Breads, Spreads & Veggies

by Ruth Haag

Ruth Haag taught her family to cook by giving them prototypes of this cookbook series, and then she collected their favorite side dishes in this compact, splash-resistant volume. In some cases she captured their personal variations, as in ‘Bob’s Best White Bread’. In some she documented an unwritten recipe before and expert cook passed on, as in ‘Great-Grandma’s Pickles’. These are the extras that make meals unforgettable, ranging from the fundamental joy of homemade bread with homemade jam, to the slightly more urbane enjoyment of yam croquettes. The recipes and design spent more than 7 years of testing in homes. The recipe format is short, to the point, and east to read. Ingredients are listed in the order used and, where possible, dry ingredients come first, so the cook can reuse the same measuring tools without cleaning them out. All of the recipes are salt-free. As with every volume of the Useable Cookbook series, all of the removable pages are inserted in plastic page covers to protect against spills, and several empty page covers are provided at the end, for the cook’s own additions. The volume’s compact 7-by-t-inch 3-ring binder is also plastic-covered, as stays open on the counter without taking up too much space. The perfect follow-on gift once a new cook masters the Main Dishes volume, or a great index of basic side-dishes for the experienced cook.

75 pages, Ring-bound

First published January 1, 2005