Food is Food

Vibrant Food is one of the most beautiful cookbooks this year, written by the talented The Year in Food blogger and photographer, Kimberley Hasselbrink. She has an eye for color and texture and that means her mostly vegetarian recipes are as pretty to look at they are delicious to eat. 

Her flavor combinations are often unique but make perfect sense. She pairs risotto with edamame and sautéed radishes. She tops grilled halloumi with fresh strawberries, mint and cilantro. Turkey burgers are topped with cheddar and balsamic figs. 

The book is divided into seasons and highlights different ingredients. Feeling bored by Winter squash? Chile Roasted Delicata Squash with Queso Fresco or Soba Noodles with Kabocha Squash in a Mellow Japanese Curry will jazz things up. This is an inspiring book with very unique and appealing recipes.

Sheet Pan Suppers is a book I wish I had written. I remember when I first discovered big rimmed sheet pans, and how you could basically prepare a whole meal using them. They are great for roasting vegetables, meats, even seafood. Line the pan with foil or parchment paper and the clean up is a breeze! This book has 120 recipes, mostly for roasted dishes but also treats like an Apple Galette, Espresso Biscotti and Carrot Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting show you the versatility of sheet pans.

Of course some recipes use things like ramekins set on a sheet pan, but most don’t. Most of the dishes serve 4-6 but some of the brunch dishes serve 8 or even 10. And all you have to do is use 2 sheet pans, and voila! You’ve just doubled the recipe. The recipes I can’t wait to try include Citrus Miso Whole Fish, Baked Baby Back Ribs with Potatoes, Israeli Couscous Stuffed Peppers, Apple, Prosciutto and Radicchio Pizza and Stone Fruit Slab Pie. These recipes are just plain smart!

I am kind of in awe of The Southern Living Community Cookbook. I didn’t want to like this book, but I absolutely love it! If you treasure community cookbooks, this is the book for you. It’s a collection of recipes from the South, they range from very old school Lime Gelatin and Cottage Cheese Salad, to the thoroughly modern Sweet Potato Pie with Cornmeal Rosemary Crust or Bok Choy and Crunchy Ramen Salad. 

But the bulk of the book is the most popular recipes from the region—Banana Pudding, Chicken, Shrimp and Ham Jambalaya, Jezebel Sauce, Pickled Peaches, Milk Punch all lovingly curated by Sheri Castle. This is a great collection for anyone who wants to explore Southern food. 

A Boat a Whale and a Walrus is a cookbook by the restaurateur Renee Erickson of Seattle. I was smitten with her Boat Street Cafe pickles the moment I tasted them and truly, sitting at the bar eating seafood at The Walrus and the Carpenter is a quintessential Seattle experience if there ever was one. Why? because it’s small, genuine, a little bit in your face and a whole lot of fun. 

This book captures a lot of what the Pacific Northwest is all about. It’s unpretentious, with a longing glance towards France at times. It’s very American, but also has influences from here and there in dishes like Preserved lemons, Fresh Tomato Pasta or Raw Asparagus Aalad. Some of the recipes are very simple like Radishes with Green Goddess Dressing, Boiled Crab, Grilled Bread but others are transformative like Brown Butter Vinaigrette or Mussels in Cider with Dijon Creme Fraiche and Tarragon. The book has menus and profiles of the producers, staff and other folks involved with the business and the recipes are organized by season, it verges on being precious at times, but just barely. If you long for Seattle like I sometimes do, you will find it deeply satisfying.

I’ve never been to Cuba, but the photos and recipes in The Cuban Table are transporting. You can just feel the sun on your shoulders and hear the Cuban beat the minute you crack open the book. It’s possibly the most comprehensive book on the subject with over 110 recipes. 

This book is such a treasure, it shares the recipes from many sources—from homes, lunch counters and restaurants, from Cuba and from Cubans living in the US. It also shares enough of their stories to inspire wanderlust or satisfy culinary curiosity. This book is the next best thing to being adopted by an extended Cuban family. 

Recipes I want to try include Media Noche Sandwiches, Stuffed Avocados, Chickpea Stew with Chorizo, Chicken Pies and Dulce de Tomate.

Chocolates, cookies, bottles of wine or liquor are all just dandy for holiday gift giving, but this year I thought I’d share some more unusual picks. These are things that are completely out of the ordinary!

Umami is that savory flavor that comes from things like aged cheese, tomatoes, fish sauce and soy products. Laura Santini has created a whole line called Taste #5 Umami that are all fantastic flavor enhancers, think of them as modern day, completely natural msg.

