look who came to dinner

Great new cookbooks are like having trusted friends over for dinner. They are an imaginary friend around the table. Look who came to dinner at my house.My new dinner companions are an eclectic group of chefs, eaters and storytellers. For Christmas, I got quite the collection of cookbooks. Hugh Acheson, Rick Bayless, Ruth Reichl and Audrey Hepburn’s son are my new companions for planning dinner.

Since we are on our Whole 30 adventure to start of the year I haven’t been able to cook from them much yet, but that actually hasn’t been all bad. It is extremely tempting, but it is encouraging me to read them like books. Not all cookbooks are set up to be read like a novel, but my favorites are and a few of these have even made it to my nightstand as evening reading. A turn of events that has my husband thinking I am a little obsessed.

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My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life is the book that has landed on my bedside table. It is best read as a book. I am taking copious notes about the recipes I want to try so I can find them again. I grew up with Gourmet magazine and Ruth has long been one of my favorite writers, especially her memoirs. This book is different from those only in the number of recipes contained in the pages. This book chronicles Ruth’s year after the close of Gourmet magazine and how her new-found free time reignited her love for cooking. It also shares her new love for twitter. Her ability to compose vivid pictures with just a 140 characters is a kind of poetry. The recipes so far have seemed simple and easy for any home cook. You will need a bit of adventure to cook them because she isn’t rigid in her instructions. This is a book that gets you started with the right ingredients, some instruction and the freedom to improvise and make these recipes your own. As I cook from this cookbook I will share a more in-depth review of the recipes. However, even if you don’t intend to ever cook from this book I highly recommend it just for the stories she weaves around her year of cooking.

Audrey at Home: Memories of My Mother’s Kitchen has been so much fun to read. I, like many women, have had an infatuation with Audrey Hepburn for years. She was an amazing actress and I love her sweet movies, but as I have learned about here it is the way she carried herself off-screen that I am more drawn to. Her son tells stories of his mother and her love of food that paint a picture of a woman that cherished family and shared experiences around the table. The recipes also all look delicious. Simple everyday food for the most part. She may have been a star and even had a staff that included a cook, but the meals were simple and traditional. Largely Italian and Northern Europe influences from France, Belgium, and Switzerland. It is fun to image her off-screen and it feels like she would have been as easy to get along with as you would imagine.

The Broad Fork: Recipes for the Wide World of Vegetables and Fruits Hugh. I love Hugh. Ever since my introduction to him via Top Chef, I have had a crush on Hugh’s cooking. It looks delicious, fresh, and not over complicated. Some recipes are a little over my skillset, but it is nice to have a book that is going to challenge me to try new techniques and flavors. The Broad Fork is an homage to vegetables of all varieties. I love the layout of the book. Divided first by season and then by vegetables and fruits that are in season during that time. Not just recipes there is also a page talking about the fruits and vegetables and how to handle them and some of the finer points about them. This is the one book I have cooked from already and it was delicious. It was my first attempt at bok choy. It also gave me a great avocado and tomato side dish to use for the rest of the Whole 30, but will be especially delicious this summer with grilled food.

Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico
by Rick Bayless. My husband is half Mexican and I have always loved Mexican food so this is a perfect addition. I was skeptical about Rick Bayless for years. Selling his salsa and wares at Crate and Barrel made me believe he was just some dude in Chicago that made salsa. I didn’t think he could possibly have the knowledge to really know Mexican food. I assumed, incorrectly, that he was making dumbed down Mexican food. Which is hilarious when you consider that at that point in my life very little authentic Mexican food had passed my lips. It would be years before I was properly introduced to quality Mexican food. I am beyond excited to dive into the new ingredients and cooking methods that Mexican food will bring. Authentic Mexican is such an in-depth book that describes where the recipes originated and even some stories of people he met along the way. It is another book I am looking forward to reading from cover to cover.

I will keep you updated as I make dishes from these in the next few months. Did you get any great cookbooks this season?

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