Pro Bono Baker

Herb-Roasted Hasselbacks

Last Thursday I visited the Daley Plaza Farmer's Market over lunch and came away with quite a haul: Heirloom tomatoes, purple bell peppers, sunflowers, fresh basil, smoked string cheese, a LaBriola whole grain loaf and a beautiful selection of potatoes.

These pretty yellow, red and purple potato varieties came from Nichols Farm & Orchard.  This family run farm is from Marengo, Illinois -- quite near where I grew up.  They sell their produce at several farmer's markets in the Chicagoland area.

I'm a sucker for the $5 cookbooks that can be found in piles near the register in bookstores, especially when they cover a finite topic. A few months ago I purchased Potatoes by Annie Nichols and decided to try one of her recipes.

Bay-Roasted Hasselback Potatoes

(adapted from Annie Nichols)

Serves 2 as a side dish

Ingredients:

8 small potatoes, unpeeled and scrubbed

12 fresh bay leaves

1 Tbl butter

2 Tbl olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 375F

Place two chopsticks on either side of a potato and make crosswise cuts about 1/4 inch apart.  The potatoes will fan open as they cook, but you want the base of the potato to remain intact so they will not fall apart.  Insert whole or partial bay leaves between a few of the cuts and repeat with the remaining potatoes.

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or roasting pan over moderate heat. Add the garlic and the potatoes in a single layer.  Gently move the potatoes around for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and generously salt and pepper.

Place in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and tender.

This simple method of roasting potatoes produced very delicate and colorful results.  You could substitute any fresh herbs for the bay leaves.  My favorite herb to use with potatoes is fresh rosemary, and that is what I will use with this recipe in the future.

Homemade Soda Pop

Over the last few weeks Nick has been experimenting with homemade soda recipes.  A lovely article on homemade root beer in the most recent issue of Saveur provided the catalyst. These days, store bought sodas use carbonated water to provide the necessary bubbles, though traditionally yeast was used to carbonate the beverage.  However, this gives the soda an ABV of around two or three percent -- rendering it unsaleable to those under 21 in our country (you'd likely get ill before being able to consume enough to become even a bit tipsy).

The method for making soda is similar to homebrewing beer.  Nick made root beer first, using the Saveur article as a guide.  In the first photo you can see the spices wrapped in cheesecloth that steeped in the boiling water.  Sassafras root, sarsaparilla root, birch bark, licorice root, ginger, vanilla bean and molasses provided a superb aroma.

More recent creations have included ginger ale (pictured above, and my personal favorite so far) and sarsaparilla soda.  Nick has been using the book Homemade Root Beer, Soda & Pop as well as various internet sources to create recipes.  Cream soda is coming up next!

Limoncello, Frittata, Cookbook Expo, Hervé This, John Vanderslice, Twin Peaks, Bloomingdale Trail and Gnocchi

Last night I visited my friend Ellen.  She lives a matter of blocks from me, yet somehow it was the first time I had managed to take her up on an invitation.  I concocted a new cocktail for the occasion.  A few years ago Hospitality Club provided my roommates and I the opportunity to host a guest named Guillermo from Columbia.  He arrived bearing this incredibly sweet liquor.  As I recall, Molly and I made quick work of it. 

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so the idea of mixing the Limoncello with other ingredients appealed to me.  I decided upon the following:

Lemon and Rosemary Spritzer
Serves 4.

2 lemons
2 C Limoncello
2 C seltzer water
8 rosemary sprigs
ice

In a tall glass put two rosemary sprigs and fill with ice cubes.  Almost fill the glass with equal parts Limoncello and seltzer water.  Squeeze half a lemon into the glass.  Stir and serve.

The rosemary was nice, but next time I am going to try basil.  This was my original intention, but the grocery store was out.  For the basil variation, I would suggest muddling the leaves a bit before adding the liquid.  This will help the flavor permeate.  Whichever herb you choose, this is a perfect summer drink. Sadly, it still feels like February in Chicago.

