The Provencal Cookbook

When I was growing up in Montreal, my parents would take us "to the country" on sunny Sunday afternoons. We'd stop at farm stands for seasonal fruits and such, and at farmers markets to pick up some artisan cheeses (Oka comes to mind) and bread and make a picnic by some river or on a mountaintop overlooking some pastoral vista.

Provence, France reminds me of those adventures. It has a wonderful history...not to mention that as part of Southern France on the Mediterranean, it's naturally high on my list of favorite food destinations. Did you know that in the second century BC, it was conquered by the Romans and named it Provincia (the province)? It's very rustic nature ... no big bustling cosmopolitan cities...keeps it very much in tune with the seasons and, naturally, local ingredients. Meals are filled with delightful, unpretentious dishes.

Many years ago (too many, in fact), I was lucky enough to spend some time on the French Riviera and surrounding countryside, tasting my first Salad Nicoise, charcouterie (dried cured meats) served with local cheeses, fresh crusty bread, local olives and wonderful wines. I still try to recreate those simple, but soul satisfying meals.

Lucky me, I was sent a copy of The Provencal Cookbook to review. Remember, I only accept evaluation copies of books that I would normally purchase and I only write about what I love. And I love this book from cover to cover. From the photos of the region and the foods, that took me back in time to my first visit, and the writing style...(I could actually hear the lovely French accent as I read), not to mention the heavenly rustic dishes...all had me drooling.

In fact, I spent an entire afternoon thumbing through the book, with a glass of red wine and some Garlic & Anchovy Toasts that I quickly whipped up...deciding on the rest of the dishes I'd choose to try.

And because I got so lost in the book...every recipe is actually worth the read...about the ingredients, the gentle reminders about how to put it all together (think your grandma with a calming voice - French accent of course, helping you achieve a perfect dish)...but I digress. I made a very simple dinner, which will also make a lovely brunch or spontaneous lunch for those unexpected guests. All you need to have on hand are some potatoes, eggs, parsley, garlic and lemon (every home in Provence would have these on hand at all times, and I bet you do to).

Potato & Garlic Omelet

Mixed Greens with Citronnette Dressing

And some crusty rustic bread ...I used the rest of my flax loaf, toasted with a little rub of garlic and olive oil.

Saturday is Farmers Market day and you can be sure I'll be buying some fresh local mussels to make the famous Provencal Mussels in White Wine and I've been eyeing the Lavender Cookies since I got the book.

There are so many scrumptious dishes to choose from...whether you like your dishes savory or sweet...quick dishes like Fig & Ewe's Cheese Canapes, Aioli Platter, Pan Bagna (that sounds fantastic - translated it means "bathed bread" and is the original sandwich of Provence) or long and simmering for hours dishes like the Boeuf Daube (classic beef stew), Lamb Stew with Honey & Rose Wine, Aromatic Leg of Lamb, Veal Chops with Pine Nuts, Garlic Roasted Chicken.

There are sections of the book devoted to cheeses, breads, condiments and sauces and each tells a wonderful story in pictures and words. I'll be curling up with this book often during the long, dreary winter ahead...definitely creating an escape adventure without leaving home.

Canadian Living Slow Cooker Collection

Admittedly, lately I'm not the biggest slow cooker fan. In fact I gave my slow cooker away when I moved to Halifax several years ago. I used to use it often when the girls were growing up. It's perfect for preparing something early in the morning or after dinner the night before and just plugging it in at breakfast time so it will be ready for dinner. Great if you have to go to work, run errands, or my favorite....out to play and then food is hot and tasty when you arrive home, starving and exhausted. There's nothing better than walking into a home smelling of old fashioned home cooking.

