Tuesday night and the Newtown Bookshop unveils the new event room that Christine has graciously provided for us! It is the September meeting of the Literate Epicures of Newtown and the group is happily placing serving dishes laden with delicious smelling goodies on the table. Cooking in mid-September allows for the lingering summer veggies to still shine and the first cool nights inspire ideas of autumn dishes and there was a nice representation of each. We had two different cookbooks to choose from, Kitchen Simple by James Peterson and Clean Start by Terry Walters.
We begin the evening with a lovely appetizer of Radish Toast from Kitchen Simple. Collen summed it up nicely by saying “Butter and salt is the best combination EVER!”. She was a guest at a recent dinner party where the hostess had served great bread topped with fresh butter and caviar, and decided the radish butter salt combination might be ever so slightly reminiscent of that great starter. This is a very simple combination that packs a lot of flavor and textural excitement in each bite and should be on the list of every busy hostess for the upcoming holiday season.
Lisa made the Fresh Corn Soup from Kitchen Simple. She made it after work and was pleased that it was truly “simple”. There was a concern that the corn took a lot longer than the recipe suggested, and it is a chunky soup rather than smooth, but the flavor was excellent and everyone agreed that it should be in the repertoire of any busy cook. Overall, the book seemed a little too easy and the recipes a little too basic.
Toni had made the Jicama Salad from Clean Start earlier in the week and didn’t care for it at all, so she made a last minute switch to the Minted Cucumber Salad and we were all very happy she did. It was light and refreshing and we all thought it would be a great addition to a summer picnic since it seemed like it would hold up well. Overall, Toni wasn’t impressed with the book, but thought there were some good ideas.
Brenda made the Tarragon Chicken Salad from Kitchen Simple. The dish was very nice, and everyone really enjoyed it. We all thought that it was a perfect recipe for a luncheon and would be really delicious on a croissant. Again, Brenda agreed with the other participants, this cookbook is meant for a raw beginner. Many of the recipes are just too simple for someone who has even basic skills in the kitchen, but for anyone who has never cooked before it is a great starting point.
Your truly was inspired by the cover photo and decided to make the Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas. This was a huge hit at my house before I left for the meeting, and the attendees agreed that the dish is a winner. It came together very quickly after work and a few very simple ingredients came together into a fantastic dish. This is definitely going to be on my list for quick meals when the schedule is tight, or when last minute guests drop by and I need something simple that has just a little “wow” factor.
Julie made the Deep Dish Green and Vegetables with Polenta Crust from Clean Start. Julie likes that the book is divided into seasons to make the most of what is currently available at the market. This particular recipe was a little more involved than what she usually makes, several of the veggies sautéed for different times and required several pans going at once. There were two topping options, she chose the polenta topping this time. It was really nice, almost a cornbread like topping that one might find on a pot pie, the alternative choice was a millet topping. We all really liked it, but Julie felt it would benefit from a slightly sharper note or a little heat.
Speaking of millet…. Marianne made the Herb Infused Millet from Clean Start. She chose the recipe because she had never cooked with millet before and thought it would be a fun culinary adventure. Specialized archaeologists called palaeoethnobotanists have identified storage pits along with remains of pit-houses, pottery, and stone tools related to millet cultivation dating back to around 8300–6700 BC, so millet is truly an old world grain. She served it “al dente” and the slight crunchiness was really good with all the great veggie ingredients in the dish. She also had to go on a search for Mirin, but really liked the flavor and is looking forward to finding new ways to incorporate it into more recipes.
We ended the evening with the Blueberry Breakfast Cakes from Kitchen Simple. They may have been intended for breakfast, but they made a great sweet ending to a really fun evening! They came together very quickly, only about 30 minutes from start to serving and had a great flavor and texture. The texture was compared to panna cotta, they are not the traditional crumb-y type of cake. They were definitely a winner and she will definitely make them again.
Over all the thought on Kitchen Simple was that it was too simple. However, everyone said they really enjoyed the dishes they tasted and will definitely make them all again. “It is a great 6:30 weekday book.” and any busy parent who is running kids to and from practice after school and work will definitely appreciate the inspiration this book offers.
Clean Start is a great reference for stocking your pantry to be able to make a variety of well rounded healthy dishes. The ingredients used are not expensive, but you may have to look further than your local grocery to find them. This is a thoughtful book that is great when you are trying to incorporate some interesting and healthy dishes into your regular menu.
The next meeting is Tuesday, October 11, 2011 and we will be focusing on Mad Hungry, Deefind Men & Boys by Lucinda Scala Quinn
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