Food, glorious food!

I love good food. And just to get this out of the way right up front: that does not mean fancy. I like simple foods, with lots of flavor and minimal fuss.

Here's an example: a good hamburger, to me, is just ground beef, gently patted into a circle, and grilled. Cook it so that it's still moist, and stay far away with that seasoning shaker. Top it with ketchup, and I'm happy. Add tomatoes and onions and bacon and cheddar cheese, and I'm in heaven. Slap it into a simple bun, maybe with sesame seeds, or a brioche roll if you're feeling fancy. But that's it. The toppings should not overwhelm the flavor of the burger. I shouldn't have to unhinge my jaw to take a bite. I should not be in danger of staining my clothes as the fillings squeeze out the back of the bun. Do you know how hard I had to look, when I first moved to Tucson, to find a burger place that met my standards? (Zinburger, if you're wondering. Classic burgers, excellent milkshakes.)

Ahem. That's probably enough about burgers. Sorry. Let's move on.

Recipes

I enjoy cooking, rather a lot. I'm not, like, an expert chef. I'm no gourmand. But I know my way around a kitchen and can reliably turn out meals that make tummies happy. There's just something so satisfying about sitting down to a meal that is simple but full of flavor, and just what I was hungry for.

Here is a small, but intended to grow, collection of my favorite recipes. My go-tos. My repeats. I'm posting them here both to share them, and to serve as my personal recipe book.

Go to Recipes ->

Cookbooks

I love to flip through cookbooks, in a shop or - especially - in a library, but I own very few. To stay in my collection, a cookbook has to get regular use. Here's what's on my shelf today:

  • Betty Crocker's Cookbook - This thing is practically vintage at this point. Comb-bound, 9th edition. I suspect my mother bought it for me when I was in college, though I really don't remember how it came into my world. But it's my go-to first stop if I am uncertain about cooking times or temperatures, if I want to review a technique I rarely use, or just to get a basic, trusted version of a classic American recipe. All the ingredients are things I can get at my local Safeway, and the flavors are going to be fine even if they don't knock your socks off. They're safe, they're accessble, and they're mostly going to be straightforward and easy to make. This is the first cookbook I recommend for people who are just learning to cook. It'll teach you how to fry an egg or bake a pie or safely roast a chicken.

  • The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters - If you can gloss over the pretentious admonitions to always buy local, organically-grown produce and make friends with a local butcher, this book is a treasure trove of basic culinary techniques that can take you to the next step beyond Betty Crocker. Most of the recipes have very short ingredient lists, and the book is chock full of tips and tricks and ideas for putting your own spin on things. This book is where I learned to make herb butter, how to fry fish so it's light and crispy, and how to whip up a pan sauce after I've cooked my pork chops. Whenever I feel stuck in a rut, culinarily speaking, this is the book I reach for.

  • Budget Bytes by Beth Moncel - The book based on the Budget Bytes food blog. I loved Beth's recipes, so I bought her book when she got published, and it has most of my favorites from her early work. While the site now has more authors and, apparently, an endless supply of new recipes, I still go back to these early ones. They tend to use affordable, accessible ingredients, don't shy away from strong flavors, and aren't fussy or trying too hard to be cool. Even though I've had it for more than a decade, every time I flip through it, I find five things I want to make right away.

  • The Ultimate Cooking for One Cookbook by Joanie Zisk - Another one based on a blog, this time it's One Dish Kitchen. The idea behind this book, and the blog, is to cut down recipes so they make just enough food for one or two people, without a ton of leftovers. A blueberry cake in a 5x5 baking dish. A quiche that fits in a 10-ounce ramekin. Pasta and rice dishes that make just enough for you, and maybe a friend if you're not too hungry. If you're tired of your fridge filling up with leftovers you don't want to eat any more, or you find yourself with a random half-cup of leftover blueberries, or you want to indulge your sweet tooth today without tempting yourself tomorrow, this book (and blog) can help you out.

  • Third Culture Cooking by Zaynab Issa - This is the newest book in my collection. I checked it out of the library and tried a few recipes. I loved them, so I bought the book so I could try the rest without hurrying. The recipes are a fusion of European and Indian-Tanzanian cooking. Spiced in ways that I'm not used to, but shaped like dishes I'm familiar with. Like adding curry to chicken salad or chicken noodle soup, or cinnamon to a beef stew. This book is probably not a long-term keeper for me. I'll probably try a bunch more recipes, adapt and adjust them for my own needs, and then pass the book along so someone else can enjoy it. But you never know!

Channels

Love me a good cooking video. Here's a few I love.

  • Tasting History with Max Miller - A recipe and a back story. See how a historical dish might have been made, and learn a little history to go with it. Sometimes I even want to eat the food when it's done 😄

  • Food Wishes - A YouTube legend. Chef John has a calming style that makes you feel like you can cook anything. You are after all the Loretta Lynn of your porchetta skin.

  • Ethan Chlebowski - He does a lot of deep dives on ingredients and techniques. Really interesting to dig around in his back catalog.