“Food for Thought” Cookbook book club – Buvette and Indulge Cookbooks

“Food for Thought” Cookbook book club – Buvette and Indulge Cookbooks

For our fifth and final meeting for 2014, the cookbook book club focused our cooking on two books: Buvette: The Pleasure of Good Food by Jody Williams; and Indulge: Delicious Little Desserts that Keep Life Sweet by Kathy Wakile. We decided to use two cookbooks for this meeting because Buvette didn’t have many dessert recipes and Indulge is strictly a dessert cookbook.

Buvette and Indulge Cookbooks

I will admit that upon first review of the Buvette cookbook, the group was slightly intimidated by the primarily French-style recipes. But Terri, our host for this dinner, reviewed the book and made suggestions of dishes that are less complicated and she even pre-tested a few.

In carrying out the evening’s theme, we began with a glass of French wine and/or Prosecco.

Dinner started with french wine and prosecco

To accompany the wine, we had a beautiful selection of appetizers!

We had a beautiful selection of appetizers!

Terri made the cheeseboard with marinated olives, orange zest and red chiles. It was filled with so many yummy items. I had to try them all!

Marinated olives, orange zest and red chiles.

Terri also made gourgeres, which are a baked, savory choux pastry (a light dough used to make éclairs, profiteroles and puffed pastry) mixed with cheese. They are similar in texture to a cream puff pastry but savory instead of sweet. Terri commented that they are easy to make. I thought they were heavenly.

Gourgeres, which are a baked, savory choux pastry, mixed with cheese.

For our final appetizer, I made apple and cheese fricos, commonly known in America as a cheese crisp. I made a few modifications to the recipe, which turned out to be just as good as the original. Instead of frying the frico, I baked them. And I used Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese instead of Montasio cheese. The secret to successfully making them is to use a sil-pad or parchment paper and allow the frico to stiffen a little once out of the oven before folding them over.

Apple and cheese fricos hot from the oven!

The frico were delicious with the apple and sage inside. I would definitely make them again and think they would be wonderful paired with a bowl of soup, chili or stew.

Apple and cheese fricos

Terri asked us to proceed into the dining room, which was set in a fall theme, to begin the entrée portion of the meal.

A fall-themed tablescape.

Instead of beginning our meal with a salad, I made the roasted heirloom apples with sausage from the Buvette cookbook.

Roasted heirloom apples with sausage

The recipe was very simple to make. The house smelled amazing from the baked apples, sausage, sage and white wine. The smell reminded me of Thanksgiving stuffing. Terri plated the apples singly for each person.

Singly-plated roasted heirloom apples with sausage

As one of the sides for our meal, Sharon made cauliflower gratin. She commented that the recipe was easy to prepare and allowed the dish to be partially made ahead and finished just before serving. There were big pieces of cauliflower laced with yummy Gruyere cheese. It was a perfect dish for a crisp, cool evening.

Cauliflower gratin

Terri plated the cauliflower gratin on top of a romaine lettuce leaf to follow the tasting courses theme.

Cauliflower gratin on top of a romaine lettuce leaf

For our main dinner entrée, Terri made chicken ala moutarde. The original recipe calls for the dish to be made with rabbit, but specifies that can be substituted with chicken. Terri commented that the dish was easy to make and that she would make it again. The dish’s mild flavors and tender textures go beautifully with its simple, creamy mustard sauce. I enjoyed every bite.

Chicken ala moutarde

You’ll want to serve the chicken ala moutarde with plenty of good bread to sop up all the flavorful sauce – and we did! Pat made schiacciata bread, which is a focaccia-type flatbread.

Schiacciata bread

She admitted to never before making bread from scratch with yeast. She did a great job! The bread was light, airy and flavorful.

While we were first intimidated with the Buvette cookbook, we quickly realized that it’s a wonderful collection of French country cooking that meets Italian peasant food style. I think it’s safe to say that many of the recipes we tried will be made again!

For desserts, we featured recipes from Kathy Wakile’s Indulge cookbook. Val made chocolate chili brownie bites. She paired them with vanilla ice cream. Upon first bite, you may think there isn’t enough chili spice to them, but it catches up with you in the after bite.

