Carla Hall does in this cookbook that home cooks will appreciate is she adjusts ingredients for the home cook. Despite the fact that these are dishes from other cultures, Hall wants to make shopping for ingredients as painless as possible, so she has made sure to swap out hard to find ingredients with those that are easier to find in regular grocery stores. Some may criticize this move as inauthentic and a cop out, but I see it as Hall catering to her audience and knowing that she wants her cookbook to be used, not put on the bookshelf and never opened again.

I've only tried one recipe from this book so far but I will definitely be trying more. I made an Indian rice dish that was so full of spice and flavor that I will be adding it to my rotation of favorite side dishes. I've included the recipe below.

I want to thank Carla Hall for thinking outside the box and creating a new and unique cookbook concept. After reading through the wonderful recipes in Carla's Comfort Foods, I will definitely check out anything else she publishes in the future.


Chitrana Peanut-Coconut Rice

Serves 8

2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
Kosher salt
1/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used olive oil)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon crushed chile flakes
2 tablespoons flaked unsweetened coconut
1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves

Bring a large saucepan of water a boil. Add the rice along with 1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt. Boil, like pasta, until tender, about ten minutes. Drain thoroughly and spread out on a large baking sheet to cool and dry (I didn't follow this step to the letter. Instead, I cooked the rice in the rice cooker and didn't drain it because all the liquid had been cooked out).

Meanwhile, grind the peanuts and sesame seeds together in the spice grinder. Transfer to small skillet and toast over medium heat until fragrant (about three minutes), stirring frequently. Transfer to a plate to cool.

In a large dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low heat and add the garlic. Cook and stir until fragrant, about one minute. Add the mustard seeds and chile flakes and cook for thirty seconds. Then stir in coconut, brown sugar, turmeric, lemon zest, peanut-sesame blend, and rice. Continue stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is heated through. Fold in the basil and lemon juice and serve immediately.


Carla's Comfort Foods: Favorite Dishes from Around the World by Carla Hall
Published: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 240
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy
 
If you buy this book or any book through Amazon, it is my hope that you also regularly patronize independent bookstores, which are important centerpieces of thriving communities. While I am an Amazon Affiliate, that by no means implies that I only buy my books through their website. Please make sure you are still helping small, independent bookstores thrive in your community. To locate an independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.  

Mayim's Vegan Table by Mayim Bialik

I have been tackling many vegan cookbooks as of late, not because I want to become a full-time vegan, but because I am looking for more ways to add plant-based main dishes into my diet. Out of all the vegan cookbooks I've read and tried, I have to say that Mayim's Vegan Table is my favorite thus far. Bialik and Dr. Jay Gordon spend a lot of time in the introduction talking about the vegan lifestyle and dispelling some of the myths that go along with it. Unlike previous vegan cookbooks I've read, Bialik and Gordon don't gloss over and/or dismiss the fact that making the decision to become vegan is a difficult one. They are candid and straightforward about what a difficult and time-consuming decision this can be in those first few months. So the fact that they were real about it rather than trying to sweep the elephant in the room under the rug, to mix my metaphors here, was refreshing to say the least.

But more important than their candidness was whether their recipes could stand up to my scrutiny. I've always said if this were a straight up food blog I would call it "The Finicky Foodie" because, while I love good food and trying new things, I'm still a picky eater at heart. Well I'm here to say that the recipes in Mayim's Vegan Table are quite good and definitely worth a try. I've had a few misses, but on the whole, most of the recipes I tried not only turned out successful, but were ones that I'll make again.

