Nourish Me Home by Cortney Burns Cookbook Review

Growing up in the Midwest, Cortney Burns has always held an appreciation for food. After cooking professionally in Australia, Burns moved to the San Francisco area and worked in various restaurants before additional travel took her to Idaho, Seattle, and Hawaii. In 2008 she returned to the San Francisco area and in 2011 joined Nick Bella at Bar Tartine where she co-authored Bar Tartine: Techniques & Recipes. The talented chef now splits her time between the Cape Cod area and New Hampshire.

Last month, Nourish Me Home: 125 Soul-Sustaining, Elemental Recipes was released and it is an absolute stunner. More than a collection of recipes, it is a guide to finding your own in the kitchen with a focus on well-being and nutrition. There is also a feeling of comfort and “home” in the dishes shared. Recipes are detailed and include instructions for simplifying dishes, notes on techniques, with some dishes sharing seasonal variations, and gardening tips.

This title is broken down as follows: Filling the pot, Weaving roots, Of feathers, scales and fur, Larder, Weaving maple into silk, and Imagination and alchemy. The larder is the backbone of Burns’ kitchen and accordingly, this section of the book is reflective of that statement. It is abundant in recipes and techniques including drying, preserving, spice blends, infused oils, and much more.

Shallot soup with charred broccolini and Roman gnocchi, Brined whole chicken, and Mom’s pot roast are at home next to Buckwheat dumplings with cabbage and hasselback squash, Charred lettuces with green tahini, and Vernal Equinox salad. The desserts chapter provides inspiration with recipes such as Hazelnut and orange blossom custard with salt-roasted pears and Chocolate and fir tip cookies.

The author opens the book with this paragraph: “This is a book about uprooting in order to reroot. It’s about self-discovery, the search for home, and nourishing one’s heart and soul. From the garden to the kitchen, and everywhere in between, shadows and all, these are the methods and recipes that make me feel healthy, strong, and nourished.”

I hope you will check out this book and feel as nourished as I do after reading and spending time in its brilliance. There are two online recipes for you to try now:

• Chicken wings in garlic butter
• Mom’s pot roast