Chocolate chili brownie bites

For our “take-home treat,” Susan made beach baby blondies and bitsy brunettes. While she had initially decided on making just the beach baby blondies, she added the bitsy brunettes because blondes can’t have all the fun – ha! Both items were delicious and wonderful treats to share.

Beach baby blondies and bitsy brunettes for take-home treats!

Many of the desserts in the Indulge cookbook are for what I would call “finger” desserts. Perfect dessert treats suitable for a tasting party.

In total, ten dishes were made from the Buvette and Indulge cookbooks.

In total, ten dishes were made from the Buvette and Indulge cookbooks.

We had another delicious meal and enjoyed everyone’s company before engaging in the holiday madness.

Our next gathering will be in February. We chose Mario Batali’s new cookbook, “America: Farm to Table.”

Mario Batali’s new cookbook, “America: Farm to Table.”

 

Have you ever made a French country style dinner?

Have you tried any of the recipes from the Bravo channel Housewives?

 

Disclaimer:  While the cookbook book club was provided with copies of the Buvette and Indulge cookbooks, the opinions and views expressed above are my own and describe my personal experience at the event. 

“Food for Thought” Cookbook book club – Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook

“Food for Thought” Cookbook book club – Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook

For our fourth meeting of the “Food for Thought” cookbook book club, we focused on Betty Crocker’s “Picture Cookbook” with an emphasis on retro recipes.

Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook – the 1950’s version.

I thought Betty Crocker was an actual person who built the empire. In searching for my retro recipes, I discovered that there wasn’t a person with that name.

Betty Crocker is an icon built by the Gold Medal Flour Company. It was born in 1921 during a promotion the company ran. The company received thousands of promotion responses and a flood of baking questions. The name “Betty Crocker” was created to personalize the consumer inquiry responses. Crocker was chosen to honor a popular, recently retired director of the company. Betty was chosen simply as a friendly sounding name. Within a few years, the consumer demand for baking information, fueled by the popularity of Betty Crocker spawned the beginning of the home service department, and ultimately the Betty Crocker Kitchens.

Betty Crocker has been a cultural icon and part of families’ food traditions – not to mention a trusted source of recipes and homemaking know how – for more than 90 years. So when Susan decided to host this gathering and selected the cookbook, she asked that we carry out the true retro style and wear our aprons and pearls – and we all did!

We carried out the true retro style and wore our aprons and pearls!

 

…and toasted the night with our champagne cocktails!

In carrying out the evening’s theme, we began with a glass of classic champagne cocktail that Terri made.

Classic champagne cocktail

Champagne cocktails became popular during Prohibition, when flappers were desperate to make the available bathtub bubbly taste better. Ha!

To accompany our cocktail, we had three appetizers.

We had three appetizers with our cocktail.

Terri made caramelized-onion bruschetta. She commented that the recipe was “easy” to make and that the directions for caramelizing the onions was “spot on.”

Caramelized-onion bruschetta

Sharon made sriracha veggie-cheese balls and sauce. Cheese balls are the perfect party food, because they are fun! This version was true to its retro origin, with kicked up ingredients. The recipe made a good-sized portion – plenty for our party!

Sriracha veggie-cheese balls and sauce

Sharon also made basil and crabmeat topped cucumbers. The topping was a nice blend of basil with lemon and red onion. Sharon commented that they too were “easy” to make and that you could assemble the topping ahead of time and assemble before serving.

Basil and crabmeat topped cucumbers

Susan was tasked with the dinner entrées: Swedish meatballs and chicken a la king. Susan commented that both were items her mom made for dinner when she was a kid.

The Swedish meatballs were served over white rice – in further keeping with the retro style. Susan commented that she was surprised that the meatball recipe called for few spices since today’s recipes typically include more items.

Swedish meatballs served over white rice.

The chicken a la king reminded me of a deconstructed version of chicken potpie. It had nicely poached chicken breasts with a creamy sauce. Susan noted that when her mother made it she would pick out the pimentos but now she didn’t notice or mind them.

Chicken a la king

Accompanying the chicken and meatballs were two side dishes and homemade parker house rolls.

Accompanying the chicken and meatballs were two side dishes and homemade parker house rolls.