For dinner, Ellen made a gorgeous frittata.  She lined a cast-iron skillet with slices of potato and piled cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, feta and asparagus on top.  After pouring the egg over these ingredients she baked the frittata.  Oddly, I had never considered baking a frittata and instead have always made them on the stove.  Her method is clearly superior.  The frittata was perfectly cooked through and came out tall and airy.  The potato "crust" was particularly ingenious.

In other news, this weekend was more culinary-centric than most.  On Friday, Harold and I went to the IACP Cookbook Expo.  I met Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks in person and purchased her gorgeous new cookbook.  I have been hungrily reading through it and highly recommend it.  Congratulations Heidi! 

That evening, Nick and I went to see John Vanderslice.  The show was quite good.  We were particularly impressed with the opening act, St. Vincent. 

The next morning we roused ourselves earlier than most weekends and headed to the Union League Club of Chicago to hear Hervé This speak.  The event was thought provoking, yet the question and answer session was a bit lacking when it devolved into some pretty egotistical Chicago chefs debating when their skill was craft vs. art.  We took the stairs on the way out and enjoyed perusing the ULCC art collection (the second largest private collection in the U.S.).

That evening we stayed in, ordered a pizza, and finished the second season of Twin Peaks which I finally own a copy of.  It was Nick's first time through and he seemed fairly upset about the last episode. 

For the past few months we have been fairly obsessed with the Bloomingdale Trail, and finally went up for a walk (from Milwaukee to Elston).  I really hope the city decides to support the proposal to turn these old rail lines into a park.  It would be a truly unique addition to the city. 

That evening we decided to make gnocchi from scratch.  I had tried my hand at it years ago in high school.  After a fair bit of hard work, the gnocchi completely dissolved into the boiling water.  My research informed me that I had been too timid with the flour. 

It turned out quite well this time and Nick made an excellent garlic and cream sauce.  The recipe I used made a huge quantity.  We fed three with half of it.  I froze the rest and am hoping it will keep well for future use. 

Tomatillo Salsa

Nick took me to Frontera Grill last year to celebrate my (then) new job.  Among the many Rick Bayless dishes we enjoy, his roasted tomatillo salsa is high on the list.

I bought Nick Mexican Everyday for his recent birthday and decided to try my hand at the salsa recipe this evening.  This salsa is a step away from the standard, quite simple and very quick.  Most well-stocked grocery stores should carry tomatillos and serranos.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

Ingredients

5 Medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed and halved
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 serrano green chile, stemmed and chopped
1/2 C loosely packed cilantro, chopped
salt

In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, place the tomatillo halves (cut side down) and garlic cloves.  Let brown for about 4 minutes.  Rotate with tongs and brown the other side.  The tomatillos will become quite soft.

Scrape the tomatillos, garlic and any browned pieces into a food processor.  Let cool for about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare the cilantro and chile.  Add these to the food processor along with a small pinch of salt and 1/4 C water.  Blend well and chill. Serve with tortilla chips.

                                                                                             

Black Bean Soup and Cornbread

Last weekend my brother came into the city to spend the day with me before he returned to Grinnell to finish out his senior year.  We wandered around Logan Square, drank coffee in the cold, took the train down to Chinatown to eat a delicious lunch and buy tea, and stopped at the grocery store on the way home.  Nick came over and the three of us made a truly satisfying black bean soup and some cornbread with my new cast-iron skillet.

The soup was so delicious that Nick and I made a second pass at it Sunday evening, with a few modifications.

Hearty Black Bean Soup

Generously serves four or five.

Ingredients:

2 Tbl butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 habanero pepper, finely chopped (remove the seeds, if you please)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cubes vegetable bouillon
1 and 1/2 C boiling water
2 15 oz cans black beans, undrained
1 15 oz can pinto beans, undrained
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 Tbl brown sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
the juice of one lime
1 and 1/2 Tbl cornstarch

In a large stock-pot melt the butter over medium-low heat and add the onion, celery, peppers, and garlic.  Cook until the onion begins to turn translucent. Mix the boullion and boiling water and add to the pot, simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the beans, salt, cumin, brown sugar, and black pepper.   Stir well and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.  In a small glass combine the cornstarch and 1 and 1/2 Tbl of water, stir well.  Add this mixture and the lime juice to the soup, stir well.  Allow to simmer and thicken for about 10 more minutes.  You may now serve the soup or turn the heat to low and allow the flavors to muddle until you are ready to eat.  This soup keeps well for a few days in the refridgerator.  The flavors will become deeper overnight.

