Orphan Train and Rhubarb Tarts

I have obviously been away from bookcooker for a while.  I was working, on vacation, distracted, uninspired, dieting, and more working.  What brought me back is not the food, but the books.  I had been off reading for a while and when I got my reading mojo back, I starting thinking about the blog again.  So I am back, and hopefully I can keep this up at some regular pace, because I missed it!   First up are these adorable strawberry rhubarb tarts, inspired by the Orphan Train, a great soap opera of a book that is perfect for summer reading. 

Simple Fresh Southern (Shrimp and Devlied Egg Salad Rolls, Collards, Greens and Eggs Migas)

 Hello friends, I have been absent for some time again.  Rather than drumming up some excuses, let's just jump right into it, k?  In the midst of a neverending, gray and snowy winter, sometimes we need a little reminder of sunnier climes and warmer times.  That's what these two recipes from The Lee Brothers Simple Fresh Southern are.  Ironically, I actually made them before snowmaggedon hit Boston, but have not posted them until now (FYI, it is snowing right now outside my window!)  The Lee Brothers are my idols.  They went to my alma mater and have put out a great series of Southern cookbooks, showcasing the food of the South and of their fabulous hometown, and one of my favorites, Charleston.  As is my practice, I have all of their cookbooks, today I will tell you a bit about their second book, and more casual than their first book, an opus of Southern Cooking  - Simple Fresh Southern.  The book has lots of modern, accessible recipes inspired by the South.  I would describe the book as "sunny" - it makes you feel upbeat and provides delicious but not overwrought dishes.  Special enough for company but easy enough to make most nights.

The VB6 Cookbook: Meatballs and Chocolate Mousse

 With January comes diets, cleanses, resolutions to be better to our bodies by eating less and working out more.  The gyms are crazed, spin and yoga studies fully booked and sales of quinoa and Kale on the rise.  I fall prey to the January resolution every year without fail.  This year I have recommitted to my fitbit, on nights I have not hit my step goal you will find me feverishly dancing around the house to rack up the steps.  I also bought a juicer, which now may crowd out my coffee pot on the counter, at least until the end of the month.  And here are these eggplant "meatballs" and avocado chocolate "mousse" from Mark Bittman's VB^ ("Vegan Before Six") cookbook.  Bittman, the long time NY Times food writer is an evangelist for healthy and environmentally responsible eating.   He always makes me feel guilty about what I am doing to my body and the planet.  I bought this book back in July, but these are the first two recipes I have made out of them.  As with most Bittman recipes, they worked well - just as he described, and were easy.  They did not wow me, but is it possible to be wowed by eggplant meatballs?  The avocado mousse grew on me.  At first bite I tasted too much avocado and not enough chocolate, but two bites in I liked that balance.  A real treat, not that healthy since it does have sugar and fat, but something you can feel a good bit better about when you need your chocolate fix. 

Ina Garten Make it Ahead: Cake, Quinoa and Ricotta

Well hello there!  Long time no see!  Happy New Year!  I am happy to be back with you and back to bookcooker.  I apologize for my long absence - no good excuse really -  lack of inspiration, lack of time, too much work, life etc...The important thing is I am back, ready to start 2015 with a bang and a blog post!  I resolve to blog more this year, this will be helped by an awesome new camera I was lucky to get as an Xmas gift that has inspired me to get back at it!  Starting the year with a visit with Ina Garten.  Now as I posted previously, I clearly have a cookbook problem with 200+ cookbooks in my home.  A good little chunk of this problem is with Ina Garten books.   I have every single on her books, which I think is 9 now?  There is just something about Ina - her personality, her style, her food and her adorable husband Jeffrey that I find irresistible.   I have cooked out of all 9 of these cookbooks, and you know what?   Not one recipe has failed.  Not one recipe has been too complicated.  And not one recipe has been "meh."  I will admit her recipes, after 9 books, can seem a bit formulaic - but it clearly a formula that works, so who am I to question?  For this post I am starting with Ina's newest book - Make it Ahead.  One thing I have noticed in that some of Ina's later cookbooks there is a bit of repetition and some of the recipes seem a tad uninspired.  But even in these books there is loads of great recipes to make, all a combination of accessible and special.  The theme of this Make it Ahead book is obviously recipes you can make ahead of time.  I am not sure how well this theme really drives the book - but like I said, there are loads of great recipes in there.  I made all of them before I ate them ; ), but not anymore than 1 day before I ate them - so not that "make ahead." The three recipes I made are a good example of the end of December to beginning of January trajectory many of us are on: a festive mocha cake (end of December) to a quinoa tabbouleh (beginning of January) with a homemade ricotta somewhere in the middle of a celebration excess and cleanse diet mentality.  All were easy, all were delicious, with perhaps the homemade ricotta as a standout  - such minimal effort, such incredible reward!