Val made the rolls from scratch. Parker house rolls were invented at Boston’s Parker House Hotel in 1890. They are considered a staple for many dinners. The rolls were buttery with a soft interior and crispy shell.

Val also made the cranberry orange gelatin salad – another widely popular side dish for our retro-style meal. Gelatin was once considered a sign of wealth, before the advent of prepared gelatin, as only members of the elite classes could afford it. The combination of cranberry and orange flavors would be perfect for the upcoming winter holiday meals.

Cranberry orange gelatin salad

Pat made Florentine salad. Any dish that uses the word “Florentine” refers to a recipe that is prepared in the style of the Italian region of Florence and typically is a dish featuring spinach. True to its definition, the salad’s main ingredients were spinach, hard-boiled eggs and bacon. It had a light, red-wine vinaigrette dressing.

Florentine salad

As we reflected on all the elements on the plate, we made a few observations about the retro meal. First, many of the recipes we cooked used fairly plain ingredients and how the modern versions have ramped up the elements for more bold flavors. Second, we were surprised at how many of the recipes included ingredients that now we wouldn’t consider the healthiest, but back then the obesity epidemic wasn’t as rampant as it is today. We also had some laughs reading through some of the tidbits Susan had collected about the retro time period (e.g., costs of gas, bread).

For dessert, I made a pineapple upside-down cake. To further the retro theme, I baked it in an original Bundt pan. The cake was very simple to make. My only anxiety was in hoping it would come out of the pan intact, which it did.

Pineapple upside-down Bundt cake

For our “take-home treat,” I made spumoni-chunk cookies.

Spumoni-chunk cookies

Spumoni is a molded Italian ice cream typically consisting of three flavors – cherry, pistachio and chocolate. These cookies were true to the ice cream representation and included chopped, dried cherries, chocolate chunks and chopped, salted pistachios. They were easy to make, but the ingredients were quite costly. I packaged our “take-home treats” in cute gift bags.

Our “take-home treats”

In total, eleven dishes were made from Betty Crocker’s Picture cookbook. Each dish was very representative of the retro-style theme. We had another fun meal and enjoyed our gathering.

We scheduled our next meeting for mid November. Terri is hosting. We selected the Buvette cookbook as our focus for the appetizers, entrees and sides recipes. The dessert and take-home treat recipes will be from Kathy Wakile’s “Indulge” cookbook.

 

Have you ever made a retro-style dinner?

What’s your favorite Betty Crocker recipe?

“Food for Thought” Cookbook book club – Martha Stewart Everyday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook

“Food for Thought” Cookbook book club – Martha Stewart Everyday Food:  Great Food Fast cookbook

For our third meeting of the “Food for Thought” cookbook book club, we focused on Martha Stewart’s “Everyday Food Great Food Fast” cookbook and the “Everyday Food” Magazine’s recipes.

I’ve watched Martha Stewart’s cooking shows, seen her as a guest on the Today Show and commonly read her magazines.  Personally, I’ve always thought that many of her recipes are not for the average cook.  Many seem very complicated, require uncommon ingredients, involve methods that are long and arduous, and generally have an uppity style.  But I haven’t found that to be the case with her “Everyday Food” magazine or recipes.   It features quick and easy recipes targeted at supermarket shoppers and the every day cook.  Unfortunately, the magazine stopped its print versions in December 2012, but you still can enjoy the recipes in the printed cookbooks and online.

Sharon hosted this month’s gathering.  Our evening began with a glass of strawberry rhubarb sangria that Val made.

Strawberry rhubarb sangria

It was the perfect drink for June with the local strawberries just coming into season.  This sangria was made with Prosecco sparkling wine so it had a bubbly and fruity taste.  Val described the process of assembling the drink and quantified it as “easy” to make.  Often dubbed “the pie plant,” it was interesting to see rhubarb used for another purpose.  It made a festive start to our dinner that kicked off the summer season.

To accompany our cocktail, Pat made artichoke-parmesan crostini as our appetizer.

Artichoke-parmesan crostini

This appetizer had great flavor and looked beautiful arranged on the platter.  Pat quantified the recipe as “easy” to make.  It made a good portion – plenty for a party.  It is safe to serve in the summer heat since it doesn’t include any mayo or sour cream and would be perfect for vegetarians.