One such recipe is Bialik's Quinoa Burgers. I'm here to tell you that I really dislike anything that tries to be something it's not. And while this recipe has burger in  the name, it's really more of a quinoa patty. You can eat it like a burger with a bun and all the fixins, but it's not really going to fool anyone into believing it's an actual burger. The difference between this burger and those frozen fake meat burgers at the grocery store is that with ingredients like potato and quinoa, this isn't trying to be a meat substitute. It's a sturdier version of a potato pancake more than a burger, truth be told. And that's when vegan recipes are more successful and delicious in my mind: when they celebrate what they are rather than what they're not. So with that said, I don't recommend the mac and "cheese" recipe. It mimicked the creamy texture of something along the lines of Velveeta shells and cheese, but the taste was much too earthy and sour to feel like you were eating an acceptable substitute to real mac and cheese.

quinoa "burgers"

I also gave one of Bialik's desserts a try, her chocolate fudge cake that used silken tofu for the frosting. The cupcakes were good at first, but the longer they sat (and I'm talking hours here, not days), the stranger the texture became. A few people who tried the cake even commented on the fact that it dried out your mouth after a few minutes. It was also shinier and had a much bigger crumble than a traditional cake. And while it was pretty good hot out of the oven, I have to say, the quality of the taste and texture deteriorated after a few hours, so I'm not going to recommend this chocolate cake recipe to anyone any time soon.

These vegan chocolate cupcakes are good out of the oven, but the texture gets less appealing the longer they set

I will, however, highly recommend the quinoa burgers, and will post the recipe right now:

Quinoa "Burgers" 

Serves: 4

1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon tried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place the potato in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil and then simmer for 12 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and 3 cups of water and bring to boil. Lower the heat to low and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, mix the cooked potato and quinoa with all the remaining ingredients except the oil. Shape into four 3-inch diameter patties.
4. In a 10-inch skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Place each patty in the oil and fry until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove the patties and place them in an oven-safe dish. Pat the patties with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
5. Bake for 10 minutes.


Mayim's Vegan Table by Mayim Bialik with Dr. Jay Gordon
Published: February 11, 2014
Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
Pages: 256
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Purchased Copy

Michael Symon's 5 in 5

It is no secret here on the blog that I adore Michael Symon. I've reviewed his restaurants and his cookbooks. His food philosophy just meshes so well with mine

As one of the cohosts of The Chew, Symon does a regular segment called 5 in 5 where he takes 5 ingredients and is challenged to make a delicious meal in just 5 minutes. Thus the concept of this new cookbook was born.

I've made a couple meals from this cookbook and while they always take longer than 5 minutes (I mean, who is lucky enough to have prep cooks to get all your mise en place ready for you?), Symon even cops to that in the book saying, "The key is to relax, have fun, and cook more. If it takes you 6, 7, or even - gasp! - 8 minutes, so be it. In the end, you will still end up with a delicious, made-from-scratch meal that costs less than fast food, tastes a million times better, and is healthier for you and your family."

You'll also notice in the cookbook that sometimes recipes go beyond 5 ingredients. Again, 5 in 5 is more of a guideline than a rigid rule. 

The recipes in this cookbook are all mouth-watering and full of flavor. Probably my favorite dish I've made so far is the breaded pork loin with apple salad because, as with almost all of Symon's recipes, the key is to create a balance of flavors and textures. Instead of pairing the meat with a heavy, starchy root veg as most Americans tend to do, Symon always prepares his sides with something bright, acidic, and/or crunchy.

The draw of 5 in 5 is certainly the idea of making dinner with little time and few ingredients, but Symon has gone beyond making dinner work, he also makes it delicious.


Breaded Pork Loin with Apple and Parsley Salad
(Adapted from Michael Symon's 5 in 5)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
4 (6-oz) pieces pork loin, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 granny smith apples, cut into matchsticks (I used honeycrisp)
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts

1) Put the flour in a shallow bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Put the eggs in another shallow bowl and beat them lightly. Put the panko in a third shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper.

2) Put large skillet over medium-high heat.

3) Season both sides of the pork with salt and pepper. Working with one piece of meat at a time, dredge the pork in the flour, coating both sides. Shake off excess then dip the pork into the beaten eggs and then the panko.

4) Add olive oil to preheated olive oil to pan and cook pork, about 2 minutes per side.

5) Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, vinegar, EVOO, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the apples, parsley, and scallions then toss to combine. (I recommend making the dressing in a separate bowl because I found that the proportions made too much dressing for the amount of apples, parsley, and scallions).

6) Put pork on plates and top with apple salad. I also served mine with a little Italian farro for some nuttiness.


