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Quarantine Tuesday Reading Kaffeeklatsch: 1/12/21
I also use Betty Crocker - I have gone through 3 different generations of it, and 2 generations of Joy of Cooking. I had no idea there was a Peter Wimsey cookbook. I'll have to look for it. Forget Mr. Darcy or Jamie from Outlander, Lord Peter is my literary crush! I plan to reread all his books in 2021 since I realized it has been over 30 years since I last read them.
The restaurants in NYC were my favorite when I visited there in 2004. My husband is deathly allergic to shellfish. He can’t even be in the same room as it without having a reaction and going into anaphylaxis. Well, I love shellfish. So, when I travel or when he travels, I splurge on shellfish. So that’s what I remember from my stay in NYC. Corey also love NYC because he can go to any one of the Jewish restaurants and not worry about having an allergic reaction to shellfish since shellfish isn’t kosher.
We’ve both been to NYC but not together. Lol.
I don’t like to cook or bake. And I’ve recently discovered that I can’t eat gluten, which makes cooking, baking, and eating less fun. Although, katzglutenfree.com has some great gluten free treats so I can still eat donuts or “twinkies” when everyone else around me is too.
The way I’m distracting myself is continuing to play Animal Crossing on my Nintendo Switch, sleeping (this is also due to depression), and reading when I can stay awake. I watch shows with my husband every now and then too.
I’m honestly just trying to ignore what’s going on in the USA right now. I just don’t like to think about it. It makes me nervous and afraid and anxious. I know ignoring everything isn’t a good way to deal with things. It’s just avoidance, but I’m good at that. Lol.
Robin P wrote: "I also use Betty Crocker - I have gone through 3 different generations of it, and 2 generations of Joy of Cooking. I had no idea there was a Peter Wimsey cookbook. I'll have to look for it. Forge..."
It was published in 1981. I suggest looking on ABE books or just contact used bookstores. I have found that vendors selling long OOP books on Amazon usually seriously overprice them. There are also a number of independent cookbook stores like Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks on the LES (used to be on W. 10th) that primarily sell used cookbooks. In fact my current Betty Crocker, a duplicate of the one we had at the farm, is from her shop. My sister has the original, duct tape and all. My Joy of Cooking dates from the 1980s and is taped together.
Jenni Elyse wrote: "The restaurants in NYC were my favorite when I visited there in 2004. My husband is deathly allergic to shellfish. He can’t even be in the same room as it without having a reaction and going into a..."I have done my share of game play and avoidance sleeping.
I know a few excellent kosher restaurants. Eating out would be very easy for him! And gluten free is on trend here so you too would do just fine.
I’m with Robin on the Lord Peter Wimsey crush!! Serious stuff! I love to cook savoury, but I am possibly the world’s worst baker. I can make bread and I can do scones (are they called that in the States as well?) but that is my limit - don’t ask me to bake a cake because it invariably comes out resembling a rock and ends up gracing the bottom of the rubbish bin. I know it’s just a question of practice and careful measuring but seriously can I be a**ed?! ‘Yeah, nah’ as we say round here. But I just bought myself a pan for mini muffins with a view to being a good Nana and making things for Miss 20 months. She isn’t allowed sugar, so it’ll be veggie muffins all the way - so hopefully the baking curse will stay at bay ;)
Despite the lack of a baking gene, my already substantial lockdown waistline has expanded rather than diminished despite not having *been* in lockdown since the end of April ... . So since I would prefer not to continue to resemble a small cheerful barrel, I am currently exploring the culinary delights of Weight Watchers recipes, many of which are surprisingly nice.
Loving the recipe thread elsewhere in Footnotes - storing up some savoury treats. I should find my mother in law’s pavlova recipe. Pavlova is a meringue cake that is a national treasure - and if any cheeky Aussie tells you it’s Australian, don’t believe them - They Stole The Recipe!
Good morning!Ooh, I love reading/looking through cookbooks! I have many, but at the moment I use Deliciously Ella Ella WoodwardDeliciously Ella The Plant-Based Cookbook: 100 Simple Vegan Recipes to Make Every Day Delicious and her cookbooks (and her app). She makes gorgeous plant-based recipes and when I use the app it converts the measurements.