Sharon started grilling the main dinner entrée:  grilled Tuscan chicken with rosemary and lemon.

Grilled Tuscan chicken with rosemary and lemon

The chicken was juicy from basting it with lemon juice while it’s grilling.  It also had tons of flavors from the mix of lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary and garlic! Sharon quantified the recipe as “easy” to make and commented that she would make it again.

Accompanying the chicken were three side dishes and biscuits.  Susan made a corn and zucchini orzo salad.

Corn and zucchini orzo salad

It had a very light and delicious flavor.  She commented that the recipe was “easy” to make and that it made a very large amount – a good dish for a party.  This will be a great recipe to make as the native corn comes into season in a few weeks.

Val made asparagus and green beans with chili-orange oil.

Asparagus and green beans with chili-orange oil

The vegetables were crispy with a lively flavor from the olive oil that was infused with orange zest and red pepper flakes.  She quantified the recipe as easy to make, but noted to be careful when making the infused oil not to burn it.

For our final side dish, Terri made French fingerling potato salad. Parsley, thyme, shallots and red onion give the Dijon mustard vinaigrette a good boost of flavors.  Not just as picnic fare, this potato salad is versatile as a “go-with-anything” summer side.

French fingerling potato salad

Terri quantified the recipe as easy to make.  She also noted that it was important to allow the potatoes to sit in the vinaigrette before serving so the flavors have time to work together.

To cap off our main meal, Terri also made sweet potato biscuits.

Sweet potato biscuits

They were light and flaky and had a beautiful golden orange color.   She noted that the recipe was easy and that she had microwaved and mashed the potatoes instead of making the puree as noted within the recipe.  While we served them as a side to our meal, I also think they would be perfect for breakfast alongside eggs and bacon or sausage.

As all the elements blended on the plate, it made for a wonderful meal.  We commented how amazing it is that each of these dishes came together to create such a flavorful dinner.

All the elements blended on the plate to make a wonderful meal

For dessert, I made a key lime tart.  I’m not a big dessert baker, but in the spirit of cookbook club’s goals to broader our cooking experiences, I thought I would give it a try.

Key lime tart

The tart was very simple to make.  I was amazed at how little juice comes from a lime and how many limes you need to juice in order to get the amount called for in the recipe.  The pie was light and flavorful.  It made me think of summer and the Florida Keys – which is where the key limes grow.  The tart had a graham cracker crush which is common to this type of pie.

For our “take-home treat,” I made raspberry scones.

The recipe specifically said it was “fast” and I would agree.  However, the raspberries are very delicate berries and I found them difficult to fold into the dough.  This made it a somewhat messy process.

Raspberry scones

I packaged our “take-home treats” in cute gift bags with a flavored tea and coffee – perfect for the next morning or afternoon snack.

Our “take-home treats” in cute gift bags with a flavored tea and coffee

In total, nine dishes were made from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food recipe collection.  Each dish was very yummy and made for a wonderful summer-themed meal.  We had another amazing meal and fun gathering.

Nine dishes were made from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food recipe collection

Our next meeting is scheduled for mid September.  Susan is hosting.  We’ve selected the Betty Crocker cookbook as our focus – a timeless collections of recipes.  It will be a fun “retro-style” themed dinner featuring recipes that will bring forward past memories.

Cookbook book club – Bobby Flay’s “Boy Meets Grill” cookbook

“Food for Thought” Cookbook book club – Bobby Flay’s “Boy Meets Grill” cookbook

We had our second meeting of the “Food for Thought” cookbook book club.  This gathering focused on Bobby Flay’s “Boy Meets Grill” cookbook and show recipes.

While I’ve heard Bobby speak twice – and I think his story is quite inspiring – and seen his television cooking shows many times, I don’t own any of his cookbooks or think I’ve made many, if any of his recipes.  But this is the purpose of the cookbook club – to get all of us to try new recipes and broaden our cooking skills and experiences.

Pat hosted this gathering.  We began our evening with a glass – or two, three – of Bobby’s Peach Sangria that Susan made.

Peach Sangria

It looked beautiful and tasted refreshing.  We all thought it would be perfect for any upcoming summer party.  Susan described the process of assembling the drink and quantified it as “easy” to make.

