Cooking the Books

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Plain pasta

Friday, March 21st, 2008

 
I made spaghetti with garden vegetables from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics a few days ago, but have been putting off a post about it. Why? Well, I love garden vegetables, I love pasta, but this was pretty darn bland. Perhaps Martha feels similarly because I can’t find the recipe on her […]

I’m not Irish, but I still like cabbage

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008

In honor of St. Patrick’s day, Cooking the Books dipped into the “side dishes” chapter of The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics and made a large, starchy dish of colcannon. What is colcannon? It’s an Irish dish of boiled potatoes mashed with leeks, cabbage, milk and butter. According to my favorite reference book ever, […]

Currying flavor

Monday, March 17th, 2008

Apologies for brief hiatus — last week was not a good week in the kitchen, what with my cold and also guinea pig, er, I mean, husband, away, but Cooking the Books is now back with another edition of The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics! Today’s recipe is southern Indian chicken curry with mustard seeds, which […]

Martha, Martha, Martha!*

Thursday, March 6th, 2008

*Pronounced as on the Brady Bunch.
Welcome to another edition of Cooking the Books: The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics (yawn). In an effort to review this cookbook more fairly, I’ve decided to try to make at least two recipes from each chapter (I can already cross out “soups and stews,” yay!). Hence, from the […]

Two soups

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008

 
Welcome back to another edition of Cooking the Books: The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics (every time I type that title I think how boring it is).
I have been industrious the past few days, making not one, but two, soups from the book’s “Soups and Stews” sections. The first, spiced red lentil soup […]

Sunday supper

Monday, February 11th, 2008

And so begins our adventures with The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics. My first foray was this dish — braised chicken with olives, carrots and chickpeas — which seemed perfect for last night’s blustery weather. I substituted skinless, bone-in breasts for the thighs and dried cranberries for the raisins.

Melange du jour

Friday, February 8th, 2008

 
A bit of a mix today. First, I am happy to announce that Cooking the Books will begin a new cookbook review — The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics (pictured above). Several of my friends and family members swear by Martha. I’m looking forward to sampling some of the 1,200 recipes.
Second, a new cookbook means we […]

More from MORO

Tuesday, January 29th, 2008

According to Moro, tarta de Santiago, or almond tart with Oloroso sherry, is from Galicia and is traditionally served in Santiago, Spain on St. James’s Day. I have to admit, I made this tart because it calls for membrillo, or quince paste, which you melt into a thick glaze and spread on the bottom of the pastry shell […]

Tagines

Monday, January 28th, 2008

What is a tagine? According to the Penguin Companion to Food, it is a stew “fundamental to cookery in Morocco,” as well as its cooking vessel, which is “earthenware, with a distinctive pointed cover.” Some tagine vessels are used for cooking, while others are used only for serving.

There will be chocolate

Thursday, January 24th, 2008

Welcome to part tres of Moro: the dinner party, starring a luscious chocolate and apricot tart (photo above). I do not love making desserts, but this was the most satisfying and successful recipe of all that I attempted from the book. The chocolate contrasted beautifully with the slightly tart, fruity apricots.

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