Cookbook Project, Book #200

[ladysprite]

"Best of the Best Cookbook Recipes," Food & Wine Magazine, 2011

This book is seriously amazing. Apparently each year Food & Wine Magazine rates a whole bunch of cookbooks. And then they take the top 25, and publish a handful of recipes from each of them, plus a few previously-unpublished recipes from the authors, in one big, glorious, splendidly-illustrated book. It's food porn and delicious recipes and a way to audition a ton of new books, restaurants, and authors all at once.

And I got it for $1.50 at my library's book sale, in brand-new condition. Seriously, this was a victory of epic proportions.

The only downside is that a lot of the recipes are for larger quantities than umbran and I can use at home. Well, that and the fact that I just had a hard time narrowing down my list of recipes-that-sounded-amazing.

Ultimately, though, this is the season of tasty and simple food, so when I found the recipe for Pea Pesto Crostini, I decided to go with that. (Originally from 'Giada At Home,' a book I'd never look at twice under normal circumstances.)

It was super-simple - pureed peas, Parmesan, salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil. Spread on grilled bread, top with sliced tomato or halved cherry tomatoes. That's it. And because it was so simple, and because we had fresh tomatoes from our garden and really good bread, it was delicious. For a hot summer night and a light dinner, it was perfect. I'd make this again, and I'd serve it to friends.

Now I just need to find excuses to make all of the other recipes I've marked in here.....

Comments

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

The Pea Pesto Crostini sounds tasty.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

That sounds like something we might try. Perhaps more to the point, it sounds like an alternative to guacamole that I might actually like. Can you provide proportions? And do the peas need to be cooked first, or can you just thaw frozen ones?

[leanne-opaskar.livejournal.com]

Giada is one of the few people on Food Network that I really respect. She's got a very good handle on real Italian food, simple, pure, and authentic. I like her stuff a lot. That recipe sounds delicious!