Cooking

Mar
09

Essential Cookbooks

Alright, I guess the title of this post is a little misleading. I suppose that no cookbooks are essential. Our grandmothers most likely cooked without books, written recipes, or measuring cups. The "do it right" part of my personality has a hard time figuring that one out. I don't mind going without a measuring spoon when I add the vanilla to my pancake batter, but I can't imagine making bread or biscuits without an exact measurement of flour or yeast.

Whether you're the measure-every-eigth-of-a-teaspoon-type or the throw-in-a-handful-of-this-and-that-type (or somewhere in between, like me), having some good cookbooks can be helpful. They spark our creativity and give us direction. If you're just starting out on your homemaking journey, they take the guesswork out of cooking. And if you've been at this cooking thing for decades, they add variety to your usual fare.

My cookbooks even tell a story, of sorts. Some of my favorite books easily flip open to my most-used recipes. The splatters of tomato sauce confirm that the meal has been tried, and my penciled in notes remind me of what we liked and what needed changed.

But not all cookbooks are created equal. Features I admire most in a recipe book are:

    --Hardcover - While I have a couple paperbacks on my shelf, I choose hardcover whenever possible. Not only are they more durable, they also stay open to my page more easily.

    --Photos - Color pics are not necessary, but they sure are nice.

    --Accurate recipes - I don't like recipes that don't turn out. It's a waste of my time and ingredients when I follow the directions perfectly, but still produce a flop. I especially don't appreciate books with difficult to understand instructions. I expect the recipes to be easy to follow and delicious to eat.

    --Normal ingredients - I'm fine with trying new things and experimenting with interesting ingredients, but using a particular cookbook shouldn't involve a treasure hunt every time. There needs to be a balance between challenging my comfort zone and allowing me to use what I can find (and afford!) at the grocery store.


Here are some of my "essential" cookbooks:


The New Best Recipe: All-New Edition
This cookbook is more than a collection of recipes. It's an education. It's made by the incredible people at Cooks Illustrated. They make a zillion different variations of each recipes in order to analyze every ingredient and technique. Then, they don't just tell you their conclusions, they tell you why. This is one of the best cookbooks I've ever used. Even if I change a recipe a bit or decide to use another book instead, at least I have a better understanding of what works, what doesn't, and the science behind it all. If I had to choose just one cookbook to keep from my collection (oh, the horror!), this would be the one.

 


The Best Make-Ahead Recipe
This book was also made by Cooks Illustrated, using their same meticulous trial-and-error technique. I love that it isn't a simple compilation of basic recipes that freeze well. The authors have specifically written recipes that work well enough to make ahead or freeze and still earn their stamp of approval.

 


Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition
This is a classic cookbook with countless basic recipes. It's a go-to book for me when I need a recipe for just about anything. The recipes are easy to follow and always turn out the way they should.

 

 

 


The Foster's Market Cookbook
This is one of the most beautiful books I own. The photos are great, and the food tastes as good as it looks. These are the actual recipes she uses in her own restaurants, but they're wonderfully adapted to fit the home cook. I can always count on the fact that we'll love whatever I make from Sara Foster's cookbooks. This is another book that I wouldn't want to be without.

 


Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes from Foster's Market
Like the title implies, this has even more great recipes from Sara Foster's restaurants. But this cookbook also includes recipes she uses in her own home. It is packed full of notes and variations, and the recipes are very easy to follow. If I want to make a particular food, my Foster's books are often the first place I look. Again, the photos and food are both delicious.

 

What are some of your most loved cookbooks? Share in the comments!

This post is linked to Raising Homemakers.

Do you enjoy Gospel Homemaking? You may want to consider subscribing to get free updates, tips, and The Daily Plan-It right in your email inbox or in your feed reader. How cool is that?

Mar
07

Menu Plan Monday: Easy Meals

 

My husband works a job with odd days and hours. He's rarely home for dinner unless it's one of his days off. Last week I mentioned that when he's at work I usually prepare simple meals for the kids, without a lot of variety from week to week. No two weeks are ever quite the same, but they're never completely different, either.