Apart from that I collect recipes from magazines (and have too many of those to ever make all of them) and put them in a box.
Even though I am not a big baker, either (I just don't like that you have to stick to the recipe so closely, I think) I baked some black-bean chocolate cookies before christmas (from Deliciously Ella's app) and weird though it sounds, they were really good (they don't taste like beans AT ALL, but they actually taste like cookies! And are much healthier because they use black beans as one of their basic ingredients.
And I want to try the mandarin cake you mentioned, Theresa.
I also always like books that have interesting recipes but a short preparation time like 20 Minuten sind genug - vegetarisch (GU Themenkochbuch) where you find recipes that only take 20 minutes to prepare.
I did get a Betty Crocker Vegetarian Cookbook (it is actually more like a magazine in size) when I studied in Canada in 1994, and one of the recipes has become a staple for parties (Tortellini-Broccoli-Salad), but the rest I haven't really tried. Now I just don't like transforming the measurements, so I am using German/European cookbooks more.
Apart from that, to distract myself, I do watch series a lot, right now I am watching the Lethal Weapon series on amazon prime. It is actually pretty good for distraction, I find. I love Grey's Anatomy and the like as well.
I have started playing fishdom on my phone last year. That is quite addictive. I am trying to keep playing time down and get more reading done this year and have more screenfree time.
I love cooking, when I have everything at home. So, many weeks I try and make a cooking plan and get the groceries beforehand for the whole week. I don't like having to do groceries so often...
I do want to try out NYC's restaurants! I am so looking forward to travelling again. In my town, we do have quite a few different cuisines available, too. But I haven't ordered in so much during lockdown. I did last year for the first lockdown. Now I tend to cook more myself.
Anyway, wishing you all a good time cooking or ordering in. I am developing quite an appetite as I am writing so much about cooking...
Oh, Theresa, this is such a fun thread. Food is a universal topic - we all have experiences and opinions to share. When my mother was alive, we would call each other before the dinner hour and ask, "What are you making for dinner?" Now, I have these conversations with my dad.I too, have the original Betty Crocker cookbook and do refer to it. When my husband learned to cook (about 2 years ago), he used it also. I'm a decent cook, but have to buy pastry (since baking has never interested me.) Tuna Noodle casserole is a comfort food of mine too. Now that winter is here, pretty soon I'll be making a pot of stew.
Here is a review that I wrote about a fun book about Jewish cooking. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
I'll keep reading the thread to find out about others' food experiences. (Maybe, this will distract me from watching too much CNN.)
Oh! Food and Cooking-two of my favorite things!My go to cookbook How Cooking Works by Sylvia Rosenthal-I purchased when published in 1981 and it has been my bible of cooking ever since. The cover is gone (and I mean the hardcover...LoL) and it is time to get the duct tape out. I do have a Betty Crocker too. I use to collect cookbooks and have some them stored away somewhere.
@ Theresa-when I have visited New York, I could have eaten at the Jewish Deli's everyday, if my travel mates would have allowed it!
So What's for Dinner? Today, a cold wintery day calls for Chicken Soup. The whole chicken is in the pot, will add some onion and celery, herbs I have in the freezer from my summer garden and I put a few carrots in as my husband likes them in the soup-not too many though as it makes the both too sweet.
What's on your menu today?
I was suppose to have a procedure today, to ease my pain. At the last minute the damn insurance company pulled the approval. My doc assures me he will get on them for being such idiots and get the approval back, but I am livid and trying to reign that in because all it does is exacerbate my pain and anxiety. So thanks for this diversion Theresa!
Joanne wrote: "...I was suppose to have a procedure today, to ease my pain. At the last minute the damn insurance company pulled the approval. ..."Oh no! Hope it gets sorted soon so you can get the treatment!
