Something New for Dinner

July 29, 2010

One of the first Dewey decimal location numbers I learned when I started at the library was 641 – cookbooks. Cookbooks have been consistently popular during my first 4 years at the library and several different titles have caught my eye recently. Whether you are looking for your favorite TV chef’s latest offering, or for something new to offer at your family’s dinner table this week, we probably have a cookbook for you.

I have always loved to watch TV and one of my lifelong favorites has been cooking shows. My very favorite TV chefs probably wouldn’t even consider themselves chefs at all. Cooks might be a better title and a more appealing one at that.  Ina Garten and Nigella Lawson make food that, with a little practice, just about anyone can make. Their food isn’t fussy or pretentious and, for the most part, sounds delicious. In their books, they both talk about food in a way that convinces you they not only know what tastes good, but also actually eat common, real food. So far, my favorite titles by each of them are Barefoot Contessa at Home: Everyday Recipes You'll Make Over and Over Again by Ina Garten and How to Eat: The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food by Nigella Lawson.

Maybe you and your family are looking for something different than the same old dinner night after night. A couple different cookbooks I have seen recently might fit the bill. Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker: Family Favorites by Beth Hensperger had my attention from the beginning. The cover shot looks so incredibly yummy – I would eat those steak tostadas once a week if I could! Well, except without the cilantro - I hate it!

Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast, from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living, might also have something for your new recipe search. I found this cookbook while I was watching Martha, oddly enough, and while I will say she sometimes cooks with ingredients you may not want to take the time to track down, her Everyday Food magazine and resulting cookbooks are, in my opinion, fairly down to earth. While I might try to make everything in this cookbook, all the recipes at least sound like they would good. But, alas, more cilantro on the cover ...

I don’t know that I am a very good cook but I know without a doubt, my mom is! Growing up with a mom who is a great cook, I learned to love good food. I would choose to be at my parents’ dinner table any day but the recipes in any of the cookbooks I have mentioned would do for me in a pinch. I hope you can find a new favorite for your table within them.

Until next time,

Angie M.