Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Books on the Shelf
My friend Judy must have at least 100 cookbooks. She buys them mostly at garage sales or receives them as gifts. She is the most amazing and generous of cooks. Once she volunteered to cater a wedding for 250 people, all from her home kitchen. It was an amazing spread of stuffed grape leaves, cream cheese drenched in salsa, and an array of cold salads and sliced meats. When spring arrives she bakes cookies in celebration and shares them with her coworkers and friend. Volunteers do all sorts of elaborate chores for her knowing that there will be good food and conversation during and aft. Judy prefers to cook for guest rather than going out for a mean, and there are no protests.
My cookbook shelf is relatively paltry in comparison it contains: James Beard American Cookery; The New Southern Basics; Joy of Cooking, Laurels Kitchen; The Martha’s Café Cookbook; From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce; Full Moon Feast; New Southern Cooking; Mrs. Rowes’s Favorite Recipes; The Craft of the Country Cook; Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners; Preserving Fruits & Vegetables; Flowers in the Kitchen; Beyond Curry; Recipes from Oma’s Kitchen; Chocolate Fantasies; Country Life Natural Foods Cookbook; 2004 Southern Living Annual Recipes; Shelia Lukins All Around the World Cookbook; The Grains Cookbook; Eat Fat, Lose Fat; and Nourishing Traditions.
Today’s Lunch
Quinoa topped with steamed cabbage and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Enjoy hot quinoa the night before and use the leftovers for lunch. I cook my quinoa on low eat (after it comes to a boil) with a 2:1 water to grain ratio. Wash, cut, and chop cabbage and steam for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drizzle with vinegar and oil and season with salt and pepper. I eat this dish cold in the summer and heat it up in the winter.
My cookbook shelf is relatively paltry in comparison it contains: James Beard American Cookery; The New Southern Basics; Joy of Cooking, Laurels Kitchen; The Martha’s Café Cookbook; From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce; Full Moon Feast; New Southern Cooking; Mrs. Rowes’s Favorite Recipes; The Craft of the Country Cook; Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners; Preserving Fruits & Vegetables; Flowers in the Kitchen; Beyond Curry; Recipes from Oma’s Kitchen; Chocolate Fantasies; Country Life Natural Foods Cookbook; 2004 Southern Living Annual Recipes; Shelia Lukins All Around the World Cookbook; The Grains Cookbook; Eat Fat, Lose Fat; and Nourishing Traditions.
Today’s Lunch
Quinoa topped with steamed cabbage and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Enjoy hot quinoa the night before and use the leftovers for lunch. I cook my quinoa on low eat (after it comes to a boil) with a 2:1 water to grain ratio. Wash, cut, and chop cabbage and steam for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drizzle with vinegar and oil and season with salt and pepper. I eat this dish cold in the summer and heat it up in the winter.