Not much of a cook here - but definitely a near constant focus on food! I started my version of a diet last Monday, 9 days in, with an 11 point overall wellness plan. Number 11 is something I have been thinking about for years and never able to execute. But i think today and/or tomorrow is the day! Once I won the PBT raffle. got like $15 or $20 or something and do you know what I bought? A double slow cooker. It was like $29.99 or something. I have this huge slow cooker that I use for the holidays. We make brisket in there, and I have also made sweet and sour meatballs in there. But i was fascinated by the idea that with the double small slow cooker, a person could have like rice, veggies, or soup in one side, and the protein dish in the other. And easily feed a family of five, by throwing the things in in the morning and letting it cook. So the first year, I the gadget lived on my outdoor porch. One of the pots came in this week. I wanted to see how big it was. The second year, I actually got like 10 slow cooker books from the library. Then I zeroxed a whole bunch of doable interesting receipes. That was a year ago. Pre-Covid for sure. Now on like year three or four, I made it a point to add it to my overall wellness plan to try to use it like once a week. So I picked out two recipes. No kidding, I got that far. Then I figured out what ingredients I need. If I can get to the store today, this just might be tomorrow night's dinner! I will keep you guys posted, but these were big steps. I love the concept. Now lets see if I can get it going.....
I have a love/hate relationship with food. There are a lot... A LOT... of foods that make me sick. All aspects of my digestion system has issue with one food or another. I don't spend money on cookbooks. There is no point because 95% of recipes I can't eat. I also struggle going out to eat and am very particular about restaurants. Luckily the area I live is use to a lot of different people with various dietary needs. I've learned to speak up when I order.
If my husband and I are going to try a new recipe then we spend a lot of time on google trying to find substitutions. I've done the same with my mom and lot of family recipes. Some examples, I can't have foods that are high in sugars (specifically fructans) like onions, garlic, apples... I also have a strong intolerance to peppers, mainly bell peppers to the point that paprika is even a big, BIG no no. I've had to send back plates at restaurants that have used paprika as decoration and now make sure to tell everyone I'm allergic to it.
Needless to say... I don't turn to food during stress because for me it's a point of stress. Same with alcohol... it makes me sick too.
My reading has kicked up to hide in books while everything is going on. I've also been walking more on my treadmill. I've been making sure to get outside for a walk everyday, even if it's raining. I've also taken on renovating/updating my office, which is where all my books live. I got a star wars themed rug but the star wars is very subtle and adult. I'll be painting and rearranging to... which I did in my main living area during part of the pandemic.
Charlotte, it sounds like you follow a low FODMAP diet. I have to follow that as well but I’ve found some things are worse for me than others—gluten, garlic, onions, spicy things, vinegar in large quantities, apples, grapefruit, milk, yogurt, some cheeses, but not ice cream for some weird reason, honey, and most artificial sweeteners.
You know, when I catch this thread on the day it's posted I am always hopeful, like "ah, I caught it early so there won't be a lot of action yet" and alas, the thread is full! Which is great, I just get overwhelmed and feel like I have to read everything on here 😅When I get on here I am usually sneaking away for a short time before going back to work...
@Jannie Jenni Elyse wrote: "Well, I love shellfish. So, when I travel or when he travels, I splurge on shellfish."
Me too! My husband and I had king crab legs for New Year's and they were delicious. My favorite thing to eat I think.
My husband is the book, but he swears by a couple resources for Japanese and Korean:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/
https://www.maangchi.com/
They are both very accessible if you are intimidated by Japanese or Korean food, I've even used them!
Joanne wrote: "Oh! Food and Cooking-two of my favorite things!My go to cookbook How Cooking Works by Sylvia Rosenthal-I purchased when published in 1981 and it has been my bible ..."
I'm sorry that your procedure for pain control was cancelled, Joanne. I hope it can be rescheduled and approved ASAP.
Meli wrote: "You know, when I catch this thread on the day it's posted I am always hopeful, like "ah, I caught it early so there won't be a lot of action yet" and alas, the thread is full! Which is great, I jus..."Ah, Meli! I am not consistant as to the time I start the thread! As I am a night owl, I most often start it around midnight EST since with my work load, if I wait for more normal hours it would be nught before I get time. But sometimes that happens.
And I know what you mean about feeling stressed when a lot posts to read when you just check in for a minute, LOL!