For the skillet cornbread I used the recipe from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking, a book I have been quite pleased with.  The cornbread is delightful dipped in the soup or served warm with butter and honey.

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

We have all most likely tried our hand at dozens of chocolate chip cookie recipes.  After many years of experimenting I have finally found my favorite recipe.  Eileen and Nick have helped me keep them in heavy rotation over the last couple of months.  Last Friday we had our first snowstorm in Chicago.  It wasn't as severe as had originally been predicted, but with 60F weather fresh in our memories it was just as bitter.  The three of us stayed in watching television under a sleeping bag, drinking hot Grzaniec Galicyjski, a spiced Polish wine that I fell in love with while living in Kraków, and baking these delicious cookies. 

My cookies are largely based on the Williams-Sonoma Triple Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from their wonderful book, Essentials of Baking. This recipe makes about 24 cookies that will stay pleasantly chewy in a sealed container for up to four days.

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350F

1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
6 Tbl granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 C semisweet or dark chocolate chips

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a wooden spoon or flat pastry whisk until smooth.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well incorporated.  Slowly add the dry ingredients and stir until the dough just comes together.  Add the chocolate and and stir until incorporated. Do not over-mix.

Drop the dough in large tablespoons onto a prepared cookie sheet (I use a Silpat mat on an air-bake sheet).  Leave about 2 inches for the cookies to expand.  Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.  Let cool briefly on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack.

The batch of cookies I made on Friday received a nice touch from a company in New York called SweetRiot. I used a vial of their flavor 65 ("100% cacao nibs dunked in 65% chocolate") as extra chocolate flavor and crunch in these cookies (I'm currently snacking on their flavor 50).  The results were tasty! I don't usually post about things that I am sent as the owner of this website, but this company seems sweet and I know their products are. Mmm, thanks!

Do any of you have favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes?  I'd love to try them and compare.  Feel free to email or post in the comments.

Fry me up!

Mindy and I decided to pull out her deep fryer and spend a night turning healthy things into greasy delicacies.

We started off with your standard tortilla chips.  We used both corn and flour tortillas. Simply cut a tortilla into your desired triangular sizes and add to the hot oil.  We used safflower oil for everything.  It is a bit more expensive in the states, but it has a more neutral flavor and won't stink your house up as badly as other oils.

I wish I could convey more of a method, but honestly the best way to check for doneness is to watch the color carefully and remove one to test when you think they are getting close to done.

Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a sheet pan lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.  One of our favorites, as we knew it would be, were our fried plantains.  Plantains become both crisp and light and reveal a sweet nuttiness when fried.  Delicious.

I also prepared two dips.  The first was a standard guacamole but the second was based on a recipe from Claudia McQuillan's book Chips and Dips.

I was drawn to Campanile's Fresh Fava Bean Dip, though I had no access to favas. I decided to try substituting lima beans, as she suggests in the book.  The recipe was a fairly straight-forward take on a hummus, simply using a different base.  The beans were heated over a low heat until bright green and then mashed with olive oil, garlic, onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper.   The photograph isn't very appealing, however this was a very nice dip and I will be making it again.  The flavors were subtle and it complimented the salted, warm tortilla chips well.

We also fried parsnips, Japanese eggplant, taro root, carrots, rutabagas, cheddar cheese, sweet potatoes, and turnips.

The rutabagas turned out absolutely gorgeous.  When fried they developed a carmel color with flecks of deep brown in the centers and a stripe around the edges.  They tasted fabulous too.

