Cookbook Tidbits #2

Last month, I shared my first Cookbook Tidbits and have more for you today. These blurbs are about notable books that perhaps were not given adequate representation in my monthly review or inform our members about new to me books that just came to my attention.

---

How to Dress an Egg: Surprising and Simple Ways to Cook Dinner by Ned Baldwin and Peter Kaminsky: I was hooked from the first sentence in this book. “I know this to be true. If you can learn to cook one thing well and make a recipe truly your own, you will have opened the door to creating a lifetime’s worth of recipes.” This title covers twenty main ingredients from steak to salad and provides one reasonably foolproof basic recipe. Perhaps the author watched an episode of Worst Cooks in America and felt the need to add reasonably to quantify his statement. Each recipe also shares variations. The title is filled with beautiful photographs and dishes you can rely on.

---

Cooking with Marika: Clean Cuisine from an Estonian Farm by Marika Blossfeldt is a cookbook and nutrition guide in one. Integrating the wisdom of Eastern philosophies with the knowledge of Western science, Marika guides the reader to a deeper understanding of how food affects our entire being. She teaches us how to strengthen immunity, restore and maintain a healthy digestive tract, prevent inflammation, and lose weight – without counting calories, dieting, or deprivation. The title feels like a trip to a spa. Pamper yourself with nourishing food and self-care.

---

Bakerita: 100+ No-Fuss Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Refined Sugar-Free Recipes for the Modern Baker by Rachel Conners: The author began her blog as a hobby to share baking recipes with friends, but when she started to focus more on gluten-free, paleo, and vegan recipes to make things she could share with her sister, who was following a strict diet due to health concerns, Rachel quickly realized she was onto something. Bakerita surged in popularity as fans flocked to it for delicious and beautifully photographed recipes. Rachel has delivered a book filled with recipes that even the beginning baker can tackle along with stunning photographs and detailed instructions for such desserts as Apple spice layer cake, Chocolate, peanut butter, and banana cheesecake, and Magic cookie bars (paleo-friendly)!

---

It Starts with Fruit: Simple Techniques and Delicious Recipes for Jams * Marmalades * Preserves by Jordan Champagne: This title unlocks the secrets of mouthwatering fruit sauces and butters, delicious whole-fruit preserves, and fresh-tasting jams and marmalades from the comfort of your home kitchen. Featuring 73 recipes total that include master recipes for each type of preserve, followed by recipes for jams, marmalade, juices, syrups, shrubs, whole fruit preserves, butters, pie fillings, and dried fruits, plus a final chapter on baking with preserves, this will be a book to turn to again and again for all things jam.

---

The Official Downton Abbey Afternoon Tea Cookbook: Teatime Drinks, Scones, Savories & Sweets, The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook and The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book: Appropriate Libations for All Occasions: Before I tell you about how much I am enjoying these three titles, I will confess to being a true Britophile who has never watched an episode of Downton Abbey. The horror.

The three titles listed above are filled with classic British fare. Afternoon Tea shares recipes such as Bakewell tarts, Battenberg cakes, and Dundee cakes; while the Downton Abbey Cookbook delivers savory fare including from breakfast to dessert. Over 140 recipes are featured such as Cornish pasties, Quail and watercress, and Turbot in Hollandaise sauce.

Cocktail recipes suitable for every abbey location – the grounds, the library, the great hall are included in this sweet little title. Champagne cobbler, the Wild rose, and Summer cup to name just a few. These books are really well done and will inspire you to dip your toes into the cuisine and drinks of the abbey.