Following Kerry's lead, I've signed on to Blogging for Books - a service that provides bloggers with books in return for honest reviews. I cannot tell you how excited I was to receive that first book! And here's that first review:
My initial reaction to the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen was awe at its visual appeal. The volume is entirely handwritten, with doodles and embellishments rather than any food photography. I thought this was neat because it feels a lot like using your great grandma's old recipe cards or following a trusted recipe jotted down by the friend who brought it to the party. The absence of photos gave me a little pause at first, but as I eagerly flipped through each page I noticed a trend that put my mind at ease: every ingredient, every technique, every suggestion was one that I was somewhat if not completely familiar with. The recipes don't need photos because they are honest, simple, and focused on flavor combinations instead of wild skills and presentation. That first night I read through half the book with pink post-its, tagging what seemed like every other recipe as a potential one to try this week. Above all, my favorite aspect of this cookbook is the adaptability and suggested variability of each recipe. Not only are you given a recipe for gingered carrot soup, you are also given multiple serving suggestions and notes about freezing/reheating and the feeling that Mollie Katzen is telling you "this is kind of what I did, but make it your own!" I appreciate this sense of learning a method rather than a recipe because it encourages creativity and guided experimentation in the kitchen. I also thought the multiple serving suggestions (accompanying a large percentage of the recipes) were really neat because I am often cooking for one maybe two and it's helpful to have a dish that can be used many different ways rather than being stuck eating the same thing every day for a week. All of the recipes are vegetarian, but meat can easily be incorporated if that's your jam.
The Moosewood Cookbook has been around for a while (mine is the 40th Anniversary Edition) and has many acclaims, but this was my first time hearing of it. One read through and one recipe tried (Gingered Carrot Soup) and I can already tell why this is a classic cookbook in so many collections. It is easy to follow, easy to execute, and darn tasty.
Obligatory disclosure: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
My initial reaction to the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen was awe at its visual appeal. The volume is entirely handwritten, with doodles and embellishments rather than any food photography. I thought this was neat because it feels a lot like using your great grandma's old recipe cards or following a trusted recipe jotted down by the friend who brought it to the party. The absence of photos gave me a little pause at first, but as I eagerly flipped through each page I noticed a trend that put my mind at ease: every ingredient, every technique, every suggestion was one that I was somewhat if not completely familiar with. The recipes don't need photos because they are honest, simple, and focused on flavor combinations instead of wild skills and presentation. That first night I read through half the book with pink post-its, tagging what seemed like every other recipe as a potential one to try this week. Above all, my favorite aspect of this cookbook is the adaptability and suggested variability of each recipe. Not only are you given a recipe for gingered carrot soup, you are also given multiple serving suggestions and notes about freezing/reheating and the feeling that Mollie Katzen is telling you "this is kind of what I did, but make it your own!" I appreciate this sense of learning a method rather than a recipe because it encourages creativity and guided experimentation in the kitchen. I also thought the multiple serving suggestions (accompanying a large percentage of the recipes) were really neat because I am often cooking for one maybe two and it's helpful to have a dish that can be used many different ways rather than being stuck eating the same thing every day for a week. All of the recipes are vegetarian, but meat can easily be incorporated if that's your jam.
The Moosewood Cookbook has been around for a while (mine is the 40th Anniversary Edition) and has many acclaims, but this was my first time hearing of it. One read through and one recipe tried (Gingered Carrot Soup) and I can already tell why this is a classic cookbook in so many collections. It is easy to follow, easy to execute, and darn tasty.
Obligatory disclosure: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
I keep eyeing this cookbook! Thanks for pretty much convincing me to get it :)
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