The Modern Dairy – Annie Bell

The Modern Dairy: Nourishing Recipes Using Milk, Yogurt, Cheese, and Cream by Annie Bell was published last year in the UK and was released in March of this year in the US.

Dairy is a nutritional powerhouse and is making a comeback. It offers the richest natural source of calcium and has a host of other vitamins, minerals, and high-quality nutrients. As more and more studies show that fat is more friend than foe, the time has come to rediscover and reinvent all the wonderful products that start with milk.

In The Modern Dairy, Annie Bell explains the science behind this food’s goodness and how to make the smartest decisions at the market. She then offers more than 100 original recipes that celebrate dairy in healthy ways and reflect the way we cook and eat today.

Chapters include “Homemade” with flavored yogurts, fromage frais, and whipped sweet and savory butters. There are delicious “Melts” such as a Fennel, gorgonzola and rosemary pizza. Vegetarians will find plenty of satisfying dishes such as Broccoli and quinoa pilaf with crispy feta, a Very tomatoey mac ‘n’ cheese, and Eggs with smoky cauliflower and manchego. Desserts range from the indulgence of a Parisian blackcurrant cheesecake to a Chocolate and pear cake with chile syrup.

Beautiful photographs, nourishing recipes and dairy, what more do you need – you need a copy of this book so enter our giveaway below! If you don’t want to wait to see if you win, this title is at an incredible price right now.

Special thanks to Kyle Books for sharing the Very tomatoey mac ‘n’ cheese (speedy and slow versions) recipe with our members today. 

Very tomatoey mac ‘n’ cheese 

Most of us would sell our souls for a good bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese, happily disregarding good intentions. So I hope that this alternative version in which a tomato sauce replaces the usual rich white one will win friends. You still get generous pockets of gooey cheese, and a lovely crispy top, but it is altogether fresher. The gold standard here involves making your own slowcooked sauce, and I would up the quantity, as it freezes beautifully. But otherwise, some good store-bought tomato sauce will still turn out a decent mac ‘n’ cheese.

Serves 6

Speedy Version
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  • 10½ ounces macaroni pasta
  • 3 cups fresh storebought tomato sauce
  • 2⁄3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 6 ounces Gruyère, cut into thin strips about an inch long
  • 1 cup cocktail or grape tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • ¼ cup Parmesan, freshly grated

Preheat the oven to 425°F (400°F convection). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni to the pot, stir, and cook until almost tender, then drain it into a colander and return it to the pot. Toss with the tomato sauce and mix in the sun-dried tomatoes and the Gruyère. Transfer to a 12-inch oval gratin or other similar-sized ovenproof dish. You could also make it in large individual bowls, so each one serves two. Toss the tomatoes with the oil and salt and pepper and scatter over the top, then top with the Parmesan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden and sizzling.

HIGH IN VIT D | SOURCE OF VITS A, E, CALCIUM, PHOSPHORUS Cal 513 | Fat 26.6g | Sat fat 10.2g | Carbs 47.1g | Sugar 6.6g | Protein 19.1g | Salt 1.9g

Slowly does it version
Add this recipe to your Bookshelf (click the blue +Bookshelf button).

  • 2¼ pounds vine tomatoes, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 10½ ounces macaroni pasta
  • 2⁄3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 7 ounces Comté, cut into thin strips about an inch long
  • 1 cup cocktail or grape tomatoes, quartered
  • ¼ cup Parmesan, freshly grated

Place the tomatoes in a medium saucepan, cover, and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring them occasionally, until they collapse. Pass through a strainer or a food mill and return to the pan, washing it out if necessary. Add the butter, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and some seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer very gently, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes until thickened but still of a thin pouring consistency, stirring toward the end. The sauce can be prepared in advance, in which case cover and set aside.

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and preheat the oven to 425°F (400°F convection).

Add the pasta to the pan, stir, and cook until almost tender, then drain it into a colander and return it to the pan. Toss with the sauce and mix in the sun-dried tomatoes and the Comté.

Transfer to a 12-inch oval gratin or other similar-sized ovenproof dish. Toss the tomatoes with the remaining oil and a little seasoning and scatter with, then top with the Parmesan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden and sizzling.