To accompany our cocktail, Terri made Hot Blue Cheese sauce for dipping potato chips.  I read online that this is a favorite appetizer found at Bobby’s “Bar Americain” restaurant.

Hot Blue Cheese sauce for dipping potato chips

The sauce was amazing.  The blue cheese did not overpower it.  It became very addicting and personally I couldn’t stop eating it.  Terri quantified the recipe as “easy” to make and said it made a good portion – plenty for a party appetizer.

Pat began grilling the main entrée for our dinner:  pork chops marinated in orange, ginger and toasted paprika.

Pork chops marinated in orange, ginger and toasted paprika

The pork was juicy and extremely flavorful!  In typical Bobby fashion, the marinade, which is made ahead of time and the chops were soaked in overnight, includes onion, garlic, paprika, orange juice and ginger root that come together in an amazing combination.  Pat quantified the recipe as “easy” to make and commented that she would make it again.  We also thought the marinade would be great on pork tenderloin.

Accompanying the pork were three sides.  I made a Greek orzo and grilled shrimp salad with mustard dill vinaigrette.  Fresh dill is a must for this recipe – dried will not do.

Greek orzo and grilled shrimp salad with mustard dill vinaigrette

Because we have a few who are seafood sensitive, I served the shrimp on the side of the orzo salad.

Grilled Shrimp

To be honest, the salad is so wonderful on its own you could make it with or without the shrimp.  Another tip:  if making it ahead of serving, reserve some of the vinaigrette or make extra to moisten before serving.  This recipe was very easy to make.  It makes plenty and I would definitely make it again!

Sharon made whipped potatoes with cilantro pesto.  The recipe commented that it’s a great side for pork – and it was!

Whipped potatoes with cilantro pesto

The whipped potato dish was smooth and creamy with wonderful flavor coming from the cilantro pesto.  Sharon quantified the recipe as easy to make.  She also noted that it was important to fold not mix in the pesto so that you create the marbled ribbon effect with the pesto.

To cap off our main meal, our final side was a tomato-avocado salad with lime toasted cumin cilantro vinaigrette that Terri made.

Tomato-avocado salad with lime toasted cumin cilantro vinaigrette

The salad was very fresh tasting with wonderful flavor from the dressing.  It’s a perfect salad for summer, especially when local tomatoes are in season.  She said the recipe was very easy to make and also commented that it would be on her table this summer.

With all that wonderful food it’s amazing any of us had room for dessert, but we did!  I had peaked at Val’s dessert beforehand, so I was sure to leave room – and I’m glad I did!

Val made a gingerbread and lemon curd trifle with blackberry sauce that was not only moist and delicious, but also beautiful!

 

Gingerbread and lemon curd trifle with blackberry sauce

The trifle dessert was very tasty.  The combination of rich gingerbread with the lemon curd, whipped cream and blackberry sauce was awesome.  Everyone commented that this would be a wonderful dessert for the winter holidays.  Val quantified the dessert of intermediate difficulty.

For our “take-home treat,” I made Bobby’s blondies.

Blondies

They were featured in an episode of his “Throw-down” challenge television show.  His recipe competed against Sugardaddy’s Sumptuous Sweets from Columbus, OH.  While his recipe didn’t win on the television show competition, I thought it was a winner – easy to make, delicious tasting and would make them again.  I packaged them up for everyone to share with their families – or not and eat them themselves.

“Throw-down” Blondies – our take-home treat!

In total, eight dishes were made from Bobby Flay’s recipe collection.  Every dish was delicious and an amazing collection of flavors.  It was a beautiful meal and another fun gathering.

Eight dishes were made from Bobby Flay’s recipe collection

Our next meeting is scheduled for mid June.  Susan is hosting.  We’ve selected Ree Drummond – The Pioneer Woman for our next celebrity chef focus.  We all look forward to the delicious dishes everyone creates!

 

Have you made any of these recipes? – or will you in the future?

What’s your favorite Bobby Flay recipe?

Cookbook book club – Ina Garten “Barefoot Contessa – Foolproof”

The first meeting of the “Food for Thought” cookbook book club focused on Ina Garten’s “Barefoot Contessa Foolproof” cookbook.  Club members were asked to select and cook recipes from that cookbook.

