1997 -- A Very Good Year
Back in the 90's I had a subscription to Food & Wine magazine. I loved the magazine, but I hate keeping the old copies around, and it's impossible to every find a recipe again once you own one or two years worth. Many magazines solve this problem for you. They sell a bound compilation book which you can purchase at the end of the year for the convenient price of about your subscription cost so basically you buy the whole lot twice. If, however, you really want those recipes, you will buy the book. I have purchased three.
I realize that I haven't reviewed a book in a while, and I am anxious to continue. I'm also anxious to remove some of the books from my kitchen so I was scanning my shelves for a book I was pretty sure I would relinquish. To that end I picked up The 1997 Food & Wine Annual. I began thumbing through it and immediately came up with two of my favorite recipes: Curried Pumpkin Soup and Ginger Star Shortcakes with Summer Berries. I picked out a third, Pork Tenderloin with Grapefruit and Curry.
Curried Pumpkin Soup: This recipe must have been in the Thanksgiving edition because it served 20 and uses 9 pounds of pumpkin. 9 pounds! It feeds an army! I was cutting the recipe in half (which still makes a huge amount, serving 10) and forgot to cut the spices. Needless to say, this was CURRIED pumpkin soup. My son was 9 months old at the time and insisted on having some. We obliged. (We're those parents.) He loved it. He loved it to the point that all his vegetables from then on needed to have curry powder on them. I've made this soup with and without the spice-error, and it is always wonderful. It uses pumpkins, pears and Spanish onions which melt into a perfect soup base, sweet, pungent, lovely. The recipe uses only 1 cup of heavy cream (That's in the 20 serving version) so it is actually creamy without being fatty. We love this soup and look forward to it every winter. I rate this a 2.5 mostly because the amount of soup the recipe makes is so out of whack. I have to cut it in half, or even in quarters to make it which is cumbersome.
Ginger Star Shortcakes with Summer Berries: This recipe was meant for Independence Day, and that is why the shortcake is cut into large stars. The shortcake is cut open and spread with molasses butter, filled with mascarpone cream, topped with red and blue berries and capped with the other half of the star. It is red, white and blue and lovely. I make this often for summer buffets like several baby showers I have hosted because I can make individual portions, it is quite easy to make, and it is very pretty. I have cut the shortcakes into stars, hearts and circles. This dessert is actually quite light with the whipped mascarpone cream and fresh berries. The shortcake is flaky and spicy from the ginger, and the molasses butter adds a little richness. People rave when I serve this, and it is so easy to make that I almost feel guilty basking in all the praise - almost. This dish is easily a 3.
Pork Tenderloin with Grapefruit and Curry: I was looking for a dish I could make on a Sunday without having to go to the store. I had country pork ribs in the freezer, and my dad had just sent me fresh grapefruits from his yard so I turned to this recipe. A marinade is made with grapefruit juice, curry powder and freshly ground cinnamon and dried chipotles. Then the meat is grilled and the marinade boiled and reduced to make a sauce. I substituted the thick country ribs for a loin and pan-fried instead of grilling. This was spicy. I love when a cookbook isn't afraid to offer spicy dishes even if the words hot and spicy aren't in the cookbook title. C and I both enjoyed it. Even my 5-year-old liked the meat without any extra sauce. C's comment was, "Make this again," so I think that rates it a 3 on our scale.
One great thing about Food & Wine books, the recipes are all very well vetted and tested. You're never going to find an error or omission. The recipe will work as is written. It's pretty fool-proof.
Another cookbook that gets to stay. Oh, well, I guess I can be happy that I pick well.
I realize that I haven't reviewed a book in a while, and I am anxious to continue. I'm also anxious to remove some of the books from my kitchen so I was scanning my shelves for a book I was pretty sure I would relinquish. To that end I picked up The 1997 Food & Wine Annual. I began thumbing through it and immediately came up with two of my favorite recipes: Curried Pumpkin Soup and Ginger Star Shortcakes with Summer Berries. I picked out a third, Pork Tenderloin with Grapefruit and Curry.
Curried Pumpkin Soup: This recipe must have been in the Thanksgiving edition because it served 20 and uses 9 pounds of pumpkin. 9 pounds! It feeds an army! I was cutting the recipe in half (which still makes a huge amount, serving 10) and forgot to cut the spices. Needless to say, this was CURRIED pumpkin soup. My son was 9 months old at the time and insisted on having some. We obliged. (We're those parents.) He loved it. He loved it to the point that all his vegetables from then on needed to have curry powder on them. I've made this soup with and without the spice-error, and it is always wonderful. It uses pumpkins, pears and Spanish onions which melt into a perfect soup base, sweet, pungent, lovely. The recipe uses only 1 cup of heavy cream (That's in the 20 serving version) so it is actually creamy without being fatty. We love this soup and look forward to it every winter. I rate this a 2.5 mostly because the amount of soup the recipe makes is so out of whack. I have to cut it in half, or even in quarters to make it which is cumbersome.
Ginger Star Shortcakes with Summer Berries: This recipe was meant for Independence Day, and that is why the shortcake is cut into large stars. The shortcake is cut open and spread with molasses butter, filled with mascarpone cream, topped with red and blue berries and capped with the other half of the star. It is red, white and blue and lovely. I make this often for summer buffets like several baby showers I have hosted because I can make individual portions, it is quite easy to make, and it is very pretty. I have cut the shortcakes into stars, hearts and circles. This dessert is actually quite light with the whipped mascarpone cream and fresh berries. The shortcake is flaky and spicy from the ginger, and the molasses butter adds a little richness. People rave when I serve this, and it is so easy to make that I almost feel guilty basking in all the praise - almost. This dish is easily a 3.
Pork Tenderloin with Grapefruit and Curry: I was looking for a dish I could make on a Sunday without having to go to the store. I had country pork ribs in the freezer, and my dad had just sent me fresh grapefruits from his yard so I turned to this recipe. A marinade is made with grapefruit juice, curry powder and freshly ground cinnamon and dried chipotles. Then the meat is grilled and the marinade boiled and reduced to make a sauce. I substituted the thick country ribs for a loin and pan-fried instead of grilling. This was spicy. I love when a cookbook isn't afraid to offer spicy dishes even if the words hot and spicy aren't in the cookbook title. C and I both enjoyed it. Even my 5-year-old liked the meat without any extra sauce. C's comment was, "Make this again," so I think that rates it a 3 on our scale.
One great thing about Food & Wine books, the recipes are all very well vetted and tested. You're never going to find an error or omission. The recipe will work as is written. It's pretty fool-proof.
Another cookbook that gets to stay. Oh, well, I guess I can be happy that I pick well.