Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day
To say that the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day method changed the way I bake bread for my family is an understatement, because suddenly we had buckets of dough hanging out in refrigerator rather than containers of sourdough starter. My starters always seemed temperamental, or more likely I didn’t do such a good job tending to them. A few were downright neglected and showed it when I opened the containers. This method felt so much easier because the flavorful doughs were ready to go, with no long waits to grow a starter or dealing with preferments; I just cut off a hunk of dough, shape, rise, and bake.
I experimented with whole grains using Zoe and Jeff’s original formula because we prefer whole grains in our breads, and fortunately for their readers they put in a lot of work and came up with some fantastic ideas for whole grain breads using the same minimal mixing/no kneading method, and the result is the newly released Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Read more
Three Cookbooks That Focus on Easy, Healthy Meals
Cooking weeknight meals can be challenging for busy families trying to balance work, school, and family, and believe me when I say our family is not immune to those challenges. Some days are so busy that it’s difficult to get us all together at the dinner table or even find time to cook. If you frequently find yourself in that situation and want ideas for quick, easy, and healthy meals at home, I have a few cookbooks to recommend.
One of my favorites is The Essential EatingWell Cookbook from EatingWell magazine. The book was published in 2004 and received a James Beard Foundation nomination in the Focus on Health category in 2005. The author, Patsy Jamieson, is a contributing editor to Eating Well and a graduate of La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine in Paris. I turn to the book when I feel fresh out of ideas for meals and have always been pleased with recipe results, many of which inspire further meal ideas. Each recipe includes prep time, start to finish time, make ahead tips, ease of preparation rank, and nutrition information. I’m also looking forward to the release of their next book, EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners, which comes out in January. Read more
The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving
In a moment of weakness I snagged this book off a table at Costco a few weeks ago, as if I really needed another book on canning and preserving. I blame the title for luring me in because many home cooks make jams, jellies, and other preserves in small batches, unless you are like my friend Sean who canned 200 pounds of tomatoes this year. I believe that amount is more than most of us have time to tackle, but kudos to Sean and his crew for a job well done!
The book explains the basics of high-acid canning (the boiling water method) then presents over 250 pages of recipes from all the standard categories plus a few extra: jams, jellies, butters, marmalades, conserves, curds, low-sugar spreads, pickles, relishes, salsas, chutneys, savory sauces, oils, vinegars, and mustards. Read more
The New Portuguese Table
My love for authentic regional foods prompted me to accept an invitation to review David Leite’s new cookbook, The New Portuguese Table. Though I have eaten Portuguese food, I never made it until now, and I somehow managed to miss the Iberian Peninsula on my trip through Europe in the mid 90s. Leite’s book has inspired me to learn more about Portuguese cooking and refueled my longing for an excursion to the region.
Leite starts by taking the reader on a gastronomic tour of Portugal, highlighting the specialties of each region, including wines. Though I am not an expert on wine, I can declare without reservation that my two favorite Portuguese exports are port and Madeira, and Leite provides helpful introductions to both wines. If you have never tasted either wine, this is an excellent opportunity to try them with some of the recipes from the book. I did find myself longing for some specific suggestions for wine pairings with the recipes, particularly for those making their first foray into Portuguese cuisine. Read more
Rosa’s New Mexican Table
Whenever I shop at a TJ Maxx, Ross, or Marshall’s, I always check the books section because occasionally I stumble across a good cookbook bargain. On my most recent visit, I found a copy of Rosa’s New Mexican Table for just US$7.99, and knowing the restaurant’s reputation and the book’s James Beard Award nomination in 2008 I was eager to try my hand at some of the dishes from Chef Roberto Santibañez.
Rosa Mexicano opened with acclaim in New York City in 1984, an upscale restaurant with authentic Mexican cuisine and a focus on fresh innovative flavors. Rosa now has eight locations in New York City, New Jersey, Washington DC, Maryland, Atlanta, and Florida. Santibañez was culinary director from 2002 to 2007 and now works with Maria Maria Restaurants. Read more
King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking
If you have considered adding whole grains to your baked goods, this is a perfect book to get you started. Written by King Arthur Flour Company, this 600-page book is full of recipes, tips, and information about baking with whole grains. This comprehensive volume received a nomination in 2007 from the James Beard Foundation in the Baking & Desserts Book category, one of just three baking books recognized. The book has chapters on breakfasts, quick breads, crisps, flatbreads, yeast breads, sourdough, cookies, cakes, pies, and pastries, as well as sections with information about the grains and weights of various ingredient used in the recipes. Recipes make use of whole wheat, oats, corn, barley, rye, spelt, buckwheat, and brown rice.