Michael Symon's 5 in 5 
Published: September 3, 2013
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Pages: 224
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Purchased Copy

The Vegucation of Robin: How Real Food Saved My Life by Robin Quivers

 Howard Stern's sidekick of many years and former nurse Robin Quivers is convinced that changing to a vegan lifestyle saved her life. Continuously complaining of aches and pains all throughout her body, Quivers's path to veganism had many twists and turns, but ultimately she discovered that all of her symptoms went away when she eliminated animal products from her diet.

Half of this book is Robin sharing her story of why veganism is such an important lifestyle choice and the other half are the plant-based recipes she shares with her readers. Out of the all celebrity vegan cookbooks out there, I will say that this one has the most appetizing recipes. Dishes like purple potato salad with whole grain mustard, ginger miso kale, and red lentil daal make me actually want to try some of these recipes rather than turn my nose at them. One of the ways Robin entices readers in her recipes is by the cooking techniques she uses to bring out the wonderful flavors of the vegetables such as roasting or grilling.

For the past few years I have been intrigued by the vegetarian and vegan lifestyle, but ultimately food just brings me too much joy to will myself into that sort of diet. However, if I were going to adopt a vegan lifestyle, the recipes in The Vegucation of Robin would probably be the first ones I'd go to. I think what is so appealing about these recipes is that Quivers doesn't use meat replacers like tofu and tempeh for her dishes, but rather, lets the grains and veggies be the star.

While I am a little skeptical of some of Quivers's methods (she would frequently do a 21 day juice cleanse and not eat any food at all), I do respect the choice she made to be on a path to better health. The form of juice cleansing Quivers recommends now is not as extreme as her initial foray into cleanses, but hearing how she wouldn't eat food for weeks at a time made me wonder how much health advice I should be taking from her, former nurse or not. 


The Vegucation of Robin: How Real Food Saved My Life by Robin Quivers
Published: March 26, 2012
Publisher: Avery
Pages: 272
Genre: Lifestyle/Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library copy

The Can't Cook Book by Jessica Seinfeld

Inspired by the friends and family in her life who lament that they're failures in the kitchen (including her husband Jerry), Jessica Seinfeld set out to make cooking an endeavor that elicits as little anxiety as possible. In The Can't Cook Book, Seinfeld takes you by the hand, explaining what utensils and pantry staples you will need to be successful in the kitchen, then lets go of your hand to be your cheerleader through the daunting process of cooking actual meals for you and your family rather than just ordering take-out.

There are many cookbooks on the market that claim to teach non-cooks to become competent in the kitchen, but what makes Seinfeld's book stand out over all the others is the sarcastic wit that must come from being married to one of the most famous comedians in the world. I particularly love this passage:

And that humor continues throughout the entire book, with each recipe containing a DON'T PANIC mantra at the top of the page that basically tells readers, "I know you're going to see this part of the recipe and start to freak out, but here's why you can do this!" I particularly like the chili recipe's motivational speech:

As someone who considers herself more than just competent in the kitchen, I am not the main audience for The Can't Cook Book, but as someone who remembers what it was like to try to teach myself to cook (there were a couple years there where it seemed like I watched nothing but Food Network on TV), I know I would have appreciated a book like this "back in the day." Seinfeld has made the layout simple and easy to follow, and most importantly, fun to read.


The Can't Cook Book: 100+ Recipes for the Absolutely Terrified! by Jessica Seinfeld
Published: October 8, 2013
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 240
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy

Some gluten-free cookbook recommendations

I have mentioned this before, but despite the fact that my blog is called "A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust" I do not have an iron stomach. In fact, I have been dealing with some major digestive issues lately that I have attempted to decode by some elimination diets. One of the eliminations I tried recently was to go gluten-free, which actually didn't work for me, but in the process I learned a lot about going gluten-free. I really think a gluten-free lifestyle can be beneficial for all people, not just those who suffer from Celiac's.

