Cookbook Project, Books #132 and 133
Jan. 2nd, 2010 04:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladysprite"The Frugal Gourmet Cooks With Wine," Jeff Smith
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umbran's cookbooks, and another one that I've never used before. This project has left me well enough acquainted with the Frugal Gourmet and the quality of his books, though, that I've been looking forward to using it. I've come to realize that they have a wide variety of good recipes, and they're well-written and just fun to read - his love of food and cooking shines through, even when there's not a lot of surrounding text.
This book didn't let me down at all. There were so many recipes that looked delicious, and it was hard to choose between them. Eventually, time was the deciding factor, and we wound up picking the recipe that looked like it would be easiest and quickest to make on a work night. So dinner was Rigatoni Con Pepperoni.
There was just one confusing thing about this recipe - there's no alcohol anywhere in it, despite the book's title and theme. This isn't a good or a bad thing; while I don't drink alcohol, I cook with it fairly often. It just boggled me a little, since I'm not quite sure why this recipe is in this book. I'm not complaining, though, since it was absolutely delicious. Pasta with a quick pepperoni and cream sauce, with sauteed garlic and onions. I cannot begin to describe how mouth-wateringly scrumptious this was, and how I want to make it again right now. I'll just need to find another occasion to make one of the winey dishes from this book. Because it's sure as anything sticking around.
"Catfish: An All-American Restaurant & Recipe Guide," The Catfish Institute
This is a booklet that I got for free many years ago. I can't remember exactly where and how I got it; I think I had to check a box on a web page or something. Either way, it's pretty spiffy for a free book. It's bigger, thicker, and better put together than most of the other ones I've gotten, and it actually has a bunch of useful information. There are write-ups and descriptions of a bunch of restaurants, with featured recipes from each restaurant, ranging from the super-fancy to the super-simple.
I've used this book before. Catfish is both inexpensive and easy to cook, and I like it well enough that it became, if not a staple, at least one of my go-to foods when I was in vet school and was tired of ground beef or chicken breasts. There's a pecan-crusted mustard catfish recipe in it that's just excellent.
I wanted to make something new, though, so after flipping through repeatedly and lamenting the fact that it's not grilling season, I ultimately wound up making Sesame Fried Catfish with a ginger-soy dipping sauce.
This was another phenomenally excellent dish. The fish was perfect, the sesame crust stayed on and was crisp and savory and complemented the texture wonderfully, and the dipping sauce made it heavenly. Victory again, and another recipe in my will-make-again pile.
The downside of all this, of course, is that I've found so many excellent recipes that I'm going to spend the next year just re-making them all, and I have no idea when I'll find the time to try new ones again....
This is another one of
umbran's cookbooks, and another one that I've never used before. This project has left me well enough acquainted with the Frugal Gourmet and the quality of his books, though, that I've been looking forward to using it. I've come to realize that they have a wide variety of good recipes, and they're well-written and just fun to read - his love of food and cooking shines through, even when there's not a lot of surrounding text.This book didn't let me down at all. There were so many recipes that looked delicious, and it was hard to choose between them. Eventually, time was the deciding factor, and we wound up picking the recipe that looked like it would be easiest and quickest to make on a work night. So dinner was Rigatoni Con Pepperoni.
There was just one confusing thing about this recipe - there's no alcohol anywhere in it, despite the book's title and theme. This isn't a good or a bad thing; while I don't drink alcohol, I cook with it fairly often. It just boggled me a little, since I'm not quite sure why this recipe is in this book. I'm not complaining, though, since it was absolutely delicious. Pasta with a quick pepperoni and cream sauce, with sauteed garlic and onions. I cannot begin to describe how mouth-wateringly scrumptious this was, and how I want to make it again right now. I'll just need to find another occasion to make one of the winey dishes from this book. Because it's sure as anything sticking around.
"Catfish: An All-American Restaurant & Recipe Guide," The Catfish Institute
This is a booklet that I got for free many years ago. I can't remember exactly where and how I got it; I think I had to check a box on a web page or something. Either way, it's pretty spiffy for a free book. It's bigger, thicker, and better put together than most of the other ones I've gotten, and it actually has a bunch of useful information. There are write-ups and descriptions of a bunch of restaurants, with featured recipes from each restaurant, ranging from the super-fancy to the super-simple.
I've used this book before. Catfish is both inexpensive and easy to cook, and I like it well enough that it became, if not a staple, at least one of my go-to foods when I was in vet school and was tired of ground beef or chicken breasts. There's a pecan-crusted mustard catfish recipe in it that's just excellent.
I wanted to make something new, though, so after flipping through repeatedly and lamenting the fact that it's not grilling season, I ultimately wound up making Sesame Fried Catfish with a ginger-soy dipping sauce.
This was another phenomenally excellent dish. The fish was perfect, the sesame crust stayed on and was crisp and savory and complemented the texture wonderfully, and the dipping sauce made it heavenly. Victory again, and another recipe in my will-make-again pile.
The downside of all this, of course, is that I've found so many excellent recipes that I'm going to spend the next year just re-making them all, and I have no idea when I'll find the time to try new ones again....
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no subject
Date: 2010-01-02 10:27 pm (UTC)Oh, that's a common misconception. "Cooking with Wine" is actually just a reference to the fact that the Frugal Gourmet likes to get good and shellacked while he's working. It's got nothing to do with the recipes themselves.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-02 10:45 pm (UTC)While you're thinking of the catfish thing, though -- would you be kind enough to see if your catfish book has a good recipe for salt-and-pepper catfish? It's pretty simple, but ever so tasty... and fabulous with hushpuppies and sugar-butter (southern cooking at it's finest).
no subject
Date: 2010-01-03 12:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-03 12:03 am (UTC)If you can get the grill lit, it's grilling season.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-03 12:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-03 02:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-03 05:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-03 05:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-06 09:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-07 06:50 pm (UTC)For the sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger (I think we used powdered)
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp sake or white wine (we used sake)
For the catfish:
vegetable oil for pan-frying
1 lb catfish fillets
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 whole egg, lightly beaten, or 2 egg whites
1/2 cup sesame seeds.
To prepare the sauce, mix all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Cool and strain.
To prepare catfish, heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.
While the oil is heating, rinse catfish fillets and pat dry. Place flour in a shallow dish. Place egg in another shallow dish. Place sesame seeds in another shallow dish. Dredge fillets lightly in flour, adding more if needed. Dip fillets in egg, then coat thoroughly with sesame seeds.
Carefully place catfish, one fillet at a time, in the hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sauce spooned over them or on the side.
Serves 4.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-07 09:46 pm (UTC)