SOURCE OF VITS A, E, C, CALCIUM, PHOSPHOROUS Cal 469 | Fat 23.7g | Sat fat 10.9g | Carbs 42.4g | Sugar 7.1g | Protein 19.3g | Salt 0.9g

Recipe reprinted with permission of Kyle Books from The Modern Dairy. Photo credit: Con Poulos.

The publisher is offering three copies of this book to EYB Members in the US and UK. One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index would you try first?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won’t be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Be sure to check your spam filters to receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on July 17th, 2018.

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84 Comments

  • matag  on  May 29, 2018

    Mexican smoky chicken and pepper stew

  • contest718  on  May 29, 2018

    Mexican smoky chicken and pepper stew

  • horselady57  on  May 29, 2018

    Vanilla cinnamon butter!

  • jmay42066  on  May 29, 2018

    Parma ham, olive and mozzarella cocktail

  • sgump  on  May 29, 2018

    The watercress and pistachio soup sounds deliciously green!

  • ravensfan  on  May 29, 2018

    Chocolate nut butter

  • Kimmaicutler  on  May 29, 2018

    Lime and star anise butter for the corn

  • icicle  on  May 29, 2018

    Cherry pistachio slice sounds intriguing to me.

  • MiMi60  on  May 29, 2018

    I would try the Avocado, Parmesan and salad sprouts.

  • lean1  on  May 29, 2018

    I would like to make Green Goddess Ricotta.

  • demomcook  on  May 29, 2018

    Labna

  • Shana.  on  May 29, 2018

    chocolate nut butter

  • AndieEats  on  May 29, 2018

    Burrata and fig!

  • eatysmith  on  May 29, 2018

    "Which recipe in the index would you like to try first?" Yogurt – the basic recipe!

  • JRumi  on  May 30, 2018

    Chicken and spelt with buttermilk sauce

  • NaomiH  on  May 30, 2018

    French Toastie

  • sarahawker  on  May 30, 2018

    Walnut and rye soda bread

  • lhudson  on  May 30, 2018

    Mexican smoky chicken and pepper stew

  • kmn4  on  May 30, 2018

    Chilled cucumber, hazelnut and yogurt soup

  • Laura1  on  May 30, 2018

    Green goddess ricotta

  • southerncooker  on  May 30, 2018

    Very tomatoey mac 'n' cheese. I added the recipe to my bookshelf. Planning on making this soon.

  • AsTheNight  on  May 30, 2018

    I want to make spinach and anchovy bulgar-otto. Just look at the list of ingredients! It must be super yum!

  • lpatterson412  on  May 30, 2018

    Walnut and Rye Soda Bread!!

  • DelaDebbie  on  May 31, 2018

    Chocolate nut butter

  • jifar  on  May 31, 2018

    Turkish chicken stew with sumac yogurt

  • RSW  on  June 1, 2018

    Quark

  • bettinab  on  June 1, 2018

    Spicy treacle yogurt

  • Siegal  on  June 1, 2018

    Vanilla cinnamon butter sounds great

  • riley  on  June 2, 2018

    Roasted red pepper, goats cheese and mint dip

  • dbielick  on  June 3, 2018

    Smoked salmon, lemon and quark paté

  • t.t  on  June 3, 2018

    Chicken with za'atar and aubergine yogurt

  • Sazjb  on  June 4, 2018

    Turkish chicken stew

  • kkarin  on  June 4, 2018

    Fromage Frais for sure

  • EmilyR  on  June 4, 2018

    Halloumi burgers with lemon and mint

  • rchesser  on  June 5, 2018

    Eggs with smoky cauliflower and Manchego .

  • HungryJamie  on  June 6, 2018

    Greek salad stack

  • Katiefayhutson  on  June 7, 2018

    Chocolate Nut Butter

  • mpdeb98  on  June 7, 2018

    Pistachio and cherry slice

  • bangss  on  June 9, 2018

    The tomato and Rose petal butter sounds amazing!