My daughter, busy mom of two toddlers, with a full time job and going to school all at the same time (I'm tired thinking of it) loves her slow cooker, as do my neighbors...and we've eaten some very tasty treats at both homes. So when I got the chance to review Canadian Living's The Slow Cooker Collection , I jumped at the chance to give it another try. I love Canadian Living recipes...they never disappoint...and the book lives up to their standards. The "Slow Cooker Know How" intro has fantastic tips from what cuts of meat work best, the scoop on cooking times (just setting for high & low, can over/under cook your meal), why you should brown your meat first, plus...a great one... how to convert your favorite recipes for the slow cooker. In fact, I have to share their six essential tips to ensure perfection:

1. No peeking - lifting the lid to peek or stir adds 15 - 20 minutes to cooking time!

2. Watch the amount of liquids - leave at least 2" between the top of the food and the rim so it can simmer.

3. The slow cooker should be no less than half full and no more than three quarters full.

4. Always defrost meat and poultry thoroughly before placing in slow cooker. Frozen vegetables can be added at the end of cooking and heated until piping hot.

5. When lifting the lid, avoid tipping so condensation will spills on the food.

6. To refrigerate or freeze a dish ahead, transfer contents to shallow containers and let cool uncovered for 30 minutes on the counter and then completely - still uncovered in the fridge. Cover and then follow the directions in the recipe re freezing and refrigerating.

But naturally you want to know about the recipes...

Well, all the photos had me drooling and there are recipes for everything from Appetizers, snacks and drinks - really! Dishes like sundried tomato and artichoke dip, Swiss cheese fondue, lots of spreads, and imagine coming back from a day of skiing or hiking to have some red cranberry mulled wine or creamy hot chocolate ready before you even get your boots off!

There are even recipes for desserts from baked apples with cider butter sauce, five spice poached pears, old fashioned berry cobbler and many more. But being more of a "main course" person myself, I was really taken by the soups, stews, chilis, curries, pot roasts, braises, ribs and casseroles. Whew! And if that's not enough to peak your interest, you'll also find pasta sauces, meatballs, vegetable dishes and other sides that all look wonderful.

Biggest challenge...which recipes to choose first. I actually borrowed the neighbor's slow cooker so I could give some of the recipes a try...naturally payment was ...sharing the dinner! And how to make soup AND stew with one slow cooker, you might wonder....easy ...

I made the spectacular Harira the day before and just reheated it in a pot on the stove while the Boeuf Bourguignon was simmering away in the slow cooker during the day of the dinner.
The Harira preparation was simple enough...10 minutes at the most and sensational to say the least.... a hearty, aromatic soup often served at day's end during Ramadan. The Middle Eastern Spices - cumin, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon, beautifully balanced with lemon juice and dates...not to mention lentils, chickpeas and tomatoes to fill body and soul. It would have been perfect on its own with some crusty bread and a simple salad...or not even. This is one soup that has everyone asking for more.
Unless of course, you know that you're about to have some very tasty Bouef Bourguignon served with some parsley buttered pasta to sop up the mouthwatering gravy. What you don't see in the photo are the flavorful mushrooms, sauteed in butter on the stove and added in the last fifteen minutes of cooking...or the chopped parsley (which I prepared earlier in the day and "lost" until we were clearing up...oh well). I do have one caveat though...prep for this took me close to forty five minutes....searing beef, peeling those tiny pearl onions (the tipin the book, to blanch them for 1 minute in boiling water and then immediately in cold water to stop the cooking, but loosen the skin worked, but it still took time). What that means is...give yourself time to put this all together. It's well worth the effort.

Final words....if you are a slow cooker fan, this book, with so very many tasty treats from around the world - Thai Green Curry with Vegetables and Tofu from Asia to Black Bean Chili with Avocado Salsa from Latin America; Saucy Pulled Pork from the Southern US and Choucroute Garnie (sausage & bacon stew with juniper berries and wine...among other savory ingredients) from France....and on and on.... This is the Slow Cooker book you'll want on your shelf.

Everything Cookies & Brownies Cookbook

I first "met" Marye Audet via her blog Baking Delights and the incredible phenomenon that is The Daring Bakers. We became foodie friends more recently through Presto Pasta Nights....just to let you know that Marye is as great a cook as she is a baker.