Lastly, we wanted to make some sort of dessert/alcoholic item.  We concocted an idea to combine the two.  First we injected vodka into strawberries with a syringe and then let them soak in the vodka for about an hour.  Next we dredged the strawberries in a mixture of bread crumbs and sugar, rolled in beaten eggs, and then back in the bread crumbs.  We fried them until golden brown and ate them warm.

These were astoundingly good.  Mindy and I were both skeptical at first, but we were pleasantly surprised with our success.

Rosemary Focaccia with Pasta and Egg Bake

Two of the best things about being home are seeing friends and family and having access to their kitchens. Recently my dearest friend Eileen and I made dinner at my parent's house in Woodstock.

I made focaccia with fresh rosemary and coarse sea salt using a recipe from Williams and Sonoma Essentials of Baking. My parents had recently given me this book as a gift and I was eager to prepare a recipe from it.

Focaccia is relatively easy to prepare. I would suggest that new bread bakers give it a go before other types of yeast leavened bread. The olive oil makes the dough quickly come together for kneading and the second rise in the baking pan helps to visually assure the baker of a structurally perfect rise (you can see my bread just before it was put into the oven in the above photo).

Be sure to diligently oil the baking pan before spreading out the dough in order to avoid burning the bottom of the bread. I think that next time I will also brush some oil over the top of the dough before putting it in the oven to bake. The top crust came out a bit on the dry side.

I had found some spinach and red peppar tagliarini in the grocery store and the small round nest that each bunch made inspired me to try an irregular method of preparation. I set each nest flat in a glass baking pan with sides that came up above the pasta. I then prepared a tomato and pesto sauce to completely cover the pasta. Lastly, I cracked a raw egg into the center of each nest, sprinkled the tops with fresh rosemary, covered with foil, and baked at 325F while watching it closely.

The experiment turned out pretty well. Next time I would make a thinner sauce and add an excess of it. The moisture baked off fairly quickly and left the very tops of some of the pastas a bit dry. I would also use a glass top for the baking pan in place of the foil. The eggs would have baked just fine that way and the top would have trapped more moisture.

English Muffins

These English muffins were one of the last yeast breads that I made in our old apartment. I used a recipe from The Old West Baking Book by Lon Walters. This is also what I used the last of my sourdough starter on, though I have learned from my readers that I had a plethora of other options.

I used my molds to get the shapes correct and to encourage tall and fluffly muffins. Be careful not to fill the molds too much, or you will get thick and cakey muffins instead of light ones.

Enjoy, of course, toasted and with plenty of butter.

Bruschetta with Impressive Wilted Greens

Our garden has recently produced some beautiful tomatoes. Just before we packed up our kitchen I made John and I some bruschetta using a recipe from a cookbook that my brother edited at Grinnell College. The book, Fantasia of Flavors, was named after the food house my brother lived in last year at school.

I had been wanting to make something from this cookbook ever since he had given it to me a few months ago and this recipe title tickled me. I made a few changes due to the ingredients we wanted to use up.

Bruschetta with Impressive Wilted Greens

1 baguette (cut lenghtwise)
greens (I used swiss chard)
1/2 cup of shredded parmesan
1 cup of whole almonds
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
garlic clove
coarse sea salt
ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F. Boil a pot of salted water. Add the greens once it has reached a rolling boil and remove it from the heat.

Cut the garlic clove in half and rub each piece of bread with it. Coarsely chop the garlic and arrange on the bread. Place on a baking sheet and then into the preheated oven for about 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the greens from the water and dry on a paper towel.

Remove bread from the oven and and sprinkle each piece with olive oil, coarse sea salt, and ground black pepper. Spread the dried greens evenly over the bread to cover. Sprinkle with the parmesan, dot with the almonds and pour olive oil and balsamic vinegar generously over this. Add a bit more coarse sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Place into the preheated oven once again and bake about 10 minutes. Serve at once.

I also made another type of bruschetta following the above recipe, though omitting the swiss chard, parmesan, and almonds in favor of basil and fresh tomatoes.