125 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Fenster

Despite the fact that I normally prefer cookbooks with pictures and glossy pages, neither of which this book has, it actually has some tasty sounding recipes such as

• savory leek-onion bread pudding 
• peperonata on soft polenta 
• vegetable tikka masala 
• chili corn bread casserole 
• falafel with dill yogurt sauce 
• apple-fennel slaw
• roasted fennel with garlic and thyme
• Thai corn chowder

But I think what is most useful in this cookbook is the introductory information Fenster provides her readers about effectively going gluten-free without feeling deprived. The language is very accessible and she makes the process feel surmountable. There is a section on staples for the gluten-free pantry and she explains all of the gluten-free flours that are available.

Gluten-Free Makeovers by Beth Hillson

The gluten-free makeovers in this book are primarily baking related, which makes sense since gluten is a big part of the baking process. Once again, the most valuable part of this cookbook comes from the introductory information. Hillson talks about the differences between celiac, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergies, but most effective is her chart for building your own gluten-free flour blend if you want to experiment with your own blends and not just follow hers. If you enjoy baking and find yourself having to go gluten-free, I highly recommend this title. Just as with Fenster's title above, it is written in a very conversational style and empowers the reader to feel as if the gluten-free lifestyle will not be one of depravation.

Everyday Gluten-Free Slow Cooking by Kimberly Mayone and Kitty Broihier

This is my favorite cookbook of the three. Even though I didn't end up going gluten-free permanently, I loved the ideas presented in this cookbook and will be using my slow cooker more often as a result. Things I had never thought to do in the slow cooker before like frittatas, roasting nuts, and making oatmeal overnight so it's ready in the morning suddenly made so much sense. One of my favorite recipes from this book involves making a Spanish tortilla, but instead of slicing potatoes really thin which takes time and patience (unless you have a mandoline which creates its own new set of problems - the possibility of losing a finger for one) Mayone and Broihier call for using kettle cooked potato chips instead. Not only a practical idea, but a delicious one as well. So for those people who need to go gluten-free and lament over how difficult it can be, this book presents itself as a very no-muss, no-fuss way of going about it. Out of all the gluten-free cookbooks I've looked through, this one made it seem easy.

Cookbook review: Beating the Lunch Box Blues by J.M. Hirsch

Tired of the same old peanut butter sandwiches in your lunch box? Want something healthier for your kids than those processed lunch kits? J.M. Hirsch felt the same way and decided to do something about it. He challenged himself to make lunch more interesting for himself and his family. As a result, he began a blog called Lunch Box Blues where he chronicled the school lunches he created for his son. Eventually his idea took off and thus Beating the Lunch Box Blues was born.

Beating the Lunch Box Blues is not so much a cookbook as a place to find inspiration. It's a flip book of sorts. Look through the pictures and discover how you can transform leftovers or find which convenience foods will actually make for a healthy, satisfying lunch (hummus, anyone?).  Every page contains full color photographs of a  new and creative way to map out a delicious lunch every day. 

Now to be clear, Hirsch is not an advocate for the Pinteresting of lunch here. In the very first paragraph he declares, "if you're one of those people who somehow finds the time to craft sandwiches into cutesy animals, or carve cheese into flowers and hearts... Congratulations! And good luck with your therapy. Now go away." Beating the Lunch Box Blues is anything but cutesy. It's practical and takes the drudgery out of packing your family's lunches.

But just in case anyone reading this review is saying to themselves, "But I like my cookbooks to actually have cooking in them," do not fear! Hirsch includes 30 dinner recipes that can easily be transformed into delicious lunches the next day.

Some of my favorite suggestions from the book are:

• Using frozen items such as puff pastry or phyllo cups to create different vessels for leftovers (my personal favorite use of puff pastry was to create pinwheels with ham and cheese)
• A honey brie sandwich: sourdough bread, a schmear of brie, and a crunchy, dripping hunk of honeycomb
• A mac and cheese grilled cheese
• Add pesto to grilled cheese
• Make extra pasta for dinner and use the extra for pasta salad the next day
• Place hunks of feta on pita bread and drizzle with honey
• Since cut apples brown when exposed to air, cut an apple in half, core it, spread peanut butter over the cut side and then dunk in grape nuts or granola. 

