foodie

I got a new cookbook 2 weeks ago and have been inspired to try a few things. This rounds out my collection of similar cookbooks for each year, or 2 years, from 1999 to 2006. Some of our all-time favorite things to eat are from these cookbooks(blasted broccoli and corn soup come to mind) and I've barely scratched the surface of the contents. Each recipe is prefaced with a paragraph or 2 about it so I'll read the book like a novel putting post-it notes next to the recipes I want to try and start a shopping list as I read.

The last 2 weeks I rediscovered Frittatas, tried a new recipe for broccoli, and cooked turnips for the first time! The frittatas were SOOO easy and Angela can eat them. The broccoli was fabulous and the turnips only the adults liked. I think the kids need to taste them a couple of more times to get used to the taste and texture of turnips (peel your turnips, simmer them in chicken broth with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and butter; dip them out of the broth and boil it down till it is syruppy add some parsley, drop the turnips back in and heat and stir to coat...serve...very good).

In the Soup chapter alone we've had the Rich Red Pepper Soup and have marked and bought the ingredients for Senegalese Peanut Soup; then as fall approaches I'm anxious to try the Italian Pumpkin soup, Red Lentil and Apricot Soup, THE Lentil Soup, Cornmeal and Kale Soup and Heavenly Carrot Soup. That's over half of the recipes in the Soup chapter; then I have the salad, Breakfast, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Breads, Desserts and Drink chapter to eat through.

Sunday we had (because Angela wasn't here) Tuscan Flatbread with Roasted Grapes. Roasted grapes are delicious AND easy. Using red seedless grapes spread a bit of olive oil on a cookie sheet, lay out a bunch of grapes, bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour turning (actually shaking the pan) a few times. Done. Sweet and delicious. EVERYONE except Tyler loved the bread (He called it the yucky bread and soon everyone was asking for another piece of that 'yucky bread'.).