Tag: #Cookbooks

Posted in From My Kitchen

Chasing the Gator: Isaac Toups and the New Cajun Cooking

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

A badass modern Cajun cookbook from Top Chef fan favorite Isaac Toups and acclaimed journalist Jennifer V. Cole, featuring 100 full-flavor stories and recipes.

Things get a little salty down in the bayou…

Cajun country is the last bastion of true American regional cooking, and no one knows it better than Isaac Toups. Now the chef of the acclaimed Toups’ Meatery and Toups South in New Orleans, he grew up deep in the Atchafalaya Basin of Louisiana, where his ancestors settled 300 years ago. There, hunting and fishing trips provide the ingredients for communal gatherings, and these shrimp and crawfish boils, whole-hog boucheries, fish frys, and backyard cookouts — form the backbone of this book.

Taking readers from the backcountry to the bayou, Toups shows how to make:

A damn fine gumbo, boudin, dirty rice, crabcakes, and cochon de lait His signature double-cut pork chop and the Toups Burger And more authentic Cajun specialties like Hopper Stew and Louisiana Ditch Chicken.

Along the way, he tells you how to engineer an on-the-fly barbecue pit, stir up a dark roux in only 15 minutes, and apply Cajun ingenuity to just about everything.

Full of salty stories, a few tall tales, and more than 100 recipes that double down on flavor, Chasing the Gator shows how — and what it means — to cook Cajun food today.

Find more recipes like this on my companion blog, “Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let’s Eat!”

Posted in From My Kitchen

3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Recipes: 200 Recipes for Memorable Meals

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

People love the convenience of their slow cookers. What could be better than walking in the door after a hard day’s work to the smell of beef stew, ready and waiting? A beef stew that only requires three ingredients, that’s what!The problem with most slow cooker recipes is that they require lots of ingredients and steps before you actually “fix it and forget it.” Not this book-these are truly simple recipes, and best of all, they are memorable, not mushy!You’ll find recipes like:*Rosemary Lamb Stew*Chicken Curry*Three-Alarm Chili*Spicy Pot Roast with Onions*Coq au Vin*Pork Roast with 40 Cloves of GarlicPlus, you’ll find recipes for desserts like cheesecake and custard and appetizers like chicken wings and artichoke dip!

RSP392
5.0 out of 5 stars 
The Best Cookbook for the Busy Person
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2008
Verified Purchase
I just began a new schedule and I was having a very hard time adjusting to having dinner on the table and not getting home until 6:30 at night. My daughter was starving by then so I couldn't just start cooking - I needed something ready when I got home. Hence the slow cooker meals. I tried using the slow cooker recipes that I found in other cookbooks but the food prep before hand meant that I would have to wake up 2 hours earlier just to chop, dice and assemble.
This cookbook is so easy and the recipes are quite good! I love it. Put the main ingredient in and add some prepared soup, gravy, spices, fruit, etc and voila...when you come home it is done. Now, I said prepared ingredients. My biggest objection to the book is that the recipes call for a lot of prepared/processed ingredients that I would not normally cook with. But, I figure that it is a whole lot better for you than a meal from a fast food restaurant or eating out. I usually serve the meal with rice/potatoes/noodles that I prepare the night before and heat up in the microwave plus a fresh or frozen veggy.
If you are a busy person who needs help with feeding your family - this book will not disappoint you.

Find more recipes like this on my companion blog, “Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let’s Eat!”

Posted in From My Kitchen

Betty Crocker One-Dish Meals: Casseroles, Skillet Meals, Stir-Fries and More for Easy, Everyday Dinners

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Make mealtime easy and delicious with one-dish recipes from Betty Crocker!

From a hearty casserole to a sizzling stir-fry, one-dish meals are the ultimate fix-it-and-forget-it solution for busy cooks on the go. This book packs flavor and convenience into more than 300 all-in-one recipes that will help you put variety on the menu every day of the week. You’ll find a whole range of tempting soups, stews, salads, pizzas, foil-packet dishes and more to explore. With tantalizing choices like Pizza Alfredo, Tuna Twist Casserole and Spicy Black Bean Barbecue Chili to choose from, who needs sides? And you’ll save energy on shopping, prepping and cleanup, too. Home cooking has never been so stress-free.

  • Make Chicken Pot Pie and other classic dishes, or try new favorites like Greek Pita Pizzas
  • Pick up valuable recipe tips, from cooking and shopping how-to’s to do-aheads, substitutions, serve-with ideas and storage advice.
  • Make the most of slow-cooker options and grilling recipes to put great food on the table year-round.
  • Looking for inspiration? Check out handy recipe lists for kid-friendly, potluck, brunch and casual entertaining ideas.

Find more recipes like this on my companion blog, “Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let’s Eat!”

Posted in From My Kitchen

Meat Illustrated: A Foolproof Guide to Understanding and Cooking with Cuts of All Kinds 

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

MEAT EATERS, REJOICE: Increase your meat counter confidence with this award-winning meat cookbook that shows you how to cook 72 cuts of meat in 300+ kitchen-tested recipes!

With chapters organized by animal and its primal cuts, Meat Illustrated is the meat eater’s go-to meat cookbook and handbook! Discover essential information and techniques that will empower you to make steakhouse-worthy meals and explore everything your butcher shop has to offer. Inside you’ll find:
 
• 300+ recipes covering 72 cuts of meat—including beef, pork, lamb, and veal
• Cut-specific guidance on buying, prepping, storing, cooking, and more
• Step-by-step photos, break-out tutorials, and hundreds of hand-drawn illustrations
• Need-to-know techniques, from smoking and grilling to braising and curing
 
Learn the best methods for center-of-the-plate meats like Butter-Basted Rib Steaks (spooning hot butter cooks the steaks from both sides so they come to temperature as they acquire a deep crust), and meltingly tender Chinese Barbecued Roast Pork Shoulder (cook for 6 hours so the collagen melts to lubricate the meat). And get ideas on how to complete your meals with delicious sides like Fried Brown Rice with Pork and Shrimp or Libyan-style chickpea and orzo soup!
 
So, don’t just go to the butcher—become the butcher. Full of comprehensive, hands-on guidance, this ultimate meat cookbook takes the mystery out of buying and cooking meat like a pro.

Find more recipes like this on my companion blog, “Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let’s Eat!”

Posted in From My Kitchen

Classic Snacks Made from Scratch: 70 Homemade Versions of Your Favorite Brand-Name Treats

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Learn to make your favorite brand-name snacks and confections using all natural ingredients in this “masterpiece of reverse engineering” (SeriousEats.com)

A cream-filled chocolate cupcake for dessert. Caramel popcorn while watching a movie. An ice cream sandwich on a hot summer day. Everyone enjoys indulging in their favorite guilty pleasures. But wouldn’t it be nice if junk food wasn’t full of junk?

With Classic Snacks Made from Scratch, you can make your own beloved snacks and vending machine classics using all-natural ingredients. You’ll discover that these simple, preservative-free recipes taste better than the brand-name originals!

This volume includes seventy salty and sweet recipes, including:

•Nutter Butters®

•Nacho Cheese Doritos®

•Funyuns®

•Klondike® Bars

•Animals Crackers

•Creamsicles®

•Sour Patch™ Kids

•Cinnamon Pop Tarts®

Find more recipes like this on my companion blog, “Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let’s Eat!”