An example of a page from Beating the Lunch Box Blues

Beating the Lunch Box Blues is the first book to be published under the new Rachael Ray Books imprint and I'd say it's a slam dunk. I look forward to seeing what more Ray has in store for her readers and fans.


Beating the Lunch Box Blues by J.M. Hirsch
Published: September 3, 2013
Publisher: Rachael Ray Books
Pages: 208
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy

Cookbook review: Whole Grain Vegan Baking by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes

In seeking relief from my IBS and at the request of my doctor, this summer I underwent some elimination from my diet, starting with dairy. Now anyone who knows me knows how much I love cheese and ice cream, so my two weeks of no dairy was pretty rough.

During that time, I came across Whole Grain Vegan Baking at the library and decided to give some of the recipes a try. I admit, the IDEA of being vegan is better than the actual carrying out of such a lifestyle. I have no willpower when it comes to that sort of thing. But books like Whole Grain Vegan Baking make the carrying out part a little less intimidating (though I have no plans to become vegan in the near future, I am still looking for more vegetarian/vegan recipes to make my animal product footprint less significant).

The recipes, pictures, and ingredients used in this book not only make these baked goods sound acceptable, but they even kinda sorta sound delicious too. I tried two recipes from this book, one was a hit and one was a miss, but the hit got me thinking that I will continue to attempt more vegan baking in the future.

The layout of Whole Grain Vegan Baking is very simple, attractive, and organized well. I'd say if you're thinking of giving vegan baking a go, this book would be a good place to start.

My cookies with some modified ingredients

The following recipe was so good, I'm planning on making it one of my go-to baking recipes, not just vegan baking, but baking in general. The inclusion of the Sriacha and Chinese five-spice powder gives this cookie such a unique flavor and spicy undertone.

I modified this recipe by not using oat flour (I substituted the oat flour for all amaranth -- well, I did also use the whole wheat flour) and instead of peanut butter I used almond butter. Based on the picture in the cookbook, my cookies had a different texture (more chewy and cakey than crumbly), but they still came out delicious.

If you're looking to adopt a vegan lifestyle or you're like me and you want to lessen your animal product footprint, or heck, you just like baking and want to try something different, I highly recommend Whole Grain Vegan Baking. This cookbook went from trying it by checking it out at the library to owning my own copy. 

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
from Whole Grain Vegan Baking by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes

1/2 cup smooth or crunchy natural peanut butter
1/4 cup organic turbinado sugar or organic evaporated cane juice
2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
1/2 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1 tablespoon amaranth flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
2 to 3 teaspoons vegan milk

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

Combine peanut butter, sugar, oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and Sriacha in a medium bowl. Stir together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, combine chocolate chips, flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, peanut butter mixture and adding the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until a cohesive dough forms.

Scoop the dough into tablespoon-sized mounds and press down slightly.

Bake cookies 15-17 minutes or until the bottoms are browned. Let cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet because the cookies might break if moved too soon.

Yield: 12 cookies


Whole Grain Vegan Baking by Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes
Published: April 1, 2013
Publisher: Fair Winds Press
Pages: 178
Genre:Vegetarian/Vegan Cooking
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library and Purchased Copy

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier by Ree Drummond

There is something so comforting and endearing about watching Ree Drummond and her family who "live on a ranch in the middle of nowhere" as she reminds her viewers each week on her wildly popular Food Network show, Pioneer Woman, which is named after her wildly popular blog of the same name. And yet, despite the fact that she lives in the middle of nowhere, I am fascinated by her life. She manages to find lots to do with her time, what with keeping up with the extracurricular schedules of four kids, not to mention homeschooling them, along with the busy workings of a cattle ranch. It's a life I wouldn't wish for myself, but I certainly find it interesting to watch. And I think that's why it's so interesting to watch: it is a life that she didn't wish for herself. Ree didn't plan for a life on a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere. She was an L.A. girl. She was a vegetarian. She wore designer clothes. But then she met the love of her life who happened to own a cattle ranch in Oklahoma and everything changed. But everyone who is familiar with Drummond knows her back story, so I won't get too involved in her biographical details, but  if you want to know more, you can read all about that in her memoir, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels (and you should because Ree is an amazing writer).

