Good Reads

I recently discovered a few cookbooks that I just can't get my head out of...

 

Sauces, by James Peterson takes you really in depth in sauce-making techniques. He explains each ingredient's origin and tells you which brands are the best. Peterson explains the best pots and pans to use and determines the differences among surfaces, whether they be non-stick, anodized, cast iron, etc. and when and why it is necessary to use each one. For example, did you know that if you're planning on deglazing a pan after browning meat or fish it is ESSENTIAL to use a stainless steel pan to make a really great sauce? This is because the meat leaves a delicious crust on the pan that the deglazing picks up and adds great dimension to any sauce. This crust won't occur with a nonstick surface. This book is full of useful information that can help out so much!

I love how the Spice Bible walks you through each spice, telling you a bit of it's history, where it is found, and it's different uses around the world, along with different recipe for each spice. It also tells you what other spices each one is related to. It will tell you how to select your spices, whether it's most advantageous to buy the spices whole or ground, and how to store your spices. The Spice Bible also explains lots of different pastes and spice mixtures, too. A fun fact: mace comes from the same plant as nutmeg; it is the lacy outer casing of the nutmeg seed! Though, their cooking purposes are completely different. Also cardamom is the most expensive spice in the world, next to the vanilla bean. (A helpful shopping hint: You can get high quality fresh cardamom pods at frontiercoop.com for dirt cheap ($29.79/lb) That's about 50 cents for a small spice canister! You can also find these at Family Fresh Market if you have one nearby. Another useful tip it has is invest in a good, large mortar and pestle (my husband from Genoa, Italy is smiling at me) and you will never go wrong! Dry roast your whole seeds or pods before crushing them with the pestle to maximize their flavor and make your whole kitchen smell like a dream! The fragrance they'll produce is worth the extra effort!

Lobel's Meat Bible covers every imaginable meat whether it be beef, veal, pork, lamb, poultry, rabbit, or game. My favorite part is how they explain the different cuts of meat, how to select each one, the purposes of each cut, and the different names for same cuts around the world. The Lobel's share their extensive knowledge of the differing tastes, textures, flavors, and  fat contents. A few nights ago I made a mouth-watering recipe from this book that gives you a taste of Thailand:

Pork Satay serves 4 as an appetizer

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped shallot
• 2 tbsp chopped lemongrass (or a combination of lemon/lime/ginger zest)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seed, toasted and ground
• 1 tsp coriander seed, toasted and ground
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 1/4 c peanut oil or vegetable oil
• generous 3/4 lb pork loin or tenderloin cut into bite size strips
• Satay Sauce (recipe follows)

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients but the pork and the satay sauce in a food processor into a smooth paste. Marinate meat at room temperature for 1 hour or in the fridge for 3 hours.
2. Closest to the broiler, broil meat for about 3 min./side on a baking sheet. Make sure the door is propped open with a wooden spoon, so we don't have a fire!

Satay Sauce makes 1.25 c

•  3/4 c canned coconut milk
• 2 tbsp chunky, unsweetened natural peanut butter 
• 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 3 tbsp tamarind concentrate (or lemon/lime juice)
• 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar (skip this if your peanut butter is already sweetened)

Preparation

1. Bring coconut milk to simmer. Ad the peanut butter, and stir until dissolved. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and remove from heat.
2. Allow to cool to room temperature; it should thicken. Serve as a dipping sauce along with pork bites.

 ~Check these books out at the library at least, if you're curious! Lately, I've been hoarding practically all of the library's cookbooks at my house. It's no longer my secret "indulgence."~