Hey good lookin’ – what’s cookin’?
OK, that is the most corn-ball greeting. But I find it truly endearing. Much to our teenage horror, our Uncle Randy used to greet us girls (there are three in my family) with, “Hey good lookin’, what’s cookin’?”
Secretly, if he forgot the greeting, we were all a little sad.
Occasionally someone will say this to me and I just have to chuckle.
I tell you this little family anecdote because I am not “cookin'” this week. The kitchen of the Food Goddess is closed until next week. I recently packed up my kitchen to move to a temporary home. It feels unbelievably odd to leave a kitchen in which I created so many memorable meals. It was the home base where I created recipes for my future bakery. It was central to our social lives.
As I was packing and attempting to purge my kitchen of useless fluff, it became abundantly clear that I can not toss out a cookbook. Well, yes, I did sell some at a yard sale a few weeks ago, but between us, those were dropped off at my house by a neighbor who heard I liked to cook. I had a few good discoveries in that pile, but more Jello cookbooks than I thought I needed.
I liked how well-rounded my collection was. I have books from just about every country and region. I have cookbooks by famous chefs and home cooks. I have church and school fundraiser cookbooks. You name it.
Looking at all these books got me thinking: What books do you – the Food For Thought reader -turn to? Do you still use cookbooks, or are you now doing research on Web sites such as epicurious.com (my favorite) or cooking.com?
Cookbooks to me are what a romance novel is to someone else. I can sit up late into the evening with a wonderful cookbook, stirring up images of fantastic dinner parties, intimate evenings at home, or even just a quick dinner with my guys.
I love them all, from celebrity chefs (which, in my opinion, there are far too many of these days), to some of the world’s best, and most quiet chefs. I love the old books
that give history, and perhaps a family story behind each dish. Some of the early James Beard books are written in such a format.
Lately I find myself turning to my collection of Ina Garten books (she is the Barefoot Contessa). Her books are simple to read, with lovely pictures. Just about everything I have made from her books turns out great. I can flip through one and find a quick idea or when I am feeling somewhat uninspired (hey, it happens), I can find something that can give me the kick in the pants that we all sometime need to get dinner on the table.
I also rely heavily on my old Greens cookbook from the San Francisco restaurant of the same name. I use this book so often that I really should invest in one with clean pages. I do love the splatters though; more memories.
I also write notes in my books. I like to write who I made the dish for, what changes I made or changes next time. I then feel like the cookbook author and I are in a project together. Sort of like us, here on Food For Thought.
So, please share, or even ask about cookbooks. Perhaps you have found a fantastic book that we could all learn from. Or maybe you’ll suggest a wonderful local cookbook.
This week when I’m not cooking, I’ll enjoy reading your answers.
Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she, her husband Westley, and their two sons moved to Redding nine years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is still asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.