One of my favorite products is Bomba! XXX, a brilliant combination in a tube of tomato paste, wine and soffito (carrot, onion and celery) that can be tossed with pasta, used in sauces, slathered on canapés, pizza or bruschetta or used in a myriad of recipes. It’s completely vegetarian. You can get a 4-pack of Bomba for $29 or get in in the full collection which includes tubes of Bomba, original and vegetarian as well as both umami rush and umami pepper plus 10 recipe cards for $49. 

The original umami paste is a combination of lots of Italian umami rich ingredients such as tomatoes, black olives, anchovies, porcini mushrooms and Parmigiano Reggiano. It’s great added to sauces or stews, rubs, marinades and gravy, to boost their flavor. A 3-pack for $18 or available in the collection. 

The Vegetarian Far Eastern Recipe was created with Nobu Matsuhisa, and it uses all Japanese ingredients like miso, yuzu, matcha, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and shiitake mushrooms to also amp up the volume. It’s can be used with noodles or rice, sushi or sashimi, as a rub, in sauces, etc. Available in the collection or in a 3-pack for $18

There are two table condiments—umami rush, a sort of a dry version of the original umami paste, and umami pepper, a pepper that is completely vegetarian and has dried vegetables, miso, spices, seaweed and citrus peel. Available in the collection or together in a set for $18 

A big trend right now is “alternative sweeteners.” If you have enjoyed cooking with honey and agave, Maguey Sweet Sap from Villa de Patos should be on your radar. It is made from the nectar of the agave plant, rather than the cooked piña which is used for agave syrup and tequila. It’s less refined and unprocessed and has a unique, earthy flavor with a rather funky finish.

Try it in baking or to use in sauces and marinades. Try it on vegetables before roasting. I used a splash of it in chili recently. It’s got an assertive flavor, but it’s fun for creative cooks and bakers who enjoy experimenting. Check out the location finder to see who carries it near you. It’s organic and costs about $13 for a 23.65 ounce bottle. 

Though I've only read one issue of Cherry Bombe, I think it's worth supporting. Single issues are $20 and a year subscription of 2 issues is $38.

Have you read GFF or Cherry Bombe? If so, let me know what you think!

Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Jerusalem broke new ground with fantastic flavor combinations and inventive dishes that were at once exotic but approachable and appealing. The recipes blended different culinary traditions in a way that is fresh and exiting. Like so many people, I marveled that every dish I made from the book was fantastic. Plenty featured vibrant vegetarian recipes from his restaurant, Ottolenghi.

Plenty More focuses again on vegetarian cuisine, with a dazzling array of creative ideas organized by techniques such as roasted or blanched. Consider the Tomato and Roasted Lemon Salad with sage, mint, pomegranate seeds and red onion, Zucchini Baba Ghanoush or Cauliflower Cake or Eggplants with Crushed Chickpeas and Herb Yogurt.

I want to make practically everything in this book, and so will you. If you loved Jerusalem or Plenty, you will love this book too. It would make an excellent gift for vegetarians and omnivores alike. 

A few years ago I heard Aglaia Kremezi speak at Worlds of Flavor at the CIA in Napa. She was talking about the diet of people on a Greek island and the kinds of wild greens they ate. It was fascinating.  So I’m very happy to tell you about her latest book, Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts, in which Kremezi admits to unwittingly being mostly vegetarian. The book has basic preparations and techniques for how to prep, cook and store ingredients like leafy greens, eggplants and peppers, tomatoes, fresh herbs and zucchini and squash. The recipes are divided into meze and salads, soups, main courses, breads and biscotti as well as some desserts. The recipes come from all over the Mediterranean, there are recipes for Greek Skordialia, Tunisian Chickpea Soup, Linguine with Spicy Lentils and Caramelized Onions and Spinach, Herb and Feta Skillet Pies. Each recipe is labeled so you can quickly find the ones that are vegan or gluten free. Some, like Quince Stuffed with Wheat Berries, Nuts and Raisins are more inspired than strictly traditional. But these are easy to follow and gorgeously photographed by Penny De Los Santos.


I know what you're thinking, Moosewood Cookbook is not a new book! And you're right. It's the 40th anniversary edition of a landmark vegetarian cookbook. The book has so many "classic" recipes it's a go to source for things like gazpacho, pesto, mushroom moussaka, crepes, spanikopita--the book was already a classic when I was in college but I used it a lot back then and my copy is dog eared.

