Is there anyone else out there who thinks about food all day long? Surely there is someone, maybe even a few of you?
I love food. I love planning food for my family and friends. When we are eating breakfast, I plan for lunch. During dinners, I plan for special snacks to feed “my people” for the week ahead. I love cooking for them and watching them eat and smile.
In celebration of two things I love, food and books, I thought I might share what’s on my cookbook shelf. These are a few of my go to’s.
The Colorado Cache is, of course, an ode to home. I normally shy away from cookbooks with no pictures (I like to know what I’m aiming for), but the green text and sweet captions of places near and dear make up for this shortcoming.
In reflecting further, perhaps a cookbook without pictures is exactly what I need … no expectations. I won’t have to worry about Harper walking by a fallen cake and commenting, “Nailed it, Mom!” Bless her.
In reality, this is not the book I go to for cakes, but it is the book I look to for Mexican food and brunch. Huh? Well, here in the square state, people eat a lot of green chili and cowboy quiche. I also love this book for its out of proportion ratios of certain types of food (there is a whole chapter on picnic and camping food as well as more than one recipe for roast pheasant), because it comfortingly says home. It feels right that it has a place on the shelf.
The Moosewood Cookbook is vegetarian, though we are not. In fact, when I brought it home Jason wondered what the main dish would be in addition to anything I made from this book. However, we have both picked up this book multiple times to enjoy its many yummy surprises.
The very first recipe is a Cream of Asparagus soup that is delightful. I love that it can be made in every season. In the summer, I top it with whole pieces of asparagus and lemon peel. In the fall and winter, we enjoy it topped with pomegranate seeds and croutons. In the spring, we add peas.
Jason makes the Ukrainian poppy seed cake, which is the only recipe I have ever experienced that the poppy actually shines. It’s not for your sweet tooth, but it certainly checks the box when you need a reminder of what food really tastes like.
The first reason I love Dinner a Love Story is for its narrative. This book is special, because it reads like a book. It is the story of the Rosenstrach family’s life, but also so many of our lives, intertwined with recipes that tell stories. My book is dog-eared and wine-stained, the true sign of a trusty kitchen friend.
I feel that maybe the author of this is one of the people out there who thinks about food all of the time (see introduction to this post). And she, too, has a family with kids who somedays love salmon and spinach and sometimes want nothing but things that are whitish and carbish. The book lays out the chapters of our lives, from being newly married to being parents with young children, to working full-time and still trying to sit down for dinner each night, to entertaining because we are desperate to see friends but too tired to do anything fancy.
The recipes are family friendly without being patronizing to kids (they can eat more than nuggets and mac after all). If you have this one on your shelf, try the pork shoulder ragu. So comforting, so tasty.
Now here’s one for the retro shelf. Who doesn’t love simple, potluck-worthy recipes? I also happen to love Washington D.C., and when I pick up this book, I picture the lights of D.C. all aglow. These recipes are old-school, nothing fancy here, but I trust them.
I trust them, because when you contribute to a cookbook (as these senators’ and congressmen’s wives did), you put in your best. No one wants to be the one with the disappointing Apple Goody.
What is an Apple Goody, by the way? I am not sure, but I trust page 487. It’s bound to be yummy. I love collections like these, because there is personality it each recipe. Each is someone’s favorite. And that is special.
My love affair with all things sweet explains this choice. I could not resist a giant book called Baking, let alone one written by an expert in French-inspired dishes. This book is a luscious and beautiful treat for the eyes. Though filled with expertise, the recipes aren’t out of reach. Plus, there’s something for everyone. Cakes, pies, cookies, breads, muffins … pick your poison and enjoy.
Two of the cookbooks that are always on my counter are ones that are unique only to my kitchen … a binder of all of my mom’s recipes and a collection of my mother-in-law’s.
One winter when my mom was living in midwest, she hunkered down and typed out all of our family’s favorite recipes. It was one of the best gifts I have received. I love it and use it regularly. Nothing tastes quite as good as nostalgia. Likewise, my mother-in-law created her own version of a recipe collection and presented it to each of us one Christmas.
These are the recipes we go to when we want something comforting and familiar, when we don’t want to experiment or take a chance on whether or not we may like something new, when we know what we are going to get, and will walk away feeling satisfied and loved.
This weekend, we met friends out at the local apple orchard. Then we came home to share soup for lunch. And for dessert, my mom’s sugar cookies, cut out into the shapes of apples for the kids to decorate. These cookies have been in my life for each of the 37 years I have been around. I hope they will be a part of Harper and Jameson’s kitchens down the road, too.
Mom’s Sugar Cut-out Cookies
3/4 C butter
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla
2.5 C flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
Mix the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla to combine. Next, add the flour, baking powder, and salt until mixed together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours or overnight. When you are ready to bake, lightly flour a clean surface, and roll out the dough to about a 1/4 inch thick. Use your favorite cookie cutters, and place the cut-outs on a Silpat-lined baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool and decorate.
Quick Frosting for Cookies
2 C powdered sugar
3T milk
Food coloring drops
Mix to the consistency of your choice. Add more sugar if the frosting is too loose.
