When we moved from log house to city apartment, I downsized my large cookbook collection, and kept fewer than 100 cookbooks. What made the cut, and why? The Silver Palate Cookbook 25th Anniversary Edition, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins (2007) Why I've kept it: The original Silver Palate Cookbook was, to cooks of my generation, what Joy of Cooking was to our parents. Unique in format, packed with lots of informative and sometimes amusing sidebars, The Silver Palate Cookbook -- born of a popular New York City gourmet take-out shop -- introduced us to bold ingredients, unusual flavor combinations, and fearless entertaining. Chapters covered appetizers to desserts, plus brunch and beverages. When my original paperback copy came apart at the seams, I knew I... Read more →
When we moved from log house to city apartment, I downsized my large cookbook collection, and kept fewer than 100 cookbooks. What made the cut, and why? Slow Cooker Comfort Food: 275 Soul-Satisfying Recipes, by Judith Finlayson (2009) Why I've kept it: In the house where I grew up, there were no slow cookers. My mother's cookware arsenal -- frying pan, roasting pan, and a set of blue-and-white nested CorningWare pots in totally impractical sizes -- covered all of her cooking needs. Though she was a working mom, she never had a slow cooker. I can't imagine how she managed without one. My own adventures in slow cooker cooking began just a few years ago, with a $19 four-quart cooker purchased at a discount store,... Read more →
When we moved from log house to city apartment, I downsized my large cookbook collection, and kept fewer than 100 cookbooks. What made the cut, and why? The Sriracha Cookbook, by Randy Clemens (2011) Why I've kept it: Small is beautiful, except when it comes to the size of the Sriracha bottle in my refrigerator, which is the largest that will fit on the shelf. This little collection of 50 "rooster sauce" recipes packs a huge punch. Recipes include starters to dessert and even cocktails, all kicked-up with the heat of Sriracha hot chili sauce. Whenever I flip through this book, I get inspired in new ways to turn up the heat in my own cooking. You'll love the miso-Sriracha glazed salmon, the first recipe... Read more →
If you've been reading The Perfect Pantry for the past couple of years, you know about The Downsizing. When my husband Ted and I moved from the log house in Rhode Island to a small apartment in Boston's South End, we consolidated everything, from furniture, to cookware, to art and shoes and camping gear. And, yes, cookbooks. What began as a collection of close to 1,000 found new homes in local libraries (including our Little Free Library), nonprofit agencies, and friends' kitchens. In the end, I kept fewer than 100 cookbooks. What made the cut, and why? Some are classics, some encyclopedic, some oldish (and others newish), some locally-produced paperbacks acquired on my travels, and some... well, I just couldn't let them go. Stick around... Read more →