Now, I must admit... I have always been intimidated by baking. Perhaps because my mother was THE baker in the family (she was one of seven siblings) and I have never felt that I measured up. Cooking is something I do easily, free-spirited as the mood takes me. Baking on the other hand, usually has me stressed (unlike so many that head to the kitchen to bake whenever the world is a little too much to handle)...sweating over things like "did I knead it too much?/not enough?"... I'm getting stressed just thinking about it.

That's not to say that I don't bake...I do, but mostly cookies and brownies and squares...very easy to conquer. So you can imagine how excited I was to have Marye send me a copy of her new book The Everything Cookies and Brownies Cookbook . And if you're like me, fretting over techniques, Marye's first chapter - Cookie Baking Basics, will have you feeling confident in no time. Even the titles work for me...like "The Zen of Measuring & Mixing" and the highlighted notes and tips.
I couldn't wait to flip through the book and ...lucky for my family I had all the ingredients to whip up a batch of Chipotle Brownies that had quite the kick to them....and so good that they didn't even let the brownies cool completely. This was the best photo I could get, given the greedy little fingers grabbing these amazing brownies. My Honey said they were the best ever...and he's a brownie fiend.
And since I'm still hunting for Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder and Vietnamese cinnamon for the Aztec Chocolate Chip Cookies (I already have the dried chipotle chilis and everything else), I couldn't help myself....I had to make these Chewy Brownies with Pecans. Now My Honey voted THESE as the best ever brownies. Can't wait to hear what he says about my next endeavor.

In addition to brownies, squares and drop cookies (my starting point, but I will venture forth, Marye makes it all so simple), there are the more delicate holiday cookies, baking for and with kids. I'll definitely be doing some of that. I mean, Boaz was making cookies before he was two! And I love, love, love the holiday gift giving section, complete with shipping instructions and my fave...cookie and brownie mixes in a jar!

The book came out perfectly timed for the holidays, so run, don't walk to get your copy. I know several people who'll be getting some special gifts this year.

Classic Lebanese Cuisine

In my world there are really three types of cookbooks....ones that are simply filled with great recipes ...my go to section when I really don't know what I want to cook, reference books when I need to understand what I'm doing or trying some new technique, and last but definitely not least, those that tell wonderful stories about places I want to go to ...and of course the foods I would eat there.

Classic Lebanese Cuisine crosses back and forth into all three categories. And particularly on days like today...dreary, cold and damp, when I wish I was somewhere warm, it perfectly captures my mood.
That and the lovely bowl of Lentil Soup with Ruby Swiss Chard and Lemon to savor while leisurely reading it.

I love the Mediterranean...and here's a little trivia for you...21 countries/states have border on the Mediterranean Sea. I love the diversity, the healthy foods eaten as a matter of course, rather than as a "diet". So when I was asked to review this book, I jumped at the chance. Please remember that although I do receive evaluation copies, I only write about books that truly capture me. And this one does that in spades. But let me back up a bit.

Chef Kamal Al-Faqih is a Lebanese American who grew up in Washington DC, much of it spent in his mother's kitchen learning the true essence of all that is wonderful about Lebanese cooking...how healthy it is, how much care and attention is given to the layering of flavors that produces such mouth-watering and soul warming treats, and how great food is the heart of a great meal. He spent 20 years as a preeminent caterer in DC before moving out to California.

The book is filled with wonderful recipes that marry Lebanese traditional dishes with local North American ingredients. And even better, (here's the "reference book" part)...each recipe starts out with a listing of specialty ingredients and where you can find them; special equipment you might need...and don't panic, that includes things like food processors and candy/meat thermometers...plus tips on what can be prepared in advance, and when....all so we can be organized and create fantastic dishes in our own kitchens with little or no stress. After all, the cook should enjoy the gathering too.

Before you even get to the first recipe (in the Mezza or appetizer section...my personal favorite - I could easily eat an entire meal of these delicacies) there are helpful techniques for handling fillo dough, measuring flour, recycling oil, etc..