Some of the recipes are updated in ways that make sense in terms of how we eat today such as lowering the amount of butter or using fresher ingredients. But for the most part the recipes are just as they always were.

The recipes are easy to follow and easy to make. There is no kale, no couscous, no quinoa. But is it still worthwhile? I'd say yes. This is not trend setting stuff, but it will feel nostalgic for many, me included, who discovered vegetarian food in the 70's or 80's. 

Vegan without Borders, subtitled easy everyday meals from around the world is written by a veteran vegan cookbook author, Robin Robertson. In it she takes some traditional recipes and makes vegan substitutions for example tofu stands in for feta cheese in a Spanakopita Tart. Many of the dishes are appealing, like Black Eyed Pea Fritters, Eggplant Satays with a peanut sauce and Papri Chaat served wit ha variety of toppings. 

I’m generally not a fan of vegan substitutes for things like sour cream, yogurt but as far as I can see Robertson avoids the dreaded faux cheese. There are a lot of tofu and seitan recipes in this book. The photos are gorgeous and the recipes are well written and easy to follow. If you are looking for a vegan cookbook with more sophisticated recipes this is a good pick. Personally I’d still rather go with vegetarian rather than vegan versions for many of the recipes featured, but that’s just me. This book has a lot more mainstream appeal than most vegan cookbooks and isn't in any way preachy. 

My recipe for polenta stuffed artichokes came about thanks to winning some heirloom artichokes from Ocean Mist. When I was working on my first cookbook I needed artichokes and it wasn’t quite artichoke season. Fortunately Ocean Mist came to my rescue and kindly shipped me a whole carton full and I’ve been a fan ever since. I've found each of the varieties of artichokes they grow to be particularly plump and meaty with great flavor and not overly bitter. I'm a subscriber to their newsletter (join the free Artichoke Club) which alerts me to when and where artichokes are on sale locally and sometimes also gives away artichokes.

Most recipes use just the artichoke hearts or they call for stuffing the whole artichoke with bread crumb stuffing. I decided to try an entirely different kind of stuffing — lemon and goat cheese polenta. Artichokes tend to make other ingredients taste sweet, so the tangy and salty flavor profile of lemon and cheese complements it perfectly. It will seem like a lot of polenta, but it's what makes the dish so hearty. Use as much or as little of the polenta as you like. 

This is a very satisfying vegetarian main dish. If you don't have a microwave oven, you can prepare the artichoke and the polenta any way you prefer. Artichokes can be steamed on the stove and polenta can be cooked on the stove or in the oven, see instructions on the package. Note: This recipe requires that you trim off the stem. But don't throw it away! Steam it and peel it, and you'll find it has the same flavor and texture of an artichoke heart. 

Single serving, easily multiplied 

1 large globe artichoke

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup medium polenta

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 Tablespoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano

2 Tablespoons fresh goat cheese

1/2 teaspoon minced parsley

Remove the tough outer leaves of the artichoke and cut off top 1/2 inch of the leaves so the top is flat and no thorny tips remain. Trim the stem so the artichoke will stand upright. Cook the artichoke, as desired until tender. To steam in the microwave: Place the artichoke stem side up with 1/4 cup of water in a microwave safe soup mug or bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave at 1000 watts for 6 minutes).

To make the polenta in the microwave: Combine the water, milk and polenta in a microwave safe 2 quart casserole with a lid. Cover partially and microwave at 500 watts for 8 minutes. Stir then microwave, uncovered, for another 2 minutes or until thick and creamy. Stir in the salt, lemon zest, Parmigiano Reggiano and the goat cheese until smooth.

Stand the artichoke on a plate. Gently pull the leaves back and spread them to make room for the stuffing. Spoon the polenta into the leaves using a small dessert spoon or teaspoon. Sprinkle with parsley. 

Enjoy!

(Makes 1 cake)

Cake:

2 T sugar

1 egg white

2 T melted unsalted butter, cooled

1 tsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp molasses

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp ground ginger

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Line the bottom of a clean soup can with parchment paper, and line the rest with baking spray.  In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg white.  Add the melted butter, maple syrup and molasses and whisk until smooth.  Stir in the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt until combined.  Pour into soup can, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool before using a serrated knife to slice into 3 layers.    

Frosting:

2 T unsalted butter, room temp

2 T cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp milk

Whisk all ingredients until smooth.  Spread between cake layers and on top.

*The winner of the Acacia Wood Giveaway is Mia Stizzo!  Please email me (contact info above)