Let's Dish - April 2025

If you've talked to me in the library, you know that I am a huge fan of movies and TV. Something else I'm very passionate about (and need to make an excuse to do more) is cooking & baking. I love trying new foods and recipes and sharing that with loved ones. With this blog series, you get to come along for the ride. So, let's dish!

I recently listened Pamela's memoir and really enjoyed it. I loved her honesty, her matter-of-fact way of telling her story, and her love of life and family. This cookbook is an extension of that and seemed like the perfect book to follow. The book features lots of plant-based recipes, as she is a vegetarian. While I mostly followed the recipes, I did make some switches, using dairy in place of plant-based alternatives since that's what I have in my kitchen. She even addresses this at the beginning of the book stating "...these are my choices and ideas... to compliment yours, or be any meal on its own.

If like me, you enjoyed her autobiography, she does include some of her writing throughout. There are also beautiful photos of the food, herself, her garden, and her sons and their girlfriends. She includes some of her pantry staples, garden staples, and some tips she's learned the hard way with gardening. There is a wide variety of recipes including breakfast, picnic foods, sweets, and preserving. There's even a short chapter with natural beauty products.

I made a few of the recipes from the picnic chapter of the book. They just sounded really good at the time. First, I made the Pan Bagnat Sandwich with the green goddess dressing from the book. It really is a perfect springtime picnic sandwich. It has great flavor with the variety of veggies, herbs, and the dressing. I also really loved the dressing outside of the sandwich. I had plenty to use for a chopped salad.

To go with it, I also made the Herby French Potato Salad. I'm used to your typical Midwest potato salad or German potato salad. This wasn't too far off from a Midwest salad since it uses mayo and mustard. I really loved the addition of the herbs and apple cider vinegar.

Later in the week, I made the Balsamic Panzanella. This was a super easy recipe and similar to other panzanella recipes I've made. It's a good addition to a picnic.

At some point I'd love to make the Moroccan Anti-Inflammatory Lentil Soup. I'm sure I've mentioned before that I love a good lentil soup. This has some really nice ingredients such as sweet potatoes and butternut squash.

If you're looking for some fairly simple recipes to incorporate more veggies or try plant-based, I think this a great book to try. Or if you've read Pamela's autobiography, it's a great compliment to the book.