Gourmet on a Hot Plate: Tiny KItchen Tips and Recipes

by Judy Alter

Without formal culinary training, Judy Alter has cooked her way through life, feeling family and friends at everything from casual dinners al fresco to elaborate meals for twenty. An award-winning author and publisher, she jokes she’ll come back in another life as a chef.Today Alter finds herself cooking in a four-by-six kitchen where zoning laws forbid built-ins but allow anything that plugs in. So she cooks with a hot plate, a toaster oven, and a large refrigerator/freezer. Given these limitations, she has developed a new approach to food, one that she says lets her get in touch with the food itself. By choice, she does not have an Insta-Pot, an air-fryer, a microwave. Her menu choices are dictated by her cooking facilities—and she loves it. She shares her tiny kitchen tips and recipes, developed over the past couple of years, in Gourmet on a Hot Plate.

132 pages, Paperback

Published November 6, 2018

About the author

Judy Alter was an American novelist and nonfiction writer whose work explored the history and literature of Texas and the American West, with a particular focus on women’s experiences in the nineteenth century. She authored numerous books for adults and young readers, including over fifty young adult nonfiction titles and a series of cozy mysteries, many set in Texas. Before turning to full-time writing, she worked as editor and later director of TCU Press. Alter earned degrees from the University of Chicago, Truman State University, and Texas Christian University. She received multiple literary honors, including the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement, and remained an influential voice in Western literature.

Reviews

[Lorilei Gonzales]

I’m the type of person who watches pretty much every cooking video that shows up on my Facebook feed. Have you noticed that most of those meals are cooked on hotplates instead of a traditional cooking range? I have a feeling that Alter has been working on this cookbook long before hotplate cooking became all the rage. Why? Because her recipes are down-home cooking dishes, not the latest street food infused with some random essence you’ve never eaten before prepared with a gastronomical twist. And if you know that going in, you won’t be disappointed with this recipe book. I don’t know if the author used the word “gourmet” in the title with tongue in cheek, but I can say that you can bring any of these dishes to a potluck and not be ashamed.

As someone who learned to cook by my mother’s side, I appreciate cookbooks that give exact measurements and exact cooking times. Sure, I know how to use my senses when cooking, but I like my first experience with a new recipe to be scientific. If you’re a cooking noob, I definitely recommend familiarizing yourself with basic kitchen skills before cracking this book open. Heck, watch a YouTube video or two on how to pre-heat cooking surfaces, how to sear properly, etc. Trust me. Alter talks to you as someone who is already familiar with the kitchen.

My favorite parts in this cookbook are where she writes a few paragraphs about a particular dish she likes to prepare and all the different variations that are possible. I like hearing the backstory of where that recipe came from and her little tidbits of advice that stem from hits or misses that occurred when cooking that dish for her friends or family. To be honest, I wish she wrote the whole cookbook in this manner. I have read several cookbooks in that format and they are among my favorite. But having read the introduction and note to reader in the beginning, I understand her decision. Gorgeous pictures of food in a book means the readers pay more at the cash register.

If you think the appetizer section is just a bunch of cheese dishes, I wouldn’t argue with you, but I urge you to press on. Alter’s main dishes start cozy and familiar, and later transition gently to more exotic fare. I like the confident and easy way she instructs the reader on how to prepare pasta dishes, because that’s how they should be approached. That’s how cooking should be approached. As someone who doesn’t eat salad often, that section was an interesting read and I look forward to trying out some recipes.

My other favorite section in the book is her “Staples – Stocking the Tiny Kitchen” page. Alter has a short list of what you should keep in the fridge, in the cupboard, and in the freezer. I think that for the beginner cook or the cook who has found themselves in a smaller than usual kitchen, her suggestions are fantastic. This little book will have a place among my glossy cookbooks, but I think I will spend more time online: http://www.gourmetonahotplate.blogspo....

[Lynn Poppe]

I absolutely identify with Ms. Alter’s Gourmet on a Hot Plate. I, too, live in a tiny apartment, though I do have a oven. It’s 3/4 size of a regular oven and runs at least 50 degrees hotter than the actual temperature settings. Sometimes, I feel like I might be better off with a hot plate! The section where Ms. Alter writes about downsizing also resonates. Most of my pans and kitchen equipment currently reside in the bedroom closet, as there is no storage space in my kitchen. The minimalist list of kitchen necessities is a great starting point for anyone establishing or downsizing a household.

