COOKBOOK COMBAT

Good Afternoon Chefs...

I am not one to pass up a good cookbook; and my definition of a good cookbook is one that uses everyday ingredients, the recipe prep times are reasonable and the recipe itself can be modified to different tastes.  They are mostly recognizable concoctions, food you have definitely heard of and handled and should be easy to follow.

Now I do not consider a cookbook for baking one that should be modified.  Baking requires accurate measuring, technique when combining ingredients and the outcome should be exact as in print.  But your standard cookbook should allow for modifications, although they do not outright state that.

Hypocritically speaking, I have never used a cookbook, for other than baking where I followed the ingredients to the letter; yet I own over 50 cookbooks.  Why do I own so many, when I don't actually follow them? 

Well, first, I own and I suggest those who collect cookbooks own, at least one copy of The Good Housekeeping or Better Homes and Garden Cookbook.  These have been around for over 75 years.  They contain important information such as weights and measures, storing and freezing, ingredient substitutions and additional kitchen knowledge that should really be the basis for which you cook, in the first place.  Even after years of preparing meals, I still refer back to my most reliable sources.

Other types of cookbooks that are great to invest in, are those geared towards different ethnicities.  Every countries' cuisine has a different flavor profile or technique.  Let's use Germany and Ireland for example.  These two countries cuisine is different, however, the flavor profiles are similar.  There are subtle differences that distinguish the two cuisines, beside the obvious dishes.  But although similar, there is something different, whether in the preparation or flavor that makes them indicative to that country.  Now, I purposefully chose these two countries to talk about because they are similar.  No different than Poland and Germany.  But when we're deciding on making a Chinese dish, we're not going to use recipes from the Irish and vice versa.

So having a collection of books that are specific to a region offers us great advantages when creating ethnic food.

COOKBOOK INTIMIDATION
Although cookbooks are designed to help us along in the kitchen, many of us are intimidated by the format of the recipe, iteself.  Some of us are step-by-step defiant; and there is nothing wrong with that.  In this case, you use your written versus visual skills differently, that don't easily adapt to a written plan of attack.  I, personally, would rather see a picture of a dish, then scan the list of ingredients for that recipe.  At this point, I know what goes with what and unless I am dealing with a food product I am not familar with, only then would I read on.  The rest is your personal creativity.  The cookbook gave you the flavor profiles that go hand in hand, how you put them together is your choice.

For those of you who have to follow a recipe word for word to achieve success, I applaud you.  Your patience level far exceeds mine.  But ask yourself this...how many recipes have you turned the page on that you considered making because the list of ingredients was too long or the prep time was unreasonable, etc.?  It happens to the best of us and when I have no choice to follow a recipe to the letter, trust me, I find some loophole in it to cut corners.  I achieve the same outcome, just opted for the path of least resistance.

Learning how to scan your cookbooks no matter how many you own, sparks imagination and creativity.  You will learn to develop your own recipes, you will master flavor profiles and how to effectively combine them, never compromising the taste of each and you will find that you put your cookbooks to use a lot more frequently than you ever have. 

Cookbooks are expensive.  I look for them in discount stores or on clearance tables.  Once in awhile, I just have to have it regardless of cost.  When you're shopping for a specific cookbook or see one that grabs your attention, ask yourself the following:

1.  Do the recipes incorporate a main food product that you are familiar with?
2.  Are the recipes easy to understand and follow?
3.  Does the cookbook offer illustrations of the final dish?
4.  Will I repeat the recipes from time to time, or is this a novelty cookbook?

How you answer these questions, should help you decide if that cookbook will get use in your kitchen?
The above questions, especially when shopping for an Ethnic Cookbook, may not apply, only because they are region specific and you may not always be familiar with the main food product or repeat recipes weekly.  It may even be a little more complicated to understand.  This doesn't mean not to buy it.  It means that finding the simplest recipes for your cooking ability regardless of what kind of cookbook you purchase will make your time in the kitchen less frustrating. 

I love that every cuisine has a cookbook in an easy format.  You'll know it when you see it.  Usually, its ease of use is incorporated in the title.  Ex. "Chinese Food in Minutes",  "Meals in Less than 30 Minutes", "One Pot Recipes", etc.  These titles are clues in finding the simplest recipes that work, that usually incorporate easy to find ingredients and more.

TRICK OF THE TRADE
Have on hand 5 ruled index cards.  Label the cards:  American, Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Seafood (you can substitute any of these titles to your own personal food type choices)
When you indulge in any of the five labeled cuisines or peruse your cookbooks for ideas, on that card list the flavor profiles that each dish are known for.  For example:

American:  Beef and Onions, Chicken and Lemon
Italian: Garlic and Oil, Basil and Tomato
Chinese: Ginger and Soy Sauce, Ginger and Teriyaki Sauce
Mexican:  Cheese and Beans, Tomato and Corn
Seafood:  Butter and Lemon, White Wine and Butter

These cards will now become a cheat sheet when cooking different types of food.  You can refer to your cards to create different meals using Chicken, Beef, Fish, Pork.  Want a Chinese take on chicken, then refer to your Chinese card and you'll know what distinct flavor profiles make Chinese food, just that.  I just listed a few, but you can write down as many as you like and create your own flavorful combinations.

For some, cooking is a chore.  For others, it's a hobby.  For most, it's a necessity.  Why not simplify something that not only shortens how much time is spent in the kitchen, but makes for variety without the frustration. 

I wish you a beautiful meal...

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• WE'RE HAVING MUSTGO!

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