Chocolate and Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier

I originally discovered this book through it's namesake's website chocolateandzucchini.com. I absolutely adore everything about this book from it's cute glossy paperback size to the pretty end papers inside. It's chock full of colorful, mouthwatering pictures, and the recipes are to die for. I mean it. They run the range from familiar (olive tapenade) to weirdly innovative (zucchini crumble with figs and mozzarella. don't laugh. It is divine. I kid you not). Every recipe you make out of this book is liable to become a signature recipe. And yes, there is indeed a recipe for chocolate and zucchini cake. This doesn't strike me as all that strange seeing as how zucchini bread is typically sweet and delicious, and very similar to banana bread. So why not? 

The one recipe I loved the most has to be Hazelnut Thyme Matchsticks. Wow they were a lot of work...you make a dough, you knead it,  you divide it, chill it, roll it out and cut it into eensy weensie teeny weeny sticks, and then finally bake them. But holy cow are they ever worth it. Each one melts into a tiny, nutty, buttery, thymey explosion in your mouth. Mmm. Now I want some more. 

How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

Disclaimer: I've been working out of the older edition (yellow) and I know there is a newly revised one (red) that's now on the shelves. So all my comments will have to refer to the older copy and someone will have to let me know how the new one measures up. 

I have somewhat mixed feelings on this book.  I'm likely to keep this one on my shelves for some time, but while it really does include instructions for how to cook (almost) everything, I don't feel like the recipes themselves were all that noteworthy. There was also one glaring omission that I found rather annoying. Broiled steak. Isn't that something most people eat? Bittman extensively covers how to grill a steak, but really doesn't broach the subject of cooking one in the oven. So you know, if it's raining or freezing out and you don't really feel like going outside to cook yourself a hot meal, you'll have to find another book. I'm sad to say, I had to call my mother for instructions on how to broil a steak. Bittman failed me. I certainly hope they've fixed this in the new edition. 

I have somewhat mixed feelings on the recipes I did cook. They were: Minestrone, Brown Rice with Lentils and Apricots, Corn Stuffed Peppers with Spicy Tomato Sauce, and Quick and Easy Waffles. For all you sticklers, yes I did make a fifth recipe, but I can't remember which one and can't be bothered to flip through 808 pages of recipes to find the missing link. Technically, all of the recipes were successful, but with the exception of the Minestrone soup, none of them are ones I'll be craving to make again any time soon. The waffles were fine, but simply that...just fine. Same for the stuffed peppers. The rice and lentils were a total fiasco. Bittman instructs to cook the lentils and brown rice in the same, uncovered pot for 30-45 minutes. Well, mine ended up cooking for close to an hour and a half that way, and I had to add about 2 cups more liquid than called for in the recipe. Highly inconvenient if you were planning on serving dinner at a set time. Again, the end product tasted just fine, but it wasn't something I'd be dying to make again. 

All in all, I don't know that the recipes from this book are going to be ones I go back to again and again, but the book does hold solid instructions on how to prepare and cook many foods successfully (with the sole exception of brown rice). It's great to use as a jumping off point....he gives you just enough to go on to spark your own creativity. In that sense, I think it's a valuable tool...say you go to the farmer's market and find some kind of fantastic deal on a beautiful vegetable. Well, come home and look it up in How To Cook Everything. More than likely, you'll see some sort of recipe for your find, and usually the ingredients are loose enough that you could easily substitute whatever you have on hand and voila, you have a new creation. 

Martha Stewart Living The New Classics

Much like The Original Classics, I think this book is virtually bombproof. I had a little dinner party last night and everything I made (six recipes actually) came out of this book. What I made:

Lemon-Parsley Gougeres

Baked Buttermilk Chicken

Sauteed Peas and Scallions

Individual Portobello Mushroom Gratins

Sour Cream-Thyme Rolls

Papaya Sorbet

I was most excited to try making gougeres, ever since reading one of Ruth Reichel's memoirs. In it, she spends an entire chapter espousing the wonderfulness that are gougeres, and ever since then, I've been dying to try them (both eating and cooking). Essentially, they're like tiny little eggy pastry puffs and they absolutely melt in your mouth. They're so light you can down a dozen without even noticing. Oops. Did I admit that? They were so so so much easier to make than I was expecting, and are definitely something that were a hit, and that could easily be made for a quick appetizer after a workday. 

The thing I love about this book is it makes me want to abandon my cookbook project and just keep making things out of it. Everything is/sounds that good. I think the most exciting chapter is Side Dishes. Usually sides and vegetable dishes don't really whip me into a tizzy, but each one sounds so good I can taste it. The peas and mushrooms that I made both came out of this section. Some others I can't wait to try: Fricassee of Wild Mushrooms, Maple-Glazed Parsnips and Carrots, Cauliflower, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Gratin, Jerusalem Artichoke and Chestnut Gratin...you get the idea. Seriously, these will get you excited about eating your veggies. 

The one thing I wasn't excited about was the Papaya Sorbet. But that could be due to the fact that the first papaya I cracked into smelled of cheese and tasted like...well, like cheesey cardboard. Needless to say, I threw it out, went back to the store, and purchased some new ones. Those ones didn't smell of cheese and tasted like...well like just straight cardboard. The end result sorbet was actually pretty good and sweet, but I think if I were to make it again, I'd just use mangoes. Cause you know, they taste good and not at all like cheese or cardboard. Verdict: recipe successful, but I don't like papayas. Blech.