Thanks Evan! (I would also like to thank the writers/contributers: Katie Kleese, Brendan Mackie, Ilan Moscovitz and the photographer: Serge Giachetti)

Sourdough Bread

We are moving soon and due to the length between leaving this apartment and when I will next have an apartment, I decided I would have to abandon my sourdough starter. Had I thought it was exceptional, I could have possibly conscripted a friend to feed her while I was gone, but I am viewing this as a clean slate to start over when I return.

Rather than tossing it wantonly into the trash, it seemed appropriate to try to use the remainder up. On Sunday night I made a sponge with the the starter and on Monday afternoon I baked two loaves of sourdough bread.

I followed the recipe in Lon Walters' Old West Baking Book for Classic Sourdough Bread.

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. Walters has created a fascinating and well-researched historical account of pioneer and Native American baking in the old west. I highly suggest this book if you are interested in bread baking. I can't claim the recipes are always the best, but they are always authentic and the stories behind each entry are worth reading. The trials these pioneer cooks worked through in order to get their team fresh and warm bread are quite amazing. If you did not before, this book will make you appreciate bread in the fullest sense.

The loaves turned out alright. I thought the flavor and the crumb were quite wondeful, however the crust could use some work.

Pane Al Cioccolato

My lovely friend Patrick mailed me some fantastic chocolate to bake with as an early birthday gift.

E. Guittard Bittersweet Dark Chocolate and Sharffen Berger Unsweetened Dark Chocolate. I decided to make bread using the bittersweet chocolate.

I followed the Pane Al Cioccolato recipe in Bread by Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter.

Pane Al Cioccolato

3 C unbleached white bread flour
1 1/2 tbl cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbl caster sugar
1 envelope yeast
1 C lukewarm water
2 tbl butter--softened
3 oz high quality chocolate--coarsely chopped
Melted butter for brushing

Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
Stir in the sugar.
Make a well in the center.

Cream the envelope of yeast with 4 tbl of the lukewarm water.
Allow to sit for about 10 min. or until frothy.
Add this mixture and the remaining water to the well and gradually mix into a dough.

Knead in the butter and transfer to a lightly floured surface to knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 min.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with clear film.
Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hr).

Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and gently deflate.
Gently knead in the chocolate.
Cover again with film and leave to rest about 5 minutes.

Shape into your desired shape and place into the desired cookware. (I shaped into a round and placed in a lightly greased Pyrex bowl to bake.)
Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 45 min).

Bake in a preheated oven at 425F for 10 min.
Reduce temperature to 375F and bake for about 30 min.

After baking, brush the top with melted butter and cool on a wire rack.

(If you choose to make two small loaves with this recipe instead of one, be aware that the baking time should be reduced about 10 min. Watch carefully.)

I substituted a mid-sized Pyrex mixing bowl for the bakeware, hence the odd shape. This bread is fabulous served with mascarpone or cream cheese, it also fares quite well alone.

IMBB #17: tasteTea: Matcha Pancakes with Matcha Yogurt Sauce & Matcha Soda Biscuits with Matcha-Ginger Butter

A La Cuisine is hosting this month's IMBB and the theme is tasteTea. I am quite a fan of using tea in cooking and was very pleased to see this theme.

Due to the events of late, I was expecting to have to miss this IMBB and was quite disappointed. However, my lovely friend Aviva has lent me her camera for the day so I am back in the game. (Thank you Aviva!).

I became a bit over-zealous when I expected to be unable to participate and therefore have made two items. I hope this does not annoy my fellow IMBB participants.

First, I decided to make matcha pancakes with matcha yogurt sauce. I based my recipe largely on Kate Habershon's Simple Pancake Stack recipe from her cookbook Pancakes and Waffles. I tried a crumpet recipe from this book a while back with mediocre results. The results of this pancake recipe were fantastic, however.

I added matcha powder, ground ginger, and a pinch of cinnamon to Habeshon's recipe. I then cooked the pancakes in a well buttered skillet on low heat and employed crumpet rings to produce the desired height and shape.