Jenni Elyse wrote: "Charlotte, it sounds like you follow a low FODMAP diet. I have to follow that as well but I’ve found some things are worse for me than others—gluten, garlic, onions, spicy things, vinegar in large ..."That is because Ice Cream is friends with everyone-LoL, it is mt favorite thing in the culinary world
I don't really use cookbooks- I watch A LOT of Food Network and cooking shows (Top Chef, Hells Kitchen, Chopped, Guy's Grocery Games, Worst Cooks, kids cooking, literally the food network is my go-to channel for background noise), and will just google recipes as needed, or google tips/tricks like cooking times or substitutions when I need it. I basically do all the cooking in the house, but hubby will by my sous chef and help, and he does all the grilling and anything that is cooked in the cast iron. I have an instapot and love it, but definitely don't use it enough as I should. I will totally second Meli's recommendation of https://www.maangchi.com/ for Korean food though. I've been meaning to put my kimchi fried rice recipe on the recipe thread, but haven't found the time, and wasn't sure if anyone would be into it. lots of people think kimchi is a 'scary food'- but it really isn't.
I know I've said this before here, but I'm the crazy girl who doesn't really like sweets that much- so I'm normally a pass on ice cream, cake, pie, whatnot. Of course there are always exceptions, but I'll always take popcorn or something salty over sweet.
Also good news- my parents go the shot 1 Pfizer vaccine! They're doing vaccines at the State Fairgrounds where they live, and the city unfroze a large batch of pfizer- not enough people in the phase we are in showed up- so they opened it up for anyone, and they quickly got in line.
@Charlotte and Jenni Elyse - you just have to be more chef-fy - working from ingredients rather than recipes. Savory is far easier than baking as baking requires a lot of understanding of science and the use of precise measurements (unless you are doing something like poaching pears or macerating berries) where savory is all about taste really. I basically was learning to cook from the cradle - not just savory and sweet but also preservation - canning, freezing, jams, pickling. Even butchery. That's what comes from growing up on a farm where a significant portion of your food comes from your own efforts and not the supermarket. We just cooked savory and it was pretty simple. My dad was a meat and potatoes man. Exotic meals were spaghetti and pizza. Even today, I mostly use recipes for baking, although I will read savory ones to get an idea on cooking times and such.
@Amy - you have made your cooking goal public! We expect a full review and report by next Tuesday! So many cooking goals are intimidating but in reality are just time consuming, not difficult. Julia Child's Boeuf Bourginon - lots of steps, lots of mis-en-place, a lot of time - but actually quite easy as a dish. And oh so worth it! Indian food is a lot of advance prep - as are most Asian cuisines. The actually cooking is pretty straight forward.
I'm just too lazy and want things NOW!
@Jenni Elyse - you are spot on... low FODMAP but I have several intolerances on top of it including peppers (specifically bell peppers), pepper, lactose, among others. In my research I have found that have issues with Oligosaccharides more than anything... those include wheat, beans, garlic, and onions and Disaccharide lactose (ice cream, milk, lactose). I'm hit or miss with Monosaccharides (apples, honey, mangos) and no issues with sugar alcohols (artificial sweetners, avocados, mushrooms). @Theresa I just don't have the time as even with the savory there is need for knowledge on the chemistry sometimes. Since there are more foods that I can't eat than I can, it's just easier to repeat the same recipes that I've figured out over and over because I know that I'm "safe". The trial and error to get to those "safe" recipes over the years has not been easy and can be frustrating and exhausting. One small misstep can leave me debilitated for hours if not a whole day and sucks any joy out of being chef-fy at times because there are more consequences than just not liking the taste of it... hence the reason that food and cooking is an area of stress and I sometimes wish I could not bother with it.
I am fortunate in not needing to avoid foods. I have a small sense of what it takes because as a child my brother was allergic to multiple things, including dairy and tomatoes. So there were a lot of things we never ate at home. Now my attitude toward cooking is relaxed. I will use recipes but I feel fine changing them. Some of the things I make, like chili and lasagna, I don't really use a recipe for, I just know what I put in. I am not very patient so I don't do pie crusts or fancy-looking desserts. I even prefer making cookie bars to individual cookies because it is faster and easier. My husband is wonderful in that he likes just about anything and he cooks as well. He is even more creative in cooking than I am. I don't think he has ever used a recipe.