Here are some of the meals I choose from to keep the kids (and me!) happy:

    --Tortilla Pizza - Preheat oven to about 400. Place flour tortillas on a baking sheet. Top with tomato sauce, cheese, and other pizza toppings (don't overload them). Bake until cheese is melted and tortillas are crisp. Move pan to lower rack for a couple of minutes to crisp tortilla, if necessary.

    --Homemade Pizza - When I make pizza dough, I usually double the recipe so I can put half in a zipper bag in the freezer. On pizza day, I pull out a ball of frozen dough and place it in an oiled bowl to thaw. I top the pizzas with easy ingredients that I usually have on hand, such as cheese, ham, pepperoni, banana peppers, or olives.

    --Garlic Bread With Cheese - Served with spaghetti sauce for dipping, this has nearly the same ingredients (and nutrition) as French bread pizza.

    --Pasta with Sauce.

    --Pasta with Butter and Garlic Salt.

    --Soups - Navy Bean, black bean, lentil, or chicken and rice.

    --Beans and Rice - The next day, any leftovers are wrapped in tortillas and topped with sour cream and cheese.

    --Pancakes or Waffles with Homemade Syrup.

    --Pressed Sandwiches or Grilled Cheese.

    --Quesadillas - Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Place a flour tortilla in the pan. Top with cheese and a second tortilla (you can also put in meat, veggies, jalapenos, etc.). Place an empty skillet on top of the quesadilla as it cooks to prevent the tortillas from puffing up. When browned, flip it over and repeat on the second side. Remove from pan and use a pizza cutter to cut into wedges. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

    --Leftovers.


Here's this week's menu plan:
Breakfasts around our house tend to be a fend-for-yourself affair. I try to keep a wide enough selection of items on hand that the kids can either fix for themselves or can fix with minimal help. Also, since my husband works a job with odd hours, every meal is not a "family meal". When Dad is at work, I try to keep things simple to save time and my sanity (well, whatever sanity I have left by dinner time.). I've marked our "family meals" with an asterisk (*).

BREAKFAST
Leftover pancakes
Homemade granola
Pumpkin muffins
Cereal
Oatmeal
Eggs
Homemade bread
Toast
Yogurt
Fruit

LUNCH
*Pressed sandwiches
*Beans and Rice
Sandwiches
Cheese, lunchmeat, crackers
Boiled eggs
Leftovers
Fruit
Veggies and dip

DINNER
*Cob salad
*Pasta with Tomatoes, salad
Stuffed shells (from the freezer), salad
Chicken and rice soup, biscuits
Homemade pizza, veggies and dip
Quesadillas or Garlic Bread With Cheese, salad
Waffles, homemade syrup, applesauce

What are your favorite easy meals? Share your ideas in the comments!

Be sure to check out more menu ideas over at Menu Plan Monday.

Jan
24

Banana Bread

While I was sorting through my freezer last week, I came across a bunch of frozen bananas. Actually, I came across several bunches of frozen bananas.

Whenever I have bananas that have gotten a little too ripe, I toss them into the freezer. I don't peel them or slice them. Sometimes I don't even bother putting them into a bag. I just stick 'em in.

Now, in case you're wondering, frozen bananas look nothing like fresh bananas. They're black, mushy, and seem sort of gross. But they're perfect for banana bread. Simply let them thaw in a bowl on the counter. The bowl is important if you don't want banana juice to leak across your counter and onto the kitchen floor. Ask me how I know this.

When the bananas are thawed out and squishy, cut off the tip of the peel and slide the fruit into a strainer to allow some of the watery juices to drain. Then you can stir them into your recipe quite easily. No mashing required.

Here is my very favorite banana bread recipe. As a matter of fact, it's the only banana bread I really like. It's sweet and simple, and it's delicious when sliced thin and toasted before spreading it with butter. Oh, so good.

