i pulled quite a few cookbooks off the shelf this week
just as i have been rethinking everything in my life
i have been rethinking food and cooking
over the winter i was kind of off cooking
then i realized it was because i was making mealtime too complicated
one day i might have gotten around to all those recipes
but for now i need to keep it simple
i adore my collection of three years worth of Bon Appetit and (rip) Gourmet magazines
and will hold onto them for my perusing pleasure
and for those special meals
for right now though we are eating the basics
and I am not worrying about anything else
a slice of cheese
a crusty bread
fresh organic butter
fruit and yogurt
soups and salads
chicken and pasta
ham and potatoes
homemade chocolate chip cookies
and freshly squeezed milk
i have been straddling the urge to become vegetarian again
felt compelled to not eat my animal brothers and sisters
but i have decided the time is not now
we will eat meat in small doses and buy it exclusively from the farm
and we will eat it reverently and in thanks and gratitude
and i will be okay with this decision and let it rest
and as time passes i will see if i need that to change
spring and the bounty of summer are coming
fresh fruit and veggie will be coming plentiful
and we will make weekend stops again
to see our Amish neighbors we haven't seen since early fall
see how much the babies have grown
and how their winter fared
and once again i hope to shell and eat my pick of fresh peas and limas
and i hope that with the simplification of so much else
there will be time for making strawberry jam
and setting some other things by
and that girl above
the one with the great big heart
she said to me the other day
mommy, can we take one day
and eat like the poor people do
just so we know how it feels
her own inclination
it's not such a bad idea she had
that little amazement of mine
perhaps every once in awhile
we do need to start over
reset
and appreciate anew
the simple pleasures of what
the simplest of foods can bring
{many books do still sit on my bookshelf including the following all time favorites}
the only banana bread recipe i will ever use
go to pancakes, we fill them with fruit, nuts and chocolate chips
one summer the girls and I somehow found every single River Cottage episode on the web and watched each Saturday morning
baked oatmeal
my mother's sausage, spinach, cheese pie made this the first cookbook I bought when I moved out on my own
chicken leek pie
My Collection of Photocopied Recipe Cards from my Grandmother in her hand.
*****
And many thanks to Amanda, for the recommendation of An Everlasting Meal, less cookbook more of a poetic gentle reminder which came in a timely fashion and fills me with the beautiful language of food and love.
What is your all time favorite resource for simple meals? I would love to hear.
well, my favorite is everyday food magazine - love that little book!
ReplyDeleteI am listening to Julia Child's book in the car - now, that is some cooking but not quite my style.
I have had my eye on An Everlasting Meal...
p.s. - your daughter's suggestion is quite endearing.
I just read An Everlasting Meal and really enjoyed it. Currently, I have a stack of Barefoot Contessa cookbooks checked out from the library sitting on my counter. I like her recipes for their simplicity, plus they're almost always delicious. Thanks for listing your favorites. A few of them I have not heard of and will check out.
ReplyDeleteAnd what your daughter said...made me pause for a moment. Grateful and blessed. Such a wise soul she is.
Did you use a macro lens to photograph the pea pod?
ReplyDeleteI used to buy the Betty Crocker recipe books sold at the checkstand for about $3 each. I'd take them home, read them cover to cover, glean them for ingredient combination ideas. Best way to cook. I have cookie recipes handed down. When I lived in Louisiana I collected cookbooks, the kind sold in local gift stores, written by local people. Truly authentic.
I have all of the Barefoot Contessa books. Ina cooks simple, real food. I turn to her almost weekly. I also love Jamie at Home. Great book. A great book and a great read...A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg (Orangette). Love that book.
ReplyDeleteWe really like salads in this house. I keep the frig stocked with lettuces, radishes, carrots, then the crunchy stuff: nuts, seeds, toppings. I have been enjoying a hard boiled egg as well. Yum! Simple is my middle name!!
ReplyDelete@katie @ lisa I do have the Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook and yes Lisa, I have Molly's book too.
ReplyDelete@cheryl Actually no, that was taken with my regular 18-55 kit lens. I do have a notebook as well filled with ripped magazine recipes and things I've printed off the web. And you saying about your local cookbooks reminds me that somewhere I have tucked away a collection of old church recipe books that I bought at a flea market.
@swanski love salads, but cannot do them in the winter....but just wait!
My son makes it so easy for me. He loves simple foods. My husband words late a lot so it's often just my little guy and I at the dinner table. Last night, I made thin spaghetti tossed with olive oil, parmesan cheese, sliced grape tomatoes and fresh broccoli. It was so good and we both cleaned our plates. When my husband came home, I just added some ham to the mix and he was happy with it too so that worked out well. This morning my son asked me if we could have some 'roast beast' (he loves How the Grinch Stole Christmas) so there's a roast with veggies going into my crock pot in a few hours. Easy peasy. I love real food and I'm so excited to be growing a bunch of it this year. Like you, I could give up meat but I'm not ready. Did it for a few years in my 20s but it's not as practical for my life right now. I dream of having chickens and goats someday. We'll get there. I'm a strong believer in the power of intention. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd by 'words late', I did mean works late. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love cookbooks...and collect them. Then I read them...sticky note certain pages...and then when I cook meals, I do whatever I want and don't follow any recipe. Rebel... ;) There are a few recipes I follow exactly...clam chowder from Dave Lieberman's cookbook, corn bread from the New Betty Crocker Cookbook and a pumpkin/butternut soup from Ina Garten. I'm sure there are a few more but those are the ones off the top of my head.
ReplyDeleteAs for simple meals...I stick to the tried and true meals that my family loves every time...paninis are ALWAYS a hit, and anything mexican....it's tasty, it's easy, it's quick...enchilada soup is good, breakfast for dinner is a favorite...BLT's with oven fries, or chips and fruit for greater ease. I also like to cook large batches of things and freeze a portion for another meal. It makes dinner prep and planning quick and easy.
Oh I love cookbook posts!! Super Natural Everyday is a favorite here too (especially the baked oatmeal!). Have you tried the Summer Linguine recipe? It's pretty easy and so yummy. The red pepper flakes add quite a bit of heat, so depending on your taste (and your kids) play with that measurement. My go-to cookbook as of late is Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. Some favorite recipes from that one are...Lemon and Garlic Quinoa, Hummus, Massaged Kale and Current Salad, Mexican Brown Rice with Pintos, Red Bean and Quinoa Chili, and Mediterranean Quinoa. Yum :)
ReplyDeletelove your little one's sweet and tender heart. it's amazing the love and insight she carries within her.
ReplyDeletei love the river cottage book you mention and super natural everyday. love them both to bits.
ReplyDeleteand my best resource for simple meals is my own pantry/fridge. just look in and start throwing things together. made some interesting pasta dishes, salads, and soups this way :)