I’m totally with you, Charlotte. I’ve been laid up for the last week because some of the food I was eating contained wheat and I didn’t realize it. The pain and discomfort is awful and just makes me wish I could be anorexic without all the bad. I would rather not eat if I could so I didn’t have to deal with the pain. The pain I experience because of food increases my stress and anxiety and adds to my depression. It’s a catch-22. If I weren’t stressed, I’d probably feel a whole lot better. However, I am so I don’t and then add the food issues on top of that.
Jenni Elyse wrote: "I’m totally with you, Charlotte. I’ve been laid up for the last week because some of the food I was eating contained wheat and I didn’t realize it. The pain and discomfort is awful and just makes m..."Yep... there is something that I haven't identified yet that causes massive and I mean MASSIVE joint pain. Since I haven't identified what the trigger is it's like I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop after I eat. I have a tendency to eat the same thing over and over again, especially during the week when I'm working, so I don't accidentally get sick.
Wheat was one of my most recent ahas... luckily for me the effect was just gas. I had already switched to potato bread for most breads but didn't realize it was in the paste noodles we eat. We've since have been trying out rice or lentil pastas and now I'm symptom free for our spaghetti nights! Yay!!! :)
I bought the ingredients. The theory is that it all goes into the slow cooker tomorrow and cooks all day.....
I am making honey glazed carrots and sweet potato in pot #1, and a chicken dish with a white wine cream sauce in pot #2.
But I am worried about Joanne. And now Charlotte! I wish that there was something i could do.
Amy wrote: "But I am worried about Joanne. And now Charlotte! I wish that there was something i could do."Awww... Thank you :) ... I'm fine, really... just let my frustration come out in my posts... having issues wit food can get old.
@Charlotte, my mum who sometimes has joint pains (from minor osteoarthritis) and a sensitive stomach, also reacts badly to fluffy white bread, she can eat it, but gas. Red wine makes her pains worse, she drinks ginger tea (made from fresh ginger) and it helps. Ginger for joint pains is an old and tried advice. It may not help you, just thought I'd share if you're willing to try. My one son has a similar stomach and digestion to his grandma. As a child we found out that fat high gluten stuff was not good - burgers and pizzas for example. If he ate that it was okay if he ate fibres, carrots typically, alongside it. He also reacted badly to sodas, so he's stopped drinking them altogether. He and my mum are fine eating bread when it's homebaked from whole wheat flour, where there is stuff left for the system to digest. They are also fine eating rye bread, which we eat a lot of here. As a rule I'd always go with as natural ingredients as possible. I know this is not the case everywhere in the states, but I think you may have a lot of prefabricated foods, and I'd steer clear of that. If you're not cooking yourself I'd go for any restaurant/cafe/whatever that prepares the food from scratch, or preprepared meals where there's used 'real' food and no, or very few E's. Also find out what those E's are.
Sorry for the long healthy food speech: My parents were part of the hippie movement. They didn't go for the free love and drugs, but went for breaking down gender roles and natural health food. And, yeah, it sticks, and it's not the worst heritage to have :) (Thank you mum and dad).
I recently had a very European reaction to bleached flour. WTH is that? Why??? It's banned here btw.
On another note: I can eat, and I like, a large variety of foods. I'm thankful for that. I love good food.
My husband and I often talk about moving to Europe for many reasons, but one is the fact that things like bleached flour is banned there, animals are treated more humanely instead injected with hormones and big businessed to the point their lives don’t matter anymore.The problem is my husband’s allergies, especially to shellfish. He’s already suffered cardiac arrest twice from anaphylactic shock. I’m terrified we wouldn’t be able to convey the severity of his allergy in another language and I’m not sure how many people speak English. I don’t want to assume or expect people to cater to me when I’m in another country.