Banana Bread
Makes one loaf

3 bananas, frozen and thawed or mashed
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
3 Tbsp. sour milk (I usually use regular milk or milk mixed with some vinegar)
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together all the ingredients except the flour. Mix in the flour until combined. Pour into a greased loaf pan.

Bake for one hour or more, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for about five minutes before removing to a rack.

Have you ever tried freezing bananas? How about other fruits? Tell us about it in the comments!

Linked to Tasty Tuesday.

Jan
19

Make a Mix

Pancakes or waffles with homemade syrup show up on our menu pretty much every week. They're always for dinner. I always make extras. They're always a hit.

I usually serve this breakfast-style dinner with eggs or cheese slices, fruit or juice, and some sort of veggie. I realize that the odd food combo might not sound like it goes together, but it makes me feel better about the nutrition, and the kids don't complain since there's syrup involved.

To make this weekly meal even easier to prepare, I decided I wanted to make a pancake mix. Now, I know that I could simply buy a boxed mix at the store, but I'm too cheap for that. Or, I could use one of those recipes that have been specially developed for mass producing homemade mixes, but we happen to prefer my usual recipe.

My solution was to turn my recipe into my very own mega mix. I enjoy having it ready in the pantry so much that I think I may try putting together a bulk muffin mix next.

Here's how I did it:

    1. Mix together the dry ingredients for one batch.

    2. Measure the combined dry ingredients. Now you know how much of your mix you'll need to put with the wet ingredients.

    3. Multiply the dry ingredients in your recipe as many times as your storage container will hold.

    4. On an index card, write how many cups of mix are needed and list the wet ingredients and any other cooking instructions. I taped my card to the side of the storage container.

    5. Enjoy making quick and yummy treats for your family!

This is the pancake recipe my family likes best. This is makes one batch. If you want to turn it into a mix, you'll need to combine two cups of mix with the wet ingredients.

Basic Pancakes (from Joy of Cooking)
Makes about twelve 5-inch cakes

Prepare and preheat your griddle (I don't have a griddle, so my sweet girlie flips our pancakes in a lightly oiled skillet on the stove).

Whisk together in a large bowl:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (I often sub whole-wheat flour for up to half)
3 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Whisk together in another bowl:
1 1/2 c. milk
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla (optional, but seriously, who doesn't love vanilla in pancakes?!?)

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently whisk them together, mixing just until combined.

Spoon 1/3 cup batter onto the the griddle for each pancake, nudging the batter into rounds. Cook until the top of each pancake is speckled with bubbles and some bubbles have popped open, then turn and cook until the underside is lightly browned. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 F oven while you finish cooking the rest.

If you want to use buttermilk or substitute plain yogurt for the milk, you'll need to add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to the dry ingredients. The regular recipe makes thinner pancakes, so if you like 'em thick, use buttermilk or yogurt.

Have you ever made up your own baking mixes? Do you have any other tips for making easy meals even easier? Tell us about it in the comments!

This post is linked to Life As Mom.

Sep
30

The Great Pumpkin Muffins


Fall is in the air and that means it's time for a pumpkin to be on our porch. Picking out the annual pumpkin is a very big deal around our house. We pile in the mini-van and make the trip to.....the grocery store. I'm hoping to make it to a real, live pumpkin patch this year, but the local store usually fits the schedule a little better. Still, we don't let the lack of mud and pumpkin vines ruin our fun. We all walk 'round and 'round the bins full of big, orange pumpkins. We each pick out our favorites, set them on the ground, see if they're straight, look for any odd bumps or discoloration, and imagine them next to our front door. After much searching, we finally decide on the best one and load it into the cart.

Then we go into the store and go through the same process with the bins in the produce section. Hey, big decisions like this just can't be rushed!