Each section has a lovely introduction ...a walk down memory lane to his homeland where he lived as a child. And each recipe has its own little story to have you savoring the dishes before you even get to the list of ingredients. From falafel with tahini sauce, to hummus (my favorite chickpea & tahini dip to the more complicated Lamb Turbans or lahm bi Ajeen (have no fear there's a photo tutorial to help you through the shaping) a filling of ground lamb, onions, tomato and pomegranate with toasted pine nuts are wrapped turban style in an easy to make dough and baked....You know that my daughter and I will definitely be spending a weekend soon making a batch of these.

And while it's true that I could...and will make an entire meal of the close to thirty recipes in this section alone!...there are delicious salads...using local vegetables in a tahini dressing, lots of lemon, parsley and garlic for the lovely potato salad or one of my own favorite Lebanese dishes...Tabbouli - parsley, bulgar wheat salad...fantastic! On to the main course...if you still have room, that is. This is my personal list of "must try soon" dishes...shiekh el Mihshi - beef & pinenut stuffed eggplant. This recipe even helps you choose the best eggplant. The Cardamom chicken with rice looks awesome as does a Chicken Curry made with apple cider vinegar, Granny Smith apples, a banana, allspice and cinnamon in addition to curry powder...that's definitely up soon. Roasted Lemon - Garlic Chicken and a stunning presentation of tilapia with Jalapeno Pine Nut Sauce . Wonderful sides that could easily become a meal like makhlouta - mixed bean sew or shroba keema - miniature meatball soup. Lots of vegetarian dishes that will really satisfy even the carnivores at the table.

And of course we can't forget the desserts from classic baklava and koul weshkor - cashew crescents, ghreibi - sugar cookies to katayef bi kushta - mini pancakes with cream.

I know this cookbook with its wonderful recipes will keep me smiling through the long dreary winter months.

Clean Food

I was fortunate enough to be sent Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source with More Than 200 Recipes for a Healthy and Sustainable You by Terry Walters' publicist.

It seems that lots of books this Fall are focusing on eating local, eating seasonally and I, for one am grateful. It's only in the last couple of years that I've really become such a vocal fan of local farmers markets and the wonderful fresh produce, artisan cheeses, breads and more... to really appreciate that my inner voice craves different things at different times of the year...and that sustainability is important. Have I always enjoyed asparagus and fiddleheads in spring, a tomato and corn on the cob in late August - absolutely. Am I a Crusader? No, I'm not, but every little bit helps and when it tastes so good, why wouldn't I try to eat that way?

But let's get back to the book and what exactly "Clean Food" means. And since Terry Walters said it so well...

"If you can read (the ingredients on the label) it, or imagine how it grows, it's clean...naturally grown and minimally processed....The more our food is processed, the more of its natural nutrients are lost."

"For most of us, eating clean is not as much a matter of learning what to eat, as it is of applying what we already know."

And my favorite....

"Eat...
...all the colors of the rainbow
...all five tastes
...a varied diet
...locally grown, seasonal foods
and
Enjoy your food and mealtime."

The book has wonderful tips on how to go about doing that, which tools to use, explanations and definitions to guide you through the recipes. And, I must mention, the book is arranged by season...not to say I don't already have my eyes on some hearty winter soups like Golden Split Pea that's very intriguing (not to mention quite different than the one I grew up enjoying).

So far I've made the Savory Black Bean Soup that had everyone asking for doggy bags
and the Autumn Harvest Soup that we enjoyed at our Thanksgiving Dinner with the neighbors. The dried shitake mushrooms made a rich mushroomy broth that was the base, the fresh ginger and the mirin and tamari added a wonderful, yet subtle Asian taste to the local carrots, and kale.

All the recipes looks wonderful, but I have to admit, I'm focused on Fall and Winter for now. Tuscan Bean Soup...Winter Squash & Aduki Bean Soup...I'm drooling just thinking about them. And while I admit to being a card carrying carnivore, this very vegan friendly book still will be used often.