It depends on where you go in Europe, but I think most Europeans would understand shellfish, or it's not so difficult to find the language equivalent. But I understand your concern. I love the Italian name "fruits of the sea": frutti di mare. That is all seafood though.I love shellfish and all sea foods. I feel sorry for your husband. I have a colleague who loves chocolate but is allergic to it. I feel sorry for her too.
There is also problematic animal food "factories" here, but maybe less than the States.
So glad I have never had problems with food-until I got old-LoL. I have to watch the Latino and Mexican Spices, and coffee (ugh) is now becoming a problem if I drink too much of it. Those things I can handle without giving up my love of tasting new things-oh! food, glorious food!Thanks for your concern Amy. Like Charlotte, this is somewhere I know I can come and vent and get out the frustration and then move on. The chronic pain has just become a part of my reality, and the b.s. with insurance. I will be so happy in May when I go on Medicare and Blue Cross is my secondary insurance-since my husband turned 65 we have not had one problem with his treatment.
Now we're talking spices and Mexican food, can we just take a moment to acknowledge the awesomeness of ceviche? It is originally South American, but that's beside the point. One of my all-time favourite foods, especially made with white fish, like cod, and lots of fresh chili and lime/lemon. So easy to make, so absolutely delicious.I hope I never have issues with spicy food. Or coffee.
@ Johanne, I must admit I make it without the fish-not a seafood eater, except for crab and occasional shrimp and our State fish, Lake perch.
You have to try it Joanne! Though I would definitely eat it without as well :)
.. but the fish needs to be VERY fresh, otherwise I wouldn't eat it.
Jenni Elyse wrote: "My husband and I often talk about moving to Europe for many reasons, but one is the fact that things like bleached flour is banned there, animals are treated more humanely instead injected with hor..."Your husband's allergy is really serious! That's scary... allergy almost seems like an understatement.
@Johanne - yes bread is the worst! And processed foods! Ugh! I'm lucky in my area in WA state it's so, so, so much easier to get and eat unprocessed or low processed food. It's more expensive, but so worth it!! Potato bread has been a huge help to be able to still eat bread, they use potato flour to make it and I don't have an issue with it at all. Allergies are scary to me. I can't imagine the fear you live wiht Jenni Elyse. I feel like some restaurants don't take it super serious, or at least they didn't in my old home town. Here they are a lot more receptive to working with dietary differences but there is a huge portion of our population that is vegetarian or vegan and there is a sub group that don't eat onions and other things as part of their religious belief.
I once worked with a girl with citrus allergy who went into anaphylactic shock with the smallest amount of citrus. Couldn't eat at restaurants because she reacted if it had been on the cutting board, washed together in the dishwasher etc. Do you realise how many E products are based on citrus? A lot. I was in charge of her adrenaline. I witnessed and had to give it to her once. Scary shit.
Yes, that’s how my husband is. He reacts when the shellfish protein is in the air. His lungs will start to close in so he cants breathe. His gums blister and bleed. He can’t walk into most grocery stores because they don’t ventilate the seafood area. We can’t eat at most restaurants for fear of cross-contamination. Asian food is out completely because of hidden things like oyster sauce and shrimp paste.
He jokes that the way he wants to go is by eating a plate of popcorn shrimp. I just look at him with disdain when he says things like that.
Woot! I am scheduled for first dose of vaccine on January 20! NYS opened to anyone over 65 this week, each day more centers are being opened and the website updated so I was able to get through today. Here in NYC they are setting up in the Javits Conference Center as well as baseball fields and schools. I'm going to a local high school - shades of the polio vaccine memories from my childhood. I believe it will be the Moderna vaccine. Of course, won't actually know for sure until I get there.
For once I am the right age at the right time.
I have no food allergies or intolerances. Caffeine isn't an issue for me either. But I have noticed that really spicy food - curries for example - don't digest as easily as they once did. And I never could do really spicy food for breakfast -- learned that on travels in Mexico where things like spicy huevos rancheros are a breakfast staple. In fact, any food withing an hour or two of getting up is a problem - I feel queasy - but spicy breakfast means misery all day. Something about my digestive system just isn't functioning well first thing. This has been true since I was a child.