She is certainly correct in stating that:

“Simplicity may be the key to cooking in a small space.”

I’ve found that to be very true. When I read recipes that have too many steps or ingredients, I pass right by that recipe.

The conversational writing style of Gourmet on a Hot Plate is concise and enjoyable to read. Most recipes have a quick blurb or explanation that enhances the cook book. Ms. Alter encourages her readers to adapt the recipes for their own tastes. This is great for me. I hard pass on recipes with mushrooms and/or asparagus. It’s good to know that I can adapt the recipes to suit my taste.

The layout of this cook book is clear and easy to follow. From appetizers to main dishes, sauces and condiments, the majority of categories are covered. Desserts are missing. Maybe Ms. Alter is not a sweets person?

My favorite sections in Gourmet on a Hot Plate are Skillet Meals and Light Meals. I live for one pan meals (fewer dishes!). I’m also a recent convert to lighter meals. It’s nice to see a cook book focusing on smaller portions. The skillet suppers are heavy on the egg dishes. I’ve realize now that I should be eating eggs at more than just breakfast. I didn’t have time to test any of the recipes in this book, but the Shakshuka is on the top of my testing list. I keep looking at different recipes for shakshuka, but other recipes seem to be overly complicated or enough portions to feed 12. The recipe here is more my style, not too many ingredients and serves 2.

Overall Gourmet on a Hot Plate is a great cookbook for beginner or experienced cooks.

[Ruthie Jones]

Gourmet on a Hot Plate is a sweet little cookbook for little kitchens, but the recipes can certainly be created in full-sized kitchens as well, all with a hot plate and a toaster oven. The main takeaway is that a cook doesn't need a big kitchen full of gadgets and appliances to whip up satisfying meals for one, two, three, or more.

Many of the recipes are enhanced with personal anecdotes, advice based on experience and trial and error, and handy tips and suggestions.

Judy bookends her list of recipes, ranging from appetizers to sauces, with her personal journey that currently has her living in a 600-square-foot house with a kitchen just big enough to concoct a variety of meals, albeit with some adaption to a downsized lifestyle. A small kitchen calls for creativity, patience, and a willingness to modify old habits because according to Judy Alter, "Going from cooking on a large scale to a tiny kitchen required adjustments-- in attitude, in appliances, in recipes."

After the recipe list, Judy offers a few tips on stocking a smaller kitchen and some random cooking hints for both new and established cooks. All the recipes sound delicious and easy to make, but some I will definitely try include Natchitoches Meat Pies, Tuna Pasties, Curried Chicken Salad, Radish Salsa, and homemade Taco Seasoning! Those are just the tip of the iceberg because this cookbook for small kitchens is brimming with many basic, gourmet, and family favorite recipes. Something for everyone! 

Note: I must say, I'm not a fan of anchovies, but Judy just may have convinced me to give them another go.

[A.Borroel]

I have to start this review off by saying how simple and minimalistic this book is. As the author states at the beginning of the book, all you need to follow the recipes are the actual food items and a hot plate and a couple of other minimalistic items. As someone who doesn't like washing dishes, I appreciate all the dishes I don't have to wash!

Something that really stood out to me that makes this recipe book different from others is all the commentary and the back story. I so enjoyed getting to know Judy through her storytelling. Some people don't think that recipe books can be a form of storytelling, but they clearly haven't read Gourmet on a Hot Plate. Judy is great at giving little tidbits and backgrounds to her recipes and how they have evolved since she started cooking.

This a little book that is easy to take out and look through. Some cookbooks can be really thick and a little overwhelming. You will not get that feeling with this recipe book. It's a great companion if you're going out of town, having a cooking night with friends or just want to look up something pretty quickly.

Overall, I give Gourmet on a Hot Plate a 5 out of 5 stars. It's a charming recipe book that you can't find just anywhere. It really makes me want to keep looking at recipe books and give Pinterest a rest...for just a little bit.

[Lone Star Literary Life]

Reviewed by Angela LaRue for Lone Star Literary Life

Also reviewed by the Lone Star Book Blog Tours Blogger Team. Average Blogger Team rating: 4.5 Stars.