Earth to Table

From the front cover of Earth to Table right through to the back...this is an awesome book, filled with glorious photos and so much more. I knew I was going to love it when I read the cover inner jacket...

"There is nothing more delicious than a tomato still warm from the sun, or a strawberry so perfectly ripe it stains your fingers"

This is a book to savour...every word, every profile story....(chef's like Thomas Keller of The French Laundry and Dan Barber of Blue Hill at Stone Barns)...every spotlight (from composting to dairy, to seafood and meat)...every "how to" (my favorite being farmers markets)...and every recipe - all organized by season.

The book, as the title would suggest is about eating locally, which means, eating seasonally and "letting nature write the menu"....Seriously, don't you love the language?!

Chef Jeff Crump, is a Canadian Slow Food pioneer and Executive Chef at the Ancaster Old Mill Inn not far from Toronto, Ontario. He's worked with the likes of Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in California before settling down in the fertile heartland of Ontario. His credentials are impressive, but mostly it's his philosophy I admire. More quotes I love.....

"If the world were fair we'd have celebrity farmers".

"Food is important. It puts in physical form many of the things we value in life. It tells us who we are, and what kind of lives we dream of living. Food is all about what's best in life".

"Chefs don't make food, and farmers don't make food - food is the result of a long and largely hidden process"

"Slow Food is not an ideological position...it does not mean slow cooking, it just means not fast food....Slow Food is (simply) 'good food' "

Jeff teams up with Bettina Schormann who has won numerous awards and is the awesome Pastry Chef at the Ancaster Old Mill.

And the recipes....they are grouped by season from delightful treats like fiddleheads (my all time Spring harbinger), a salad of peas, feta and mint, a salsa verde that I can still make this time of year thanks to my local farmers market and some excellent local hot house farming).

On to Summer...I want them all, but especially can't wait for the cherry clafoutis and the plum tarts. The "how to" for summer is all about canning and preserving all those glorious fruits and vegetables to be enjoyed all winter long.

Next up is Fall, from cranberries to leeks, pumpkins and squash, the choices are endless...like wild mushroom and roasted corn pizza and, one of my favorite meals...braised short ribs. Naturally there are apple tarts and mile high pumpkin pie.

Even Winter...my least favorite season has some lovely recipes that already have me drooling and I know will bring a smile to my face on the gloomiest of days...herbed dumplings, roasted root vegetables, apple cider muffins....

Admittedly, there are many a dish I will be preparing that cross over the seasons. This La Bomba condiment will be a staple well into the winter months and beyond.

All in all, this is one very special book on so many levels. Do yourself a favour and check it out.

A Tavola!

Roughly translated, A Tavola! means "dinner's ready" or "come and eat" and it's the perfect title for my latest find, A Tavola!: Recipes and Reflections on Traditional Italian Home Cooking (Culinary Institute of America Dining)

First let me say...I love ethnic foods of every part of the world, but top of the list, especially for comfort food is Italian. I suppose that's no surprise given that I started Presto Pasta Night Roundups more than two years ago. Or that my very first dinner party (at age 16) was lasagna with Caesar Salad and Garlic bread.

But there's more to this book than just a collection of awesome, authentic Italian recipes. It's about Tradition, with a capital T. Although my family comes from Russia, or Poland or the Ukraine, depending, as my father used to say...on the day and who was in power...and there is a legend that before that we lived in Spain. All I know is that I feel most at home when I'm preparing and eating Italian food. Perhaps it's movies like The Godfather with women in their kitchens that remind me of my own childhood...those wonderful smells, the cacophony of clanging pots, shrieking children, lively adult discussions, laughter and, most important, the image of my grandmother with her big apron, pockets filled with treats for us....whatever it is, the opening line on the book jacket says it best...

