A Few Favorites

One of the purposes of this blog is to give you a peek into my kitchen and way of cooking. And one way of doing that is to share with you some of my favorite cookbooks.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love cookbooks of all sorts. There are just a little over 30 cookbooks in my collection at the moment (then there are the cooking magazines and the recipes I've printed off the internet). My cookbooks, I feel, are a reflection of me and my interests. And just like my interests, my cookbooks cover a wide variety of cuisines, everything from Amish to Thai and everything in between.

So, here are a few of my favorites which I hope will become favorites of yours as well.

1. The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno is probably the best of all the diet cookbooks on the market that I have seen.  There are lots of great pictures of great looking food to accompany the easy to read & execute recipes.  The food is so tasty and delicious that you won't notice or care that it's "diet" food!

2. Lidia's Family Table by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich. I was first exposed to this chef while watching Saturday afternoon cooking shows on PBS.  She comes across as being very down to earth and warm with a passion for food that is palpable. All of the recipes that I have tried from this book have been delicious and comforting. While this book may not be the best book for a beginer cook, this book's tips, instructions and plentiful pictures will help even a mediocre cook become an Italian chef.

3. The Fifth Taste, Cooking with Umami by David Kasabian & Anna Kasabian. This cookbook is chock full of recipes from some of this country's best chefs. My absolute favorite recipe from this book is the Roast Pork Shoulder with White Beans, Smoked Bacon and Kale on page 120. In the words of Rachel Ray "Yumm-oh!"

4. Brennan's New Orleans Cookbook by Hermann B. Deutsch. Having spent a number of my childhood years on the Texas/Louisiana border, I fell in love with the deep, bold flavors of Cajun cooking at a fairly young age. Cajun and Creole cuisine has influenced my palate and cooking style throughout my adult life to the point that I feel lost without my minced garlic, onions and hot sauce. So, when I had the chance to go to New Orleans a few years ago, I jumped at the chance. While in New Orleans, I had the opportunity to have a delightful brunch with my husband at Brennan's Restaurant in the heart of the French Quarter. A truly memorable experience. But I digress. The recipes in the Brennan's Cookbook are a wonderful collection of delicious old-school French style cooking. Many of the recipes look difficult and intimidating because of the French terminology, but they are really easy. The one recipe from this book that I cook, time after time, is the Crayfish Etoufee (pg. 98). This recipe tastes complicated but is easy enough to cook over a camp fire in the middle of a Living History encampment. And everyone that I've cooked this for, has loved it and asked me for the recipe.

5. Simple Italian Food, Recipes from My Two Villages by Mario Batali. Another great cookbook from Iron Chef Batali, himself. My only complaint about this book is that some of the ingredients called for are hard to find. Other than that, the book is a real treat for when you are feeling adventurous. I love Mario Batali and his Tagliatelle with Texas Boar Ragu (pg 85)!

6. Moosewood Restaurant, New Classics by The Moosewood Collective.  This is a new to me cookbook that I borrowed from my favorite cousin. A mostly vegetarian cookbook, this book seems to have just about everything you could ask for (minus the beef and pork) from pancakes to apple pie and ice cream. I confess that I've not tried very many recipes from this book, but they all seem very easy and very tasty. Give it a try and you may not even miss the meat!