Theresa wrote: "Woot! I am scheduled for first dose of vaccine on January 20! NYS opened to anyone over 65 this week, each day more centers are being opened and the website updated so I was able to get through tod..."Yipee! And what a day to celebrate, eh?
Yay! Congrats on the vaccination, Theresa!
Joanne wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Woot! I am scheduled for first dose of vaccine on January 20! NYS opened to anyone over 65 this week, each day more centers are being opened and the website updated so I was able to..."Two long awaited events in the same day...whew!
Great to hear about the vaccine Theresa!Jenni, that's really tough. That's a lot of restaurants out of the question, and a lot of precautions to take, plus anaphylactic shock is really scary and harsh.
Well, not that going out to dinner is an option atm, just got another 3 weeks prolonged lockdown. The British variant is hitting Europe hard atm.
Theresa wrote: "I'm going to a local high school - shades of the polio vaccine memories from my childhood."That's wild to live through both those events!
Congrats on the vaccine! My gma got her first round yesterday and said it was easy peasy.
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Herbs & Spices: The Cook's Reference (other topics)Mastering Spice: Recipes and Techniques to Transform Your Everyday Cooking: A Cookbook (other topics)
HOW COOKING WORKS (other topics)
HOW COOKING WORKS (other topics)
Deliciously Ella The Plant-Based Cookbook: 100 Simple Vegan Recipes to Make Every Day Delicious (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Sylvia Rosenthal (other topics)Sylvia Rosenthal (other topics)
Ella Woodward (other topics)
Susan Mallery (other topics)
Elizabeth Bond Ryan (other topics)
Food. Of course I turn to food. And chocolate. Single Malt Scotch or a cocktail or some mead. The occasional cup of tea.
But food. Living in NYC allows me to get a lot of cuisines delivered - besides Indian, Chinese, and Italian (not just pizza), I regularly cycle through French, Vietnamese, Thai, Southern (the benefit of living on edge of Harlem), Korean and Mexican. Oh and kosher deli - we do have the largest Jewish concentration in US. If I liked sushi or Japanese - lots of options.
I also enjoy cooking and baking...or used to. Somehow I got out of the habit. Too many late nights working. Too little time at home. But if I want comfort food...chili, meatloaf, scallop potatoes and pork chops, tuna noodle casserole, spaghetti with meat sauce, creamed curried turkey on rice...the food I grew up with on the farm...I have to cook. Doesn't matter how many amazing meals I have had or will have, there is nothing like those old comfort food recipes.
Growing up on a farm, I belonged to 4-H, making some standards in my repertoire actually from lessons learned there - such as my pumpkin pie.
I also have a few fundraising cookbooks - my cranberry upside down cake comes from the Village Singers Cookbook, which featured favorite recipes of the membership of the now long defunct chorus. Too many of tbe leaders succumbed to AIDS in the 80s leading to an abrupt end to the group. But their recipes live on - many familiar from the fabulous potlucks they held.
I also like cookbooks. Useful ones that I actually cook from:
Betty Crocker - orange cover from 70s
Joy of Cooking
Julia - duh, of course
Nigella Lawson's cookbooks
Silver Palate Cookbook.
I also have a fondness for what I call fun cookbooks. Ones published in connection with a book that recreates food described in books...such as the ones for Redwall and Game of Thrones. Author Susan Mallery published one with her Fools Gold series that includes a novella featuring 2 chefs whose recipes are in the cookbook.
One of tbe best literary cookbooks ever published IMHO was the Peter Wimsey Cookbook - The Lord Peter Wimsey Cookbook by Elizabeth Bond Ryan - long OOP. I gave that to a dear friend who adores the books (I do not) the year it was published. She still makes the Shepherd's Pie recipe from it every year for Christmas Eve Dinner. It is delish!
I also enjoy quirky or theme cookbooks like Vintage Cakes: Timeless Recipes for Cupcakes, Flips, Rolls, Layer, Angel, Bundt, Chiffon, and Icebox Cakes for Today's Sweet Tooth, or Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits.
Today while reading an alumae enewsletter from my alma mater Barnard College, I saw this one, added it to my wishlist and was inspired to write today's Kaffeeklatsch: https://www.simonandschuster.com/book....