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orchid314When I'm really stressed, I turn to two kinds of reading: Georgette Heyer (maybe a post for another day) and cookbooks. There is something so soothing about making one's way through a recipe, turning the page, nodding in agreement with another recipe (or not, as the case may be), filing away a particular tidbit about an ingredient or a sauce for the future, etc.
I haven't cooked much lately just for fun, but there are certain cookbooks that are reliable sources when the urge does strike me:
The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis: I've never actually cooked anything from this book, but I think it may be one of the most beautiful pieces of writing I've ever come across. It's a love letter to the American countryside, a fairy tale, a restorative tonic.
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan: Some people thing Marcella is too bossy, but I like her stern precepts and being taken by the hand by someone who has Strong Opinions (that also result in fantastic dishes). I've made so many recipes from this over the years that I've lost count.
Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibáñez: I collect cookbooks about Mexican food, so I have a fair number of them, but this is the one that I cook from the most. The chapter on salsas is the best, I think. And the white rice recipe makes rice that takes like it does in Mexico. He tends to like dishes spicier than I do, so if you do try a recipe, scale back on his chile amounts and work your way up the heat ladder.
Bill Neal's Southern Cooking by Bill Neal: I'm also partial to books about Southern cooking. This is another one that I've pretty steadily cooked my way through and it's never yielded a dud. I love Neal's easy, witty voice.
What are your go-to cookbooks?
I haven't cooked much lately just for fun, but there are certain cookbooks that are reliable sources when the urge does strike me:
The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis: I've never actually cooked anything from this book, but I think it may be one of the most beautiful pieces of writing I've ever come across. It's a love letter to the American countryside, a fairy tale, a restorative tonic.
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan: Some people thing Marcella is too bossy, but I like her stern precepts and being taken by the hand by someone who has Strong Opinions (that also result in fantastic dishes). I've made so many recipes from this over the years that I've lost count.
Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibáñez: I collect cookbooks about Mexican food, so I have a fair number of them, but this is the one that I cook from the most. The chapter on salsas is the best, I think. And the white rice recipe makes rice that takes like it does in Mexico. He tends to like dishes spicier than I do, so if you do try a recipe, scale back on his chile amounts and work your way up the heat ladder.
Bill Neal's Southern Cooking by Bill Neal: I'm also partial to books about Southern cooking. This is another one that I've pretty steadily cooked my way through and it's never yielded a dud. I love Neal's easy, witty voice.
What are your go-to cookbooks?
