Food Glorious Food

I am a cookbook lover. I get ideas from them and find them comforting. I read them on snowy winter nights tucked into my flannel sheets, dreaming of exotic smells in far-flung locales. I browse them on summer weekends as the scent of charcoal and cooking meat wafts over the arborvitae hedge. I plan menus from them for summer parties that will go long into the night. I try new recipes on long-suffering friends, family and neighbors (luckily for me they are broad-minded and willing to try anything--mostly.)

I love to cook but I am also out there at the edge. In addition to reading about classic Euro-based cuisine, I read cookbooks from cultures other than my own. With a glint in their eyes and drool on their lips, my friends bring me cookbooks and spices from their world travels.

I am fond of throwing theme parties with food, music, and décor from one country or another. (I posted before about the Moroccan Kasbah party). All of these ideas come from idly browsing cookbooks.

I give you a partial list of some of my favorite cookbooks and encourage you to curl up with a cup of tea and a good book. Or put one on your Christmas list.

Tess Mallos. Cooking Moroccan.
Madhur Jaffrey. Indian Cooking
Lidia Bastianich. Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen
Jacqueline Clarke & Joanna Farrow. Mediterranean Cooking
Nancie McDermott. Quick & Easy Thai
Rick Bayles. Mexico, One Plate at a Time
Marcella Hazan. The Classic Italian Cookbook
Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. Hot Sour Salty Sweet.

Yummy Potato Bake

I made this potato gratin for Easter last year. It comes from a photocopy of a page torn from a magazine. I have no idea what magazine nor where I got the photocopy. So my apologies for lack of citation. The guests raved about the dish. I offer it to you.

I love to cook. I love having people over for dinner. I am going to add a section to the blog on recipes and menus from the themed exotic to the everyday. Enjoy.


New-potato bake

3 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
2 Tsp salt
1 bag (9 ounces) baby spinach leaves

Sauce:
3 Tblsp unsalted butter
1 bunch scallions trimmed and chopped
3 Tblsp flour
2 C warm milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white or black pepper
1/2 lb. swiss cheese shredded. (about 2 cups)
1 Tblsp plain breadcrumbs

Heat oven to 375. Place potatoes and salt in large saucepan. Add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Simmer 8 minutes. Just before draining, add spinach. Drain.

Sauce:
In a small pan, melt the butter over med heat. Add scallions, cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle flour over the scallions and whisk to blend. In 2 additions, whisk in the warm milk until smooth. Add the S&P, cayenne and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over med heat, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 C cheese.
Coat a 13X9 with cooking spray. Layer half the potatoes and spinach in the dish; spoon half the sauce over. Sprinkle with half the remaining cheese. Top with the remaining potatoes and sauce. Sprinkle with reserved cheese.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, Top with breadcrumbs. Bake 10 minutes more until brown. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes.

I served it with ham and sugarsnap peas sauteed with shallots. I started with asparagus soup.

If you have any questions, let me know.

Meatless for a week

I am not Catholic, but this year I spontaneously decided to give up eating meat for lent. I have no idea why nor where it came from. I have been feeling sort of sluggish lately and thinking more fruits and vegeables might help. It was a casual, passing consideration. But, somehow it has been a whole week. So, many grilled cheese sandwiches, soup, roasted veggies and one dubious casserole that involved swiss chard later, I have not even craved meat. On some level it sort of skeeves me. If you know of any good vegetarian recipes, let me know. I still have 2 business trips and 5 more weeks to go.