I've said this before and I'm going to say it again. I'm a tough nut to crack when it comes to cookbooks. As a food writer and a mother of three children, I read cookbooks with a critical eye and expect them to meet the mark when it comes to performance in my home kitchen.I don't have the time or the patience for fluffy cookbooks that offer poorly written recipes. I look at it this way...cookbooks require a double investment. Of course weinvest in them when we purchase them. We then invest in them again when we trust the recipe and fork over more dough to recreate the concoctions presented by the author. When a recipe fails to perform,your investment essentially doesa double dip. This, of course, can lead to someunsavory moments in the kitchen!
When I receivedan advance copy ofIna Garten's new cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, Recipes You Can Trust, I was immediately pleased. I kid you not when I tell you that I earmarked numerous recipes within seconds of cracking the binder. This is Ina's eighth book and it features 100 elegant recipes and 150 beautiful photographs. Throughout the book, Ina shares her foolproof tips and suggestions for crafting beautiful meals in a streamlined manner. She gives us all a taste of her personal style and love of teaching when she shares an anecdotal story about helping her assistant, Barbara,hunker down and pull off a rehearsal party. Ina explains how she helped Barbara get organized so she could host the party affordably and with confidence.
Iworked at Ina's specialty shopmore than25 years ago, so I was excited to put some of her new creations to the test. The first recipe that I created was the Spinach with Feta and Pine Nuts. The straightforward recipe calls for olive oil, onion,fresh spinach, feta, lemon, and pine nuts and the technique basically calls for sauteing the spinach with the onions and oil and then adding the lemon, toasted pine nuts and feta at the end. When I served the fabulous dish to myself for lunch, Iwas quitepleased with the results and the fact that my version looked similar to the one in the book.
The second recipe that I tested was the Raspberry Crumble Bars. Oh boy! These are a slam dunk buttery delicious winner! I love that the recipe calls for simple baking ingredients such as butter, sugar, vanilla, raspberry jam, almonds, and granola.The end result reminded me that basic can be more beautiful than fancy! (Ina has posted this recipe on her blog, so check it out here.)
I have other recipes thatI plan to try in the next few weeks, but I wanted to get the ball rolling on Foolproof! The book won't be released until October 30, but you can preorder a copy here.
Photo by Melissa A. Trainer
--Melissa A. Trainer
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