Entry tags:
Cookbook Project, Book #7
"Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book, 11th Edition"
This one, I believe, belongs to my husband. It's a basic, generic, how-to-make-almost-any-basic-thing cookbook, in the same category as Fannie Farmer and Joy of Cooking (both of which will be making appearances here as time goes on, I'm sure). It's not one to go to for inspiration, necessarily, but once you have a basic idea, and are looking for how-to, it's not bad. I've actually used this one before.
So when my husband brought home a pound of fresh, local, and unfortunately cooked shrimp, I dug through half a dozen less generic, more focused cookbooks looking for ideas. Then, once I had narrowed it down to a handful of possible recipes, I decided to learn how to make them right, rather than using the "Quick and E-Z" version from a Pillsbury glossy leaflet from 1979.
So last night's dinner was Shrimp Newburg. I've never made it before, but it was alarmingly quick and easy - enough that I'm really a bit worried to think about what might have been changed to make it any more simplified. As it was, the traditional recipe was simple and fast enough that I could get home from dance class at 9:30, start cooking, and have dinner on the table before 10pm. And more importantly, it was yummy, too. Not particularly glamorous or colorful, but it had a kind of comfort food feel that I hadn't expected. And, other than the shrimp, it was made from pantry ingredients. I already knew this cookbook was a keeper, but it seems like this recipe is, too.
This one, I believe, belongs to my husband. It's a basic, generic, how-to-make-almost-any-basic-thing cookbook, in the same category as Fannie Farmer and Joy of Cooking (both of which will be making appearances here as time goes on, I'm sure). It's not one to go to for inspiration, necessarily, but once you have a basic idea, and are looking for how-to, it's not bad. I've actually used this one before.
So when my husband brought home a pound of fresh, local, and unfortunately cooked shrimp, I dug through half a dozen less generic, more focused cookbooks looking for ideas. Then, once I had narrowed it down to a handful of possible recipes, I decided to learn how to make them right, rather than using the "Quick and E-Z" version from a Pillsbury glossy leaflet from 1979.
So last night's dinner was Shrimp Newburg. I've never made it before, but it was alarmingly quick and easy - enough that I'm really a bit worried to think about what might have been changed to make it any more simplified. As it was, the traditional recipe was simple and fast enough that I could get home from dance class at 9:30, start cooking, and have dinner on the table before 10pm. And more importantly, it was yummy, too. Not particularly glamorous or colorful, but it had a kind of comfort food feel that I hadn't expected. And, other than the shrimp, it was made from pantry ingredients. I already knew this cookbook was a keeper, but it seems like this recipe is, too.