When we finally make it home with our prize pumpkin, it is proudly displayed in front of the house. It makes me smile every time I see it......until November 1st. On that first day of November, the pumpkin gets to take a trip through the front door and right into my kitchen. I spread newspapers out on the floor and use my sharpest knife to open it up. I scoop out the seeds and save them for roasting. Then, the hard work begins. Using every muscle I have (which isn't much), I cut and peel the pumpkin and drop the large cubes into both my crock-pots and my stock pot. It's a hard job, but there's something "Ma Ingalls" about it. It feels good. I add a very small amount of water to each pot (maybe half a cup), since the pumpkin will release a lot of water. For the rest of the day I let it cook, and cook, and cook. I try to cook off as much of the water as I possibly can. As it cooks, it softens and easily stirs into a thick, dark puree, ready to be cooled and poured into freezer bags.

I've read that the large pumpkins aren't really best for cooking, but it's worked for me for the past couple of years. I measure two cups of puree into each freezer bag, smooth the bags flat, and freeze. Once frozen, the bags can be easily stacked or lined up until they're ready to be used in our favorite muffin recipe.

PUMPKIN MUFFINS
(adapted from Fresh Every Day by Sara Foster)

3 cups all-purpose flour (I use 2 cups white flour and 1 cup wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg (I omit this)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar (I use 3/4 cups)
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
2 large eggs
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (or substitute 1 1/2-2 cups homemade)
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups golden raisins (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 large muffin cups with liners and spray the top of the pan with vegetable oil spray or grease lightly.

2. Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, stir the sugar, butter, and eggs together. Stir in the pumpkin puree, milk, and raisins (if using) and pour into the bowl with the flour mixture. Stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened; do not mix any more than necessary.

4. Using a 1/3-cup measure or ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the muffin tins, filling each to just below the top of the paper liner. Bake the muffins on a center rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops of the muffins spring back when touched lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes in the tin before turning them out. Serve immediately or cool on a wire rack.

Find more recipe ideas over on Life as Mom.

 

Photo credit: adelmann

Aug
18

Freezing Blueberries

A couple of days ago, the kids and I went blueberry picking. They're so easy to pick. They practically jump into the bucket! My family doesn't love eating fresh blueberries, but we love them in muffins and pancakes. I also like to snack on frozen berries for a sweet treat or toss a few into a bowl of yogurt. So, it's into the freezer for these babies berries.

I've been told that you can stick them straight into the freezer without even washing them. I tried that one year, but discovered that when I washed the frozen berries before using them, they tended to stick together in one frozen clump. No fun. Here's how I do it now:

 

1. First, I fill one side of my kitchen sink with some water (and fruit and veggie wash, if I have it). I carefully take a handful of berries at a time from the bucket, and quickly look for stems or smashed berries as I drop them into the water. It only took me a few minutes to do all four quarts of berries, and it's worth the time it takes to sort through them (especially if the kiddos helped pick them).

2. Next, I spread out some old or dark-colored kitchen towels on the counter. I use my hands to scoop the berries out of the sink and rinse them in a colander.

3. Then, I place them in a single layer, as much as possible, on the kitchen towels to dry. Every now and then throughout the day, I'll move them around a little on the towels so that all sides get dry. It's important to dry them completely so that they don't stick together. (Note: You can also spread them out on cookie sheets in the freezer until completely frozen before moving onto the next step. Personally, I find it easier to simply let them set on the counter for the afternoon.)

4. Finally, I put the washed and dried berries back into the bucket, pop on the lid, and set them in my freezer. You could also place them in large freezer bags. When I'm ready to use them in a recipe, I simply take my measuring cup and scoop out what I need.

 

Even if you aren't able to take the family to the blueberry patch, you might find them for a great price at the grocery store this time of year. Investing a few minutes now can save you some money later in the year when you're craving a stack of blueberry pancakes.....or a mixed berry smoothie.....or some warm muffins fresh from the oven. I'm getting berry hungry now! As a matter of fact, I think some pancakes and muffins just might hit our table before those berries even make it into the freezer. Yum!

Find more helpful ideas over on Works for Me Wednesday.

Photo credit: Kaleidoscope08