I really wanted to hate everything that came out of Martha Stewart, but it's just not possible with this book. The recipes are way too reliable, taste delicious, and are successful every time, even when I don't know what I'm doing (as was the case with the gougeres). 

Betty Crocker Cookbook - New Edition

This is another book that just about everyone's got a copy of lying around somewhere. I grew up with a different version. It was a dog-eared paperback with a cover that looked like a red and white checked picnic tablecloth. I think my grandmother had picked it up at her savings and loan back in the 80s when banks used to give you things like cookbooks and free coffee instead of trying to steal your money.  But I digress. 

I had a bit of trepidation about this new edition. The older one is one I learned a lot from...how to properly hard-boil an egg, how to make a proper potato salad...you know, things all proper cooks should know. The new edition looked much glossier, had a ton of pictures (my old one had none), and seemed like it couldn't possibly hold all the meat the old one did. But it does. And then some. It's been updated for the modern world, and honestly, the pictures hold a thousand words. They reallly do. The good old instructions for boiling eggs are still there, but there are also picture diagrams for things like how to cut up a chicken or identifying exotic fruits and vegetables. It's still my same tried-and-true old standby, but vastly improved. Definitely indespensible. The recipes are much like those in The Joy Of Cooking. They won't be blowing the socks off any gourmand, but if you're trying to feed your family (or just yourself), simply, and inexpensively, or even if you just want to learn the basics, this book is a clear, stood-the-test-of-time winner. 

Italian Vegetarian Cooking

Are you noticing a trend yet? That the majority of my books are either Italian or vegetarian? Ok, so what can I say? I was a vegetarian for years and I have a deep love of all things French and Italian. I promise though, my source of such books will eventually run out and you will have something new to read about. 

Italian Vegetarian Cooking, by Paola Gavin is a book I've had for quite a few years. I really like this because all the recipes are very simple and use ingredients that are common to find in most places. I also like how each recipe is identified by the region it came from, so you can really get a feel for just how regional Italian cooking can be. There is a strong focus on fresh ingredients and most of them are very healthy. 

The Joy of Cooking

Just about everyone has heard of the Joy of Cooking. Even people who don't cook typically have a copy of this on their shelves. Heck, it's been around for 75 years...you'd be hard pressed to have avoided the thing. It's a great basic book both for someone just beginning to learn how to cook, as well as for those more seasoned, due to the sheer volume of recipes and tips. It's one I will definitely be keeping as a reference. The recipes are ones you can trust on the first try. They have been tested again and again and again over the years, and I've found everything in here to be very reliable. I don't know that I'd say things turn out gourmet, or that it will be the best thing you'll ever eat in your entire life, but you can count on your efforts being a success, and being good. It's like your old pet dog that's always there for you. My favorite thing I made out of this, was Chili Cheese Corn Squares, not only because it was delicious, but because it's so versatile...you can use it as a side dish, as an egg/cheese dish, or even as a brunch dish. And it's kind of addictive too, so pace yourself. Here's the recipe:

Chili Cheese Corn Squares

Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter a 9" square baking pay. Combine:

1.5 cups fresh, frozen, or canned corn kernels, drained (I used frozen cause hello, it's the middle of winter)

4 cups shredded Monterey Jack (about 1 pound)

6 large eggs, well beaten

3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (I only used two. I bought three, but one of the blasted things was rotten, so there you go)

2 TB chili powder

salt and black pepper to taste

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is nicely browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool until it firms sufficiently to be cut, then cut into 3" squares. 

I would highly recommend using the fresh jalapenos even if you think you hate spicy food or hot peppers. They add a wonderful flavor with hardly any heat, and definitely not enough to set your mouth on fire. When I made them, these converted two self-professed jalapeno haters. Oh, and I forgot to add salt and pepper before baking, and it was still delicious. 

The Vegetarian Bistro - Marlena Spieler

This is seriously one of the most fantastic books I own. Upon paper, each recipe is wonderfully mouthwatering, and unlike a lot of other cookbooks, the final product not only does not disappoint, it's even better than the recipe sounds. I've actually had ten recipes from this book. Mainly because after I made the first five, my mother loved them so much that she went out and bought herself a copy of this and started cooking from it. Every recipe in here is divine. It's also a great cross-over book for folks that aren't vegetarian, because the food is so good you'll never miss the meat. Some of the recipes are a bit elaborate, and either involve several steps or making multiple recipes for sauces and such, but it's all very accessible, and nothing is really all that difficult to tackle, per se. I could happily eat out of this book every day for the rest of my life. Seriously. If you like cooking, and you like French food, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. You won't regret it. 

Here is a brief list of some of the things I've made from this book:

Wild Mushroom Pasta Gratin

Gratin of Macaroni, Red Wine Sauce, and Cheese 

Pistachio Tart with Almond Citrus Crust

Pureed Artichoke Soup with Garlic

Onion Tart with Arugula Salad

Now,  can you honestly tell me your mouth is not watering?