"Life unfolds around an Italian table"

My point being, this lovely book, with its stories and recipes had me in Heaven from page one. The authors, Chef Gianni Scappin and Vincenzo Lauria team up to share their own regional experiences growing up in different parts of Italy. One thing is consistent...pride in their food, their traditions and their families. It's no wonder the entire world is climbing on board the Slow Food Movement which started in Italy. And did I mention that the book is part of the Culinary Institute of America's Dinner Series?....always wonderful!

The photos are spectacular and will have you drooling from Antipasti e zuppe, pizze e focaccie, secondi all the way to digestivi, liquori e dolci...it even sounds delightful. Too bad I couldn't find any eggplant at the market today, because the melanzane in agrodolce or Caponata will definitely be on the weekend menu. It's a popular dish in Southern Italy, served on toasted bread, with grilled fish, to top fresh ricotta or my personal favorite...with fatinata ligure (a chickpea flatbread...recipe included!). All the recipes have intros like that...where the dish is common, how and when to serve it...but not in a clinical way. Rather, in that warm and friendly, homey way..."If you have extra guests coming over with little or no notice...." kind of intros.

All have Italian names that roll of the tongue and melt in your mouth...with English subtitles just to clarify. Who can resist minestra maritata or "married" soup from Campania that has me drooling...or the pizzas, rice dishes, pastas and secondi or main course dishes like pepoo di manzo con la zucca (peppery beef stew with butternut squash)...one of the many I have earmarked.

In fact, I've only actually made one dish so far (too busy reading and rereading) - Pizza di Spaghetti. I just couldn't resist it and it took so little time and effort I know I'll be making it often. We were such little piggies we ate the entire dish even though it should have served four! Forget the salad, just enjoy!

If you love everything Italian...you will love this book.

The Best of Chef at Home

If you're like me, you have a few favorite celebrity chefs that you like to watch on TV or perhaps are even lucky enough to get to see in person. And if you're like me, you hungrily gobble up each new cookbook they come up with. But I bet you never attended a launch where every single recipe was made and served!

Chef Michael Smith is one of my favorite chefs. I've been lucky enough to spend an hour or so chatting with him recently. And even luckier to get to go to Prince Edward Island, his home turf and where he's the Food Ambassador to sample some of PEI's Fall Flavours - the second annual and most awesome food festival anywhere...more than 150 events spread over 10 days. Expect the full story over at Foodtv's blog soon.

So let's talk about the launch for a second...because, seriously it's not often...if ever that you can really get to sample dishes from a cookbook before you even take it home. All 120 recipes were prepared by the student chefs at the Culinary Institute of Canada (right in Charlottetown, PEI) for 150 guests at 25 tables. Each table had its own menu and a lazy Susan where soup was in pots and the rest of the dishes in serving bowls and platters, very family style, for everyone to share. It was even encouraged to go visit the other tables and taste a sample of their menus. One word...delicioso!
So naturally, as soon as I got back home I had to try a few out myself...especially the decadent Cream of Mushroom Soup that was as spectacular when I made it as it was at the dinner.
And served it with some Frozen Butter Biscuits that were so easy and so tasty, I'm still shaking my head.
Let me tell you that my Honey...who really does love my cooking said that the Tuscan Steak Salad was the best meal he's ever eaten and I tend to agree.

One thing I particularly love about the Chef at Home Series, is that each week, Michael Smith doesn't follow a recipe per se, he helps us understand what works well with what and takes a lot of the mystery out of the cooking process. His new book continues with that theme. Each recipe ...don't worry, there are real recipes...has a stunning full page photo of the dish to give you a droolingly delicious perspective of what it will look like. And each recipe has an intro giving his own take as to why the dish is special and a "Freestyle Variation" paragraph that provides a little history about the dish, along with some alternative ingredients.

Up next...perhaps a vegetarian dinner or two to combat all that richness of the Mushroom Soup and all the other goodies I ate in PEI...Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry sounds enticing as does the Moroccan Couscous and Chickpeas. This is definitely one book that will be used often.