Cooking Literature Reviews

People often ask me where I get my recipes.  Well the answer is: quite a collection of places!

 

This is probably my all time favorite cookbook.  I actually have two editions!  The Better Homes and Gardens, "New Cook Book" is full of classic American recipes.  The ingredients are all things you can find in your grocery store, so you won't have to be that crazy person wandering around looking for "zaatar."  I often give this cookbook as a bridal shower gift and would rate it as a "must have" for any kitchen!

 

Next up is "The Science of Good Cooking" from Cook's Illustrated.  I received this book as a gift for Christmas and adored it from the time I ripped the paper open.  It's much more than a cookbook, (you won't believe it!) it's a science book too!  A few years ago when I was just beginning on my culinary adventures, this book might have overwhelmed me.  But with a some kitchen experience, it's perfect!  The book is jam packed with tips, tools, and anything you can think of to make you a better cook.  

"The Science of Good Cooking" goes through and teaches different concepts such as "Resting Meat Maximizes Juiciness", "Create Layers for a Breading that Sticks" and "Salty Marinades Work Best."  The book gives multiple recipes that utilize each concept before moving on to the next one.  

Often I do things in the kitchen because that's what worked best in the past or others taught me how, but I never fully grasped why they work.  While reading this book I have experienced so many "ah-ha!" moments, finally grasping why things works! If you want to be a better cook - read this book!

I also get a quite a few recipes from magazines.   Currently I'm subscribed to "Eating Well" but I have received other magazines in the past.  Most have great recipes, just pick one that fits your life/cooking style!  A word of advice: whenever I find a recipe that I want to try I rip it out and put it in a binder with different categories.  That way I'm not searching through dozens of magazines looking for a recipe.

 

BLOGS!  I like blogs! A lot!  The Pioneer Woman is one of my favorite, but there are tons of great food blogs out there.  Be warned (if you are anything like me) blogs can be more addicting than Pintrest, Settlers of Catan, Bloon Tower Defense 3, Cyber Monday Shopping, or Harry Potter.  You have been warned!

Okay, so I haven't really finished Michael Pollan's new book "Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation."  I don't even own it.  (I'll love you forever if you buy it for me :) )  But I read part of it on Amazon's awesome preview option. And man was it good!  In the first 25 pages I felt like Pollan hopped inside my brain and organized so many of my thoughts on cooking and eating.  Making my thoughts much more eloquent of course!  I found myself reading every other paragraph aloud to NS because I loved it so much!  Pollan is a bit more of a liberal and feminist than I am, but in the name of good eating, that is certainly something I can overlook! ha!  So you should check this book out... and I will too!