I set up the meal in a “progressive” style, meaning each course was served in a different location of the house.  The group gathered in the family room for appetizers, in the dining room for the main entrée and sides, and dessert was served in the living room.  This gave it a fun twist. 

As each club member described the dish they made, they were also asked to categorized the recipe’s complexity on a scale of easy, medium or difficult, and briefly explained the preparation process.

The appetizers consisted of a good mix of nibbles.  I made the cheddar crackers.  I eliminated the jalapeno and chipotle chili powder, opting for chives and dill replacement to accommodate my non-spicy palate. The crackers have a rich, savory flavor.  I assigned the recipe to the “very easy” category, as long as you have a food processor.

Cheddar crackers

Terri made the Tuscan mashed chickpeas with the grilled bread.  It was delicious and had perfectly balanced flavors.  It made a good quantity – perfect for a party.  She assigned the recipe to the “easy” category, as long as you have a food processor – I see a trend.

Tuscan mashed chickpeas

Terri also made the easy tzatziki with feta.  She paired it with pita triangles and a variety of Mediterranean olives and pickled peppers.  The tzatziki was light and fresh tasting.  She also assigned this recipe to the “easy” category.

 

Easy tzatziki with feta

We moved into the dining room for the main entrée and sides.  I made the crispy mustard-roasted chicken recipe.  I’ve made this dish a few times for the family and modified it slightly based on my experiences.  For example, I use boneless, skinless, thin chicken breasts instead of bone-in chicken.  I also add the juice of one lemon to the mustard and wine mixture.  This cuts down some of the heavy mustard taste.  I termed the recipe “easy-medium” on the difficulty scale.

Crispy mustard-roasted chicken

Sharon made the Provencal tomatoes as one of our side dishes.   It tasted of the essence of summer with all those fresh herbs.  She assigned this recipe to the “easy-medium” category.  She commented that you need to use fresh breadcrumbs – dried just won’t cut it.

Provencal tomatoes

Pat made the crispy english potatoes.  The potatoes were perfectly crisped using a par-boil first, then roast cooking technique.  The pancetta adds a nice smoky flavor to the potatoes.  It was a perfect side for the chicken.  She termed the recipe in the “easy” category.

Crispy english potatoes

To cap off our main meal, I also made balsamic-roasted Brussels sprouts.  I’ve never made or eaten Brussels sprouts before, but wanted to try them and thought this was the perfect environment for experimentation.  The recipe is “super easy” to make.  The combination of balsamic and the pancetta really enhanced the baby cabbages’ flavor.

Balsamic-roasted Brussels sprouts.

During dinner, I prepared five quick questions for each club member to answer.  The questions covered the topics of favorite and least favorite foods, food allergies, and preferred celebrity chefs.  The answers to these questions not only gave us good dinner conversation, but also offered us some ideas for future meetings and any special accommodations for various members.  We also discussed any dishes we were afraid to cook and found out that we can learn from each other’s cooking expertise.

Finally, we moved into the living room for dessert.  Susan made a lemon cake that was not only moist and delicious, but also beautiful to the eye.  She categorized the recipe as medium difficulty.  She commented that the recipe might be easier for those with a stand mixer, since the preparation involves alternating batches of ingredients.

Lemon cake

I also made the chocolate peanut butter glob cookies.  They are a decadent cookie that has chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, pecans and walnuts.  Definitely not a recipe for someone with nut or peanut allergies.  I categorized this recipe as medium difficulty.

Chocolate peanut butter globs

The chocolate peanut butter glob cookie recipe was true to its yield and made 24 decent-sized cookies.  I packaged them up as our take-home treat for everyone to share with their families – or not and keep for themselves!

Take home treat – cookies!

In total, nine dishes were made from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa recipe collection.  All were delicious.  It was a beautiful meal with plenty of variety.

Nine Ina Garten dishes were made!

All in all the first meeting of “Food for Thought” cookbook book club was a success.  Everyone enjoyed themselves and the food.

Our next meeting is scheduled for late April.  Pat is hosting.  We’ve selected Bobby Flay for our next celebrity chef focus.  I’m looking forward to our next gathering and already salivating thinking about the delicious dishes the group will create!

What’s your favorite Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa recipe?

Have you made any of these recipes that the cookbook club made?