The recipes in this volume are typical fare for what you would expect from Drummond: simple, easy comfort food. There isn't anything special or unique about what she makes, but what does set this cookbook apart are the places where Drummond injects photographs of her family and of life on the ranch. Again, she manages to make a subject I never found much interest in -- living on a ranch -- fascinating and endearing. So while I won't be clamoring to make many of the recipes in this book (though her sloppy joes were quite tasty and I must say, I will be using that recipe again), I will be clamoring for more stories and pictures because she makes me want to be adopted into her family  -- well, maybe as a cousin or something so I don't have to live on the ranch. I'd just want to come visit from time to time :)

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier by Ree Drummond
Published: March 13, 2012
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 304
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy

What Would Brian Boitano Make? Fresh and Fun Recipes for Sharing with Family and Friends by Brian Boitano

As a figure skater and Olympic gold medalist, Brian Boitano traveled the world for competitions and soon became fascinated with the cuisines of other counties. So when he hung up his skates and retired from competitive skating, he began exploring his love for food in his own kitchen.

Inspired by the recipes he created on his cooking show, the food in What Would Brian Boitano Make? is sophisticated yet simple and accessible. I especially love that every recipe in this book is accompanied by a  heartfelt story to explain what inspired it. Yes Boitano was heavily inspired by his travels, but people inspire his food just as much as his travels do, often using his friends and family as his muse in the kitchen.

While I ran out of time to try any of the recipes in this book because I checked it out at the library and there was another person who had it on hold, there were a few that I was looking forward to trying, such as:

• White wine sangria
• Sauteed vegetable and quinoa salad
• Grilled corn, jicama, and bean salad
• Grilled flank steak with arugula gremolata
• Horchata rice pudding

 I have to admit, I first started watching What Would Brian Boitano Make? on the Food Network because I assumed it would be a train wreck, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the guy can really cook and he was actually pretty funny on camera. I'd have to say for being an extension of his show, this cookbook is quite successful. There's some recipes from the show, but then there's also some new recipes and also stories that I hadn't heard before. I don't think I'd actually buy the book to have in my personal collection, but I also didn't feel like I'd wasted an hour of my life looking through the recipes and reading the stories that accompany them.


What Would Brian Boitano Make: Fresh and Fun Recipes for Sharing with Family and Friends
Published: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Lyons Press
Pages: 256
Genre: Cookery
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy

Cookbook Review: The Chew: Food. Life. Fun.

When The Chew premiered on ABC a year and a half ago, it quickly became my favorite food-centric show. I loved the chemistry of the five hosts and have always adored the idea of a talk show revolving solely around food. Before The Chew premiered, Rachael Ray was my favorite food-related talk show, and though I still love Rachael (yes, I know this is a blasphemous statement for foodies, but I don't care), I am slowly tiring of her.

This cookbook features some of the best recipes from the first season of The Chew, but it also includes interviews with all the hosts: Michael Symon, Daphne Oz, Clinton Kelly, Carla Hall, and Mario Batali.  While I wouldn't buy this book solely for the recipes since they are after all online, I would buy it for the interviews, and even then, I'd be more likely just to check it out from the library (which is what I did).

My favorite section of the cookbook was Clinton Kelly's entertaining tips, not because of their creativity and practicality, but the sheer humor of his suggestion that party hosts put marbles in their medicine cabinet to hear who's the first person to go snooping around your bathroom when they all crash to their floor as the cabinet door is opened.

The recipes in this book are organized seasonally, and while I haven't tried any of them yet, I am particularly excited to try Michael Symon's spaghetti squash fritters in the fall.

If you're a fan of The Chew, not much new is revealed in this book, though the interviews are enjoyable to read. If you've never watched The Chew before, the book is put together in quite an attractive, easy-to-read format and thus the recipes might motivate you to give the show a go.

The Chew: Food. Life. Fun, edited by Peter Kaminsky and Ashley Archer
Published: September 25, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 231
Genre: Cooking/Lifestyle
Audience: Adults
Disclosure: Library Copy