Let's Dish - July 2024 🍽️

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!

This month, I put more thought into what I wanted to do for the blog than normal. I had a stack of celebrity cookbooks at home in hopes of using one of those. None of them made me feel particularly inspired. I then remembered a book I had for personal use, so that brought me to ScheckEats: Cooking Smarter. It's a newer book, from 2023 and I was initially taken with the cover photo (which is the recipe I made). Looking through it further, I realized how great the book was outside of that. Jeremy Scheck is a self-proclaimed home cook, a recent graduate of Cornell University, and has been running a food blog since he was a teenager. I had never heard of him before picking up the book, but his book has a ton of good information. He's put a lot of time and research into food science and his passion for it is obvious. One quote from his introduction that stood out to me was: "I aim to strike a balance with my recipes - easy enough for a first-timer and still engaging enough for the more experienced cook." And I really think he nailed that.

To start, there is a section of staple ingredients, like a lot of cookbooks. Before getting into the food related information, there are some really adorable illustrations throughout this section hand-painted by the author's grandma. As for the content of this section, I appreciate that he says that the list is a starting point, not an end point. Also that he encourages readers to tweak things to fit their personal tastes, diets, and culture. The list is a pretty basic list similar to others you'd find. He breaks it down into categories such as "oils," "dry goods," and "plants," to name a few. He then goes more in depth into the ingredients on his list. Some he gives brand examples. Each one has at least a sentence or two of why he'd consider it an essential and what you'd use it for. Everything is in alphabetical order for ease of use.

Next is another cookbook staple, tools and equipment. Again, it's in alphabetical. And again, like with the staple ingredients, he lists what each item is used for and on some gives brands he would recommend. There are basics like knives and measuring tools plus cookware he'd consider essential for every day cooking.

One thing I really appreciate is that he includes food safety. It makes it so clear how much passion he has for cooking as a whole. He gives detailed explanations of avoiding cross-contamination, storing leftovers, how long to keep leftovers, and even the controversial topic of washing meat.

Before even getting into the recipes, he also gives his philosophy on cooking and eating, quick tips for the kitchen, and some "housekeeping." It's obvious how much care went into the book beyond just wanting to be published. For the recipes, they're divided into a few categories: breakfast; vegetables; pasta, rice, and beans; proteins; and sweets. At the very end, you can find a conversion chart as well as a chart that gives you recipes by diet. So, if you're following a gluten-free diet for example, you can easily find recipes in the book to fit that.

As I said, I made the recipe on the cover of the book: Chicken Thighs with Date Butter Sauce. It's incredibly easy and flavorful. I think it's a great option for something fairly quick to throw together after a day of work. It doesn't take long to assemble the ingredients, though the cook time is a little longer, around 45 