Hello hello, and welcome to Episode 33 of Life On the Brink!
I have been cooking up a storm the past few weeks. Probably because I have more time on my hands, with my school jobs on hold, but also because sometimes I just get into a groove and can’t get enough of it. I’ve always thought that if I hadn’t pursued music as a career I would have gone with cooking, it’s truly a love of mine.
You may recall from Episode 3 (a while back!) that I have been experimenting with recipe development. I like getting inspired by restaurant menus or cookbooks and sort of coming up with my own thing; developing those meals into full-on recipes of my own has been super satisfying. Sometimes, though, I do like following someone else’s recipes, especially if it’s a type of dish that I’m not very familiar with. I can simply trust the hours of development that they’ve put into the recipe and follow it to the best of my ability.
Over the years I’ve subscribed to Food Network or, in more recent years, Fine Cooking magazines, and while I do cook from them every now and then, they act more as an ongoing, seasonal source of inspiration. Throughout the past year or two, however, there are a few cookbooks that have become constant staples in my kitchen. These are the tried-and-true books that I regularly turn to when I don’t know what to make for dinner or I need to make something special for an occasion. Today I’m sharing my 3 favorites, as well as my technique for following a recipe to hopefully inspire a stress-free and delicious cooking experience.
What’s in my teacup? Quirk tea blend by Carytown Teas
I love cookbooks, I love all the possibility that comes with them. Growing up I would read cookbooks like any other book, taking in the techniques and practically tasting the end results through the pages. I imagined making the recipes and came up with lovely occasions to bring them to, thinking of loved ones who would taste them. I’m not sure if this kind of daydreaming is common among teenagers, but it was a fun time for me.
These days I have my own kitchen (what an absolute DREAM) and I still love cookbooks. Most of the time, admittedly, too many of them remain on the shelf, and then after a few months I’ll remember they’re there and spend an afternoon forgetting all obligations and reading hundreds of recipes. I’ve made recipes from most of my books, maybe a few here and there, and I do know which book to go to when I’m in need of a specific kind of recipe, but there are a few books that have really been my favorites during this past year.
I narrowed my list down to the Big Three. To make this list, I made sure that I’ve made multiple recipes from these books within the past year, ideally repeating them a few times as well. Of course I love my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but so far I’ve only followed Julia’s recipe for boeuf bourguignon (her stuff is complex). These three books are my go-to’s right now, and I deem them all worthy investments:
MY MOST USED COOKBOOKS
1. Half Baked Harvest- Super Simple by Teighan Gerard.
-what you'll find: lots of truly simple dishes that are comforting and full of flavor.
-great for: those who want to spice up the every day dinner or love a cozy meal.
-my favorite recipes: chicken and gnocchi soup, quick Filipino adobo w/ coconut rice.
2. Aarti Paarti by Aarti Sequeira
-what you'll find: fun fusions of American and Indian dishes. Full of color and bold flavor.
-great for: anyone wanting to get a bit adventurous. Also great for vegetarians!
-my favorite recipes: basic chicken curry, roasted lamp chops with coriander-tomato glaze.
3. My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz
-what you'll find: thoughtful, simple recipes, informative writings on food and the city, absolutely gorgeous food photography.
-great for: anyone who wants to get into French cooking or loves reading about food and culture.
-my favorite recipes: croque monsieur, fresh herbed pasta, soupe au pistou.
If any of these sound like your cup of tea, I encourage you to check them out!
Regardless of where you get your recipes, though, I would like to quickly share what has become for me a successful method of following said recipes:
HOW TO FOLLOW A RECIPE
1. Read the ingredients list and recipe in entirety. This is a good idea for a couple of reasons. Sometimes ingredients are measured at the beginning, but they might not be added at the same time, and, more often than not, lots of things are happening simultaneously. I find it helpful to know exactly how the recipe will go before I even begin.
2. Determine if you have all the ingredients you need. With that, this is when you decide if you can make substitutions. You’ve already read the recipe so you know what role they play in the recipe. If this is something you’re planning ahead of time, it might be nice to gather all the ingredients you’ll need when you get groceries, but if you’re just making dinner, more often than not there’s a way to substitute something you might not have.
3. Get everything in its place. The culinary term for this is “mise en place,” and is super helpful in the kitchen. That means you get out all the pots and pans you’ll need, you preheat the oven, get all your ingredients out and do all the prep work (washing, chopping, etc) first. Then, once you’re working with heat you can be prepared and work quickly.
4. Follow along with each step. At this point, it’s a breeze. Everything is written in the order in which you need to follow, and makes any multitasking straight forward.
5. Clean as you go. This is something I’ve learned over time. If you’ve got a spare moment while things are cooking away, put away ingredients you no longer use or clear anything that needs to be thrown away. You’ll be so grateful to yourself once you’re done cooking and there’s not a million things to clean up.
6. Plate and enjoy. I mentioned in Episode 32 how I’m an advocate for properly plating your food, just to make it look pretty for yourself. It doesn’t have to be cookbook-photoshoot ready, but it makes it a little more special for whoever gets to eat this delicious meal you’ve prepared. Then enjoy!
And with that, you are on your way! Feel free to comment below with your favorite cookbooks, I’m always looking for more to add to my collection.
May this season bring you lots of happy cooking and eating with the ones you love.
This Week’s Little Joy: Usually I do most of the cooking in our house, but one night this past week Josh and I cooked together and it was delightful. I put on a record (listen below), Josh poured us some wine and we made a simple but lovely dinner. The sun was setting, we got to catch up and talk, and at the end we had a delicious meal. Can't recommend enough!
What I’m Listening To: Dave Pell plays Perez Prado. This is the album we cooked to, it's so perfect for it. Latin rhythms with big band instruments, it's fun and spicy but not overwhelming. It's about 30 minutes long, just enough time to cook a simple summer meal.
Thank you for listening! If you haven't yet left a star rating or review on Apple Podcasts, it would mean so much to me.
I wish you a lovely week and happy cooking and I'll be back next week with a new episode!