Twelve Cooks. Eleven Cookbooks. And The Internet.
By Karen and Erica
W
e regularly cook for our families, as do many women—and some men. We’re not exactly chefs, but we put a lot into our creations.
Our menus have changed a bit over the years. Before spouses, we lived on popcorn and white wine. Before children, we spent time creating elegant dinners by candlelight. While children were young, first we mushed up whatever we were eating so they would not have to eat that jarred stuff, then we became expert at crepes with Nutella, mac and cheese, and chocolate chip cookies. That expertise is still called upon when the children visit, but cooking for two usually means fish and vegetables.
One structural part of cooking has changed over time. We used to cook mostly from cookbooks. Now, we often search the internet, asking what we can cook with whatever we have. Frozen cod, tamarind, scallions and rice? There’s a recipe for that! We also asked ChatGPT—its offering in Comments!
Still, nothing beats a good cookbook. They can give you taste and history and nuance, and allow you to travel to far off lands. Here are some relatively new ones (two introduced by daughters) that we use now:
Yotam Ottolenghi, Simple. Not really that simple, but good.
Alison Roman, Nothing Fancy. Well, a little fancy. And delicious.
Molly Baz, Cook This Book. Very fun. And also tasty.
Marcus Samuelsson, The Soul Of A New Cuisine: Foods, Flavors and Inspiration from Africa. A whole new world of flavor.
Mary Bissau, The Arab Table. So much to learn. So delicious.
Many of these chefs also have excellent blogs or newsletters. We especially like Alison Roman’s, because she is funny and forgiving.
Why do we cook? Because we think it is part of life. You miss half the fun when you order in—the smell of the foods you have chosen to put together. You miss the thrill of discovery when you create something yummy. (Of course you also miss the despair of cooking something inedible, as sometimes happens!) We find we do some of our best thinking while our hands are busy with food. (Kneading bread dough is really good for thought!) And home cooked food is healthier—we can control things like sugar and salt.
And there’s the shopping. We love green markets, especially as the weather gets better, for us and for the produce and the chickens and their eggs. Whatever’s in season—now, ramps, spring garlic, radishes—all look so painterly when the sun is shining. And we like stores full of foods we need to learn how to use. Like Sahadi’s for Middle Eastern.
The wonderful cooks we grew up with (from the culinary perspective) inspired us early and often. Here are just a few guides from long ago that we still use:
Julee Russo and Sheila Lukins: The Silver Palate Cookbook. This one really started it all for us, just when we were learning to entertain in our one room apartments. First published in 1982, it taught us how to approach food and cooking. We made California Shellfish Stew (lots of Zinfandel) about a million times for important guests. Like cute guys.
Julia Child: Her TV show is a hoot. Oh! I spilled my wine in the soup and the eggs fell on the floor! The French Chef Cookbook was our introduction to French cooking. Actually any cooking. We lived for the day we could properly make French onion soup. Eventually, we did.
Marcella Hazan, The Classic Italian Cookbook: The Art of Italian Cooking and the Italian Art of Eating. Since 1973, the quintessential tome for anyone interested in cooking Italian food.
James Beard started us baking bread on cold winter days. Beard on Bread: A Cookbook is a delight. So is whole wheat soda bread.
Alice Waters: She founded Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, California, and became an early advocate for sustainable, local, and organic food. We enjoy reading The Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook as much as cooking from it. Try these meatballs.
Edna Lewis: She helped to elevate Southern cuisine to national prominence in the US. The Taste of Country Cooking is considered an archetype of American culinary literature. We grew up knowing nothing of Southern food, but we learned. Grits and shrimp?
Do you cook? What are your favorites?
