Recent Reads

I'm always on the hunt for some new good recipes, something to add a little more flavor and flair to the dinner table. I love looking through cookbooks, admiring the presentations, almost smelling the simmering dishes, composing a shopping list of ingredients I suddenly need to have. And of course getting hungier with every photograph. I'm not much of a chef and a lot of cookbooks just have too exotic/expensive/weird stuff to really find their way to my kitchen.

And then, every once in awhile, I get lucky with a rare find that does work.

This was a book I grabbed off the library shelf on a whim - it had some photos on the front that looked good. (Yes, I do judge a book by it's cover! The tart on this one won it's way into my pile of to-be-checked-out for this last trip to the library.) And I'm glad it did.

The aim for this cookbook was to compile recipes that are simple classics with an added little unusual twist. Like the deviled eggs we tried - the secret ingredient was honey. Or the roasted Sicilian Onion Salad - slow roasted and tossed with some vinegar, salt and pepper, and herbs. Doesn't get much easier than that! And gosh, these recipes have some good stuff in them! I had to recheck the book out because there were just too many try out.

I also like that every recipes has a note from the authors - the history of the recipe, new adaptations to try, and notes at the end with helpful tips to try out. So it is an engaging read too. And compiled with the busy or amateur cook in mind. This one just might make it onto the list of books to purchase someday...

I'm stealing Jesse's idea of a book review and even her title. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, yes?