COOKIN' WITH THEBOOKJEANIE 

It seems appropriate on this Mother's Day to feature books about food, namely cookbooks, since many of our fondest memories of our mothers are associated with favorite meals or special desserts that she made for us.  Even as a fifth grader, my younger daughter was upset when I went back to work full time and did not have chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven for her when she got home from school.  My own mother did not like to spend too much time in the kitchen but I remember that she would give me dough to roll up with cinammon and sugar and bake beside her pies and they were the most delicious treats.  My older daughter gave me a cookbook today: Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone edited by Jenni-Ferrari-Adler, a collection of essays by food obsessed writers including my favorites Laurie Colwin, Ann Patchett, and Nora Ephron.  Reading that will be a real treat - plan to take it along on my trip this week. THEBOOKJEANIE will return in two weeks - bon appetit!


HERE ARE A FEW FAMILY FAVORITES

Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home - easy and healthy everyday recipes.  These recipes are so creative and delicious that even the carnivores in your family won't object to these vegetarian dishes.  

The Feast of Santa Fe by Huntley Dent - learn the history of the southwest while you learn to prepare authentic food from the traditions of Native American, Spanish, Mexican cuisine. This is the real deal!

Tomatoes and Mozzarella by Hallie Harron and Shelley Sikora. This cookbook is my older daughter's favorite: a delicious collection of healthy recipes.  She especially recommends the Summer Shortcakes with Tomatoes and Mozzarella.

Cakes from Scratch in Half the Time by Linda Eckhardt.  This cookbook is out of print but it is worth tracking down.  The VERY BEST cake recipes ever! 


Comfort Me with Apples by Ruth Reichl.  My daughters and I are all addicted to reading cooking memoirs and none is better than Ruth Reichl's two volumes, this title being the second following Tender at the Bone.  Reichl was the long-time editor of Gourmet Magazine but her life story is just as juicy and delicious as the food that she featured in that periodical.  I  made these crab cakes for my younger daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner.

RUTH REICHL'S CRAB CAKES
1 pound crabmeat (we sometimes use half crab, half chopped shrimp)
1/2 stick butter
1/2 small onion, chopped (we prefer garlic!)
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tea spoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons prepared tartar sauce
2 slices firm white bread torn into small pieces
6 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs

Pick over the crabmeat to remove any bits of shell and cartilage, being careful not to break up the lumps of crab.

Cook the onion and 1/2 of the teaspoon of salt in 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet, over moderate heat, until the onion is softened. Let the mixture cool.

Whisk together the eggs, Worcestershire sauce, remaining salt, paprika, pepper, tartar sauce, and onion mixture. Gently fold in the crabmeat and torn bread (mixture will be very wet). Gently form the mixture into six cakes, each about 3 1/2 inches across and 3/4 inches thick. Line a tray with a piece of wax paper just large enough to hold the cakes and sprinkle it with half of the breadcrumbs. Set the crab cakes in one layer on top of the paper and sprinkle the tops with the remaining breadcrumbs, patting them gently to adhere. Cover the cakes loosely with another sheet of wax paper and chill for one hour.

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until the foam subsides. Cook the crab cakes until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.

Makes 6 crab cakes




Yankee Magazine's Favorite New England Recipes. This book is surely not in print anymore since I bought it more than 30 years ago but it has been used so many times in our family that it is stained and broken into three pieces now.  We never tire of making this light and luscious lemon bread:

LEMON BREAD 
6 T butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
grated rind of 1 lemon
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
sugar lemon juice

Cream together  the butter and suggar, beat in the eggs. Add the baking powder and salt to the flour and mix alternately with the milk; then add the grated lemon rind and walnuts. Bake in a loaf pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Mix together 1/2 cup sugar and the juice of 1 lemon and pour over the baked loaf in the pan. Let stand for 10 minutes.



Happy Mother's Day!

See you in two weeks and remember . . .

KEEP READING!

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