Sunday, July 12, 2009

Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh by Barbara Fairchild

I love this book. It's the companion volume to the new orange Bon Appetit book, and the recipes in here truly are fast, easy, and fresh. They're elegant enough for company, and yet simple enough for everyday eating. By far my favorite thing I made out of this was Red Beet Risotto with Mustard Greens and Goat Cheese. Good Lord it was delicious. And beautiful. I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture of it. Essentially, you make this blood-red colored beet risotto and then top it with uber bright green chopped greens and then goat cheese. The intensity between the white-red-green color combination is not one usually seen in my food, and it was seriously a thing of art. Oh yeah, and it was freaking delicious. The only other time I've had mustard greens and I hated them. They were way too bitter and too...sharp and mustardy. For some reason, when combined with the beets and creamy goat cheese, it becomes the perfect compliment and the thing that really elevates the dish.

Another huge success of a recipe was Spaghetti Ala Carbonara di Zucchine. Unlike most carbonaras, this one has no meat, but it does have the traditional egg-cheese combination. I swear, this is probably one of the easiest things I've ever made and it was mild enough that even the kids ate it!  Also made were Honey-Glazed Oven-Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges, Rosemary Lemon Pinto Beans, and Banana Cake With Sour Cream Frosting. 

Fast, Easy, Fresh is divided up by type of recipe: starters, soups, chicken, fish, breakfasts, etc. Great extra bonuses include a shopping guide that details how and when (seasonally) to shop for fruits, vegetables, meats and fish. It is a definite keeper!

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