Meanwhile I combined a dash of vanilla extract and a bit of matcha powder with plain yogurt to create the sauce. These pancakes were a welcome departure from the Saturday morning pancake routine while still being full-fledged comfort food.

For my second item I made Irish soda biscuits with matcha powder based on a Martha Stewart recipe. In addition I also made matcha and ginger butter (by simply bringing unsalted butter to room temperature, incorporating the ginger and matcha to taste and chilling in waxed paper) and used this in the place of the butter called for in the recipe.

The butter was nice. I think I will experiment more with flavored butters. However, I could take or leave this soda biscuit recipe.

I would like to thank Molly, a fabulous woman from the LTH Forums, for sending me this high quality matcha powder. It was a generous and well-timed gift!

Crumpets

My mother gave me a sweet little cookbook when I was home a few weekends ago entitled Pancakes and Waffles by Kate Habershon. In thanks I took her waffle iron to begin experimenting.

This morning, in order to coax myself out of bed, I decided to make crumpets using Habershon's recipe. I have made crumpets in the past using various recipes which have produced crumpets with a varying degree of integrity. While this is not my favorite recipe, it did make a perfectly acceptable crumpet.

Crumpets are best warm, right off the griddle, and rubbed with butter so it fills the tiny pores. However, one of the many lovely things about crumpets is that they can be nicely revived in a toaster to enjoy at a later time as well.

Rosemary and Almond Sourdough Gems

I was eager to use my sourdough starter and too impatient to make a traditional loaf, so I made Rosemary and Almond Sourdough Gems. They are based on the Sourdough Gem recipe from Lon Walters' The Old West Baking Book.

I gleefully noticed this book in a lodge gift shop this summer while on a hiking trip in Glacier National Park with my family. This well researched collection of authentic old west pioneer recipes is also dabbled with trivia and stories. As a baker and a lover of baked things, it is fascinating to learn bits about the American baking tradition and how things have changed.

As small packages of conveniently dried yeast did not yet exist, the sourdough starter was a prized possession and a popular leavening agent. This book has many unique recipes which call for sourdough starter.

Gems were popular in this country long before the muffin and are now rarely heard of. These were heavier and denser than the typical muffin, baked at a higher temperature, and used unique baking pans to create a larger and squater product.

The original recipe writer included the note, "To a natural, healthy appetite no item of the gourmand's feast can be more tempting nor eaten with keener rellish."

I would agree, here is the the recipe with my modifications:

Rosemary and Almond Sourdough Gems

1 C sourdough starter
3/4 C buttermilk
2 C whole wheat flour
1 C all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tbl sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp fresh rosemary
2 tbl slivered almonds

Combine wet ingredients
Combine dry ingredients (everything else) in a separate bowl.
Add dry mixture one cup at a time to the wet ingredients until combined.
Knead briefly to form a nice dough.
Fill greased muffin cups nearly to the top with dough.
Leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 15 to 20 min.
While cooling on a wire rack, brush tops with melted butter.

Serve warm with butter, mustard, or honey.

Vegetable Paella

A few nights ago I made the 'Chunky Vegetable Paella' from Christine Ingram's Vegetarian and Vegetable Cooking.

I made a few substitutions in the kinds of vegetables (we didn't have any eggplant), but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. It was amazingly easy to make and it was quite good. (I'm finishing off the leftovers now).

New Book

I ordered a new cookbook that adds to my previous list-- Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson. I have only made one thing from it thus far and it wasn't very good (Mac and Cheese Florentine, made without cheese but rather with a cashew paste). Next time I will make a soup, chowder, or stew from it and stick to slow cooker basics. I think the main course section will be hit or miss.

Books

Here are the baking books I currently own:

The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger

Bread by Christine Ingram & Jennie Shapter

The Old West Baking Book by Lon Walters

Ultimate Bread by Eric Treuille & Ursula Ferrigno

I also just bought Pies & Tarts by Martha Stewart. It has not arrived yet.

As you can see I am more inclined towards bread baking than other kinds of baking.