  • LaurenE  on  June 10, 2018

    Burrata and fig

  • kelliwinter  on  June 15, 2018

    Honey butter

  • Radley  on  June 18, 2018

    Chocolate,pear and chilli cake

  • lauriesk  on  June 21, 2018

    Mexican smoky chicken and pepper stew

  • ladybrooke  on  June 21, 2018

    Three cheese and tomato muffins

  • Shelley.b  on  June 21, 2018

    Burrata and fig

  • floridagld  on  June 23, 2018

    One of the very best salad dressings I have ever eaten was in a restaurant I was an employee at. It was so good Paul Newman would order cases of it.
    It was anchovy based.
    I would try Buttered anchovy paste first and add too my recipe.

  • jenniebakes  on  June 23, 2018

    Oh, I want to try the chilled cucumber, hazelnut, and yogurt soup – we're just hitting cucumber season here and it sounds so refreshing.

  • ktpotat  on  June 23, 2018

    Party Peppadews

  • shines5  on  June 23, 2018

    Quail egg salad with buttermilk dressing

  • Julia  on  June 23, 2018

    Quark and American Blue Cheese dip

  • sequoia55  on  June 23, 2018

    Mexican smoky chicken and pepper stew

  • Jenamarie  on  June 23, 2018

    Gazpacho salad with Manchego and olives

  • HomespunHouse  on  June 23, 2018

    Spinach and ricotta gnocchi

  • percussion03  on  June 23, 2018

    Grilled halloumi salad with cos and almonds

  • keizerfire  on  June 24, 2018

    I want to make the vanilla cinnamon butter, and a lot more!

  • lgroom  on  June 24, 2018

    Green goddess ricotta

  • Soosie  on  June 24, 2018

    Very tomatoey mac ‘n’ cheese of course!

  • PeavineBlues  on  June 25, 2018

    Keffir

  • thewoobdog  on  June 25, 2018

    Roast chicken with cider gravy!

  • Sfgordon  on  June 25, 2018

    Sweet potato and cumin soup with feta yogurt

  • TanyaD  on  June 26, 2018

    Chocolate nut butter

  • KarenDel  on  June 26, 2018

    I'd make Labna

  • artthecat  on  June 26, 2018

    Farfalle with roasted tomatoes and Gorgonzola

  • Scotsman61  on  June 26, 2018

    Walnut and Rye Soda Bread

  • tennyogirl  on  June 27, 2018

    Sweet potato and cumin soup with feta yogurt

  • Julia  on  June 28, 2018

    Turkish chicken stew with sumac yogurt

  • VeryVigario  on  June 28, 2018

    Celery, apple and Gorgonzola soup

  • cake17uk  on  June 29, 2018

    I'd try Halloumi burgers with lemon and mint

  • parnassus  on  June 29, 2018

    damn, Spinach and anchovy bulgar-otto

  • Dannausc  on  July 1, 2018

    Quark

  • bettinab  on  July 1, 2018

    Green Goddess ricotta

  • orchidlady01  on  July 2, 2018

    Quark and Herb Butter

  • starzine  on  July 2, 2018

    I would like to try Grilled halloumi with cos and almond salad.

  • jemans  on  July 2, 2018

    The eggs with smoky cauliflower and manchego sound right up my alley!

  • wanderlavender  on  July 2, 2018

    I would love to try the Halloumi-harissa roast veg!

  • Aproporpoise  on  July 3, 2018

    I’m going to try the basic yogurt first.

  • Nkrieda78  on  July 5, 2018

    The tomato and rose petal butter sounds so interesting!

  • ebs  on  July 7, 2018

    Five-hour orange rice pud

  • monasli  on  July 9, 2018

    Labna and tomatoey mac n cheese

  • Teruska  on  July 9, 2018

    I'd make Party Peppadews to nosh on while I make the Farfalle with Roasted Tomatoes and Gorgonzola.

  • Ishtar  on  July 12, 2018

    French beans, figs and feta

  • Terrill  on  July 12, 2018

    Three cheese and tomato muffins!

  • Lmocooks  on  July 14, 2018

    Sweet potato and cumin soup with feta yogurt

  • pipinita21  on  July 17, 2018

    Green Goddess ricotta!!

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