Cookbooks

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, January 2019; written by Tammy Dinsmore

I was browsing through the new non-fiction shelves when some new cookbooks caught my eye. Winter is a great time to try new recipes. A warm kitchen is so inviting during these long dark days.

My first choice was “The New Essentials Cookbook: A modern Guide to Better Cooking” from America’s Test Kitchen. Geared more towards the beginning cook, this cookbook has some great tips and recipes even for those of us who have been cooking for a while. If you’ve ever seen their magazine, you will recognize the format, including the “why this recipe works” blurbs at the beginning of each recipe explaining their methods and ingredients. There are recommendations for some “essential” gear for the kitchen and then as skills are learned, there are suggestions for other equipment, such as baking pans, a blender, food processor, etc. At the beginning of the recipe section are pretty basic recipes like a green salad with basic vinaigrette, Eggs (several ways), Pan-Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Chicken, and a few different fish recipes. The further along in the book, the more complex the recipes but I didn’t see any recipes that used unusual ingredients, so that is a plus for me.

Another book from America’s Test Kitchen is “The Complete Diabetes Cookbook.” Although I am not diabetic, there are some good guidelines in here about following a healthy diet plan, what to keep in a healthy pantry, and advise on putting together a complete meal. The use of fresh and dried herbs to pump up flavor is essential in most of the recipes. There isn’t anything that is off limits, but most of the recipes are low in sodium as well as fat. The only processed foods they make use of are things like canned beans and broths. There is a section with slow-cooker meals in it, and there are some “Special Treats” recipes which do have sugar, but they do not contain any artificial sweeteners.

“Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook” by Dorie Greenspan is a beautiful cookbook. The recipes, according to the author, are simple and are what she cooks on a regular basis. Some recipes do look simple enough, like the “Lower East Side Brunch Tart”, made with smoked salmon, red onion and cherry tomatoes, or the “Roasted Butternut Squash Soup”, even the “Tomato and Peach Panzanella Salad”, but I probably wouldn’t make “Shrimp-Mousse Squash Blossoms”, but hey, that’s just me. What I like is that she does offer possible substitutions for unusual ingredients that we may not find at our local grocery store here in Ketchikan. The pictures just make everything look so good. Like I said, it’s a beautiful book.

I am going to hang on to these for a bit longer and see what else I can find. I may need to try some new recipes over the next couple of weekends!

Have I made you hungry yet? The three cookbooks I mentioned are just a taste of what we have on the shelves just waiting for you to come check them out!