Really Cooking

Remember how I said I was fine with letting the summer fade away? I went to school today and realized how much I still need to do before the students come back, and all that contentedness flew out the window. Ah, well.

I also turned thirty this past weekend, and treated myself to some kitchen toys: new canisters, an ice-cream maker, and two new cookbooks, one for use with my new toy, and another simply because I couldn’t resist it.

I have never subscribed to Gourmet magazine– in fact, I think I’ve only seen one or two issues at all, always thinking that it was probably way out of my cooking league. But then I read and loved Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me with Apples, both by Ruth Reichl, who is now the EIC at Gourmet and who writes with such a passion for food, but never in a food-snob kind of way.

So when I saw The Gourmet Cookbook on sale at my favorite local bookstore, I figured I should risk it– and so far, I’m so glad I did! My love for cooking and baking has been fostered in part by excellent food writing and cookbooks, and this one is no exception, with anecdotes, tips and explanations bolstering over a thousand intriguing recipes. And in case you’re like me, there is a wonderful range of recipes from classic to essential to adventurous, which makes me feel like once I’m ready to move beyond my current repertoire, this cookbook will have riches for me to experience. Until then, I’m looking forward to trying their recipes for apple pie and chocolate chip cookies, too!