Category: cookbook review

Croissants recipe, Jen’s sandwich, and cookbook review: Tartine

jenniferguerrero1 October 8, 2019

#ElizabethPrueitt #ChadRobertson #Tartine @Tartine #ChronicleBooks @ChronicleBooks

Wow! I have been playing in the most lovely posh baking book! Tartine has some amazing and gorgeous projects to tackle when you’re feeling like something extraordinary and going the extra distance, when taking on the learning curve sounds fun. There’s also some much easier fare with a special spin when you’d just like to keep it simple, and enjoy a really nice treat.

They give measurements in both cups and weights where applicable, so you can work with whichever you prefer. Although it’s a little extra effort, I strongly prefer weights because it comes out perfectly every time.

The croissants in this book are the best I’ve ever made. The croissant dough, once you master it, is the base of other recipes in the book, so I’ll be making it again next week to make their breakfast rolls. They look way too tempting to resist. Thank you to Chronicle for letting me share the croissant recipe with you, and after that, I’ll share my most decadent croissant sandwich. It may seem horrifying to slice that beautiful croissant in half, but I promise it’s worth it! I’ve added in drawings of the folds and cuts for visual shorthand.

Fig Cake with Dried Cherries recipe and cookbook review: The Forest Feast Mediterranean

jenniferguerrero1 September 14, 2019

#ErinGleeson @ErinGleeson #TheForestFeastMediterranean @TheForestFeastMediterranean #TheForstFeast #AbramsBooks @AbramsBooks

My dog eats earbuds. I put between 5 and 15 miles on my sneakers every day, and love listening to audiobooks while I’m out there on the trail. I keep leaving those earbuds on my desk, and find them fully munched when I go to grab them, so I’m usually trapped in my own head. When my mind wanders, it’s usually food-related. One day, my fantasy tv show popped into my head. The host would travel the world, and visit people’s gardens, and then follow them into the kitchen to see what they do with their produce. No 3 different dish segment. Nope. Just a slow paced visit with a lot of vegetables, chatting, and coffee. Or tea if that’s your thing. Sounds flippin’ wonderful, doesn’t it? I found that in book form! Well, at least the Mediterranean. She’ll have to work on the rest of the world later.

Beef Patties in Grape Leaves recipe and cookbook review: The Palestinian Table by Reem Kassis

jenniferguerrero1 September 10, 2019

#ReemKassis @ReemKassis #ThePalestinianTable @ThePalestinianTable #Phaidon @Phaidon

Do you watch Milk Street? Christopher Kimball had Reem Kassis on as a guest to discuss her book, The Palestinian Table. She was talking about a 9-spice blend that she loves and uses in everything. I tend to really enjoy food with a strong spice focus, and Christopher Kimball gushed about the book, so I had to get my hands on a copy. I’m so glad that I did! Every dish we’ve tried has been lovely, and the dishes are pretty relaxing to prepare. Her flavors are wonderful, and it’s mostly at the nice and healthy end of the spectrum. We haven’t tried any desserts yet, but if you have a sweet tooth, she’ll tempt you for sure.

I’ll tell you all about the other dishes we tried, but first I’d like to share with you her recipe for Beef Patties in Grape Leaves. It’s a fabulous comfort food bake that will fill your home with glorious fragrance. And that fabulous 9-spice blend is part of the recipe, so you can taste that, too! Thanks to Phaidon for letting me share it with you!

Fesenjoon – Chicken (or eggplant) with Walnuts and Pomegranates recipe and cookbook review: The Saffron Tales by Yasmin Khan

jenniferguerrero1 August 21, 2019

#YasminKhan @YasminKhan #TheSaffronTales @TheSaffronTales #BloomsburyPub @BloomsburyPub

I flipped through The Saffron Tales, pasting little post-it notes on all the recipes I wanted to try. So many. She had four different variations on tahdig for her Chelow. Have you tried it? Chelow is Persian rice, and tahdig is the crispy layer that cooks in olive oil and butter right against the pan. So good. It’s one of those things that makes lovely manners rather difficult. I flagged all of them, and went back to flipping through the book. Then I saw it – Chelow filled with all sorts of herbs. When we lived in New York, my friend Firoozeh and I would take turns hosting family dinners on weekends, and that’s the rice she always used to spoil us with. Since we’ve moved to Texas, there are about 1600 miles between us. This isn’t a Firoozeh hug, but its as close as I can get without a plane ticket, so I had to make that one. It was perfect. Warm fuzzies all around.

Real Deal Holyfield Brisket Breakfast Tacos recipe and cookbook review: The Brisket Chronicles by Steven Raichlen

jenniferguerrero1 April 29, 2019

#StevenRaichlen @StevenRaichlen #WorkmanPub @WorkmanPub #BrisketChronicles @BrisketChronicles #HorizonSmokers @HorizonSmokers

Steven Raichlen’s got a new book coming out tomorrow (April 30th), The Brisket Chronicles, and it is wonderful! I’m in love with this book and wish I’d gone with the hardcover already, as it is sure to be oh-so-very well used. He’s got everything in here from barbecue brisket favorites to his family’s holiday braised briskets and even brisket dessert. Like his other books, this has that same welcoming tone and desire to teach you how to get everything just right. His instructions are casual, yet really thorough. If you want to become the brisket master, he’ll help get you there. I was delighted to see that Steven smokes on the exact same smoker that I do, a Horizon RD Marshal that I lovingly refer to as Billy Bob. Spoiler alert – No, he never tells us what he’s named his smoker.

A huge thanks to Workman Publishing for letting me share the recipe for Real Deal Holyfield Brisket Breakfast Tacos with you! I’ll tell you all about the rest of the book afterwards!

Green Springtime Pierogi with Spinach Kasza and Cheese recipe and cookbook review: Polska by Zuza Zak

jenniferguerrero1 April 22, 2019

#ZuzaZak #Polska #Polish #pierogis #QuadrilleBooks #HardieGrant

Polska is a wonderful book filled with gorgeous, inspirational photos, homey, delicious Polish comfort food, and special-occasion dishes. It filled our home with the inviting scent of marjoram and onions. Zuza’s tone is very casual and inviting, and her instructions are clear.

The simple and delicious Turkey Escalope is going to find its way to the table often in this house, but her lovely Green Springtime Pierogi with Spinach Kasza and Cheese were over-the-moon good. A big thanks to Quadrille for letting me share the recipe with you! I’ll tell you all about the other dishes we tried after the recipe.

Smoky Chocolate Baklava recipe and cookbook review: Orexi! by Theo A. Michaels

jenniferguerrero1 April 10, 2019

#TheoCooks @TheoCooks #Orexi @RylandPetersAndSmall @RylandPeters #RylandPetersAndSmall #RylandPeters

Smoky. Chocolate. Baklava. I’m listening. Theo Michaels has you smoke chocolate on the stovetop for a few layers in his baklava. Then there’s a few layers of pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, and cinnamon. Encased in flaky, buttery phyllo. Obviously, that needed to happen. I have one of those big old macho smokers in my backyard, so I smoked the chocolate in there. Then I made it a second time baking the whole baklava right in my smoker. Yeah. Either way, that baklava is even better than the title sounds. A huge thanks to Ryland Peters and Small for letting me share that recipe with you! I’ll tell you all about the book after the recipe. I have a terrible fondness for Greek cookbooks, and that shelf is extensive. Orexi! is my personal favorite to date. Hope you love it, too!