Cooking en papillote (French for “parchment”) is a wildly overlooked method of cooking in America. It’s an easy method for a quick weeknight dinner that’s also elegant enough for guests. The smell that escapes when the package is reason enough to try it. This works well for … [Read more...] about Cooking in Parchment (video lesson)
Economy Cooking
Ratio by Michael Ruhlman
The more that I study why and how people cook at home, the more that I understand the importance of a book such as Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking (Scribner, 2009). Noted food writer Michael Ruhlman lays out a simple premise: If you understand the … [Read more...] about Ratio by Michael Ruhlman
How to Cook Without a Book
Along the same lines of Ratio, there’s How to Cook Without a Book: Recipes and Techniques Every Cook Should Know by Heart (Broadway, 2000) by Pam Anderson, author of The Perfect Recipe series. Each chapter focuses on a classic technique. Each includes a step-by-step narrative on … [Read more...] about How to Cook Without a Book
Kitchen Shelf: No Knead Bread Books
We rarely buy bread anymore. As I write this, a vat of whole wheat bread dough languishes in our fridge. Mike made the dough over the weekend and has since fashioned four loaves for various holiday eating events. All of this is possible due to the no knead artisan bread … [Read more...] about Kitchen Shelf: No Knead Bread Books
More-With-Less
More-with-Less (Herald Press, 1976, 2000) is a simple classic cookbook that you may never heard of, but if you’re concerned about making wholesome food economically, it’s one to check out. First written in 1976 by Doris Janzen Longacre in association with the Mennonite Central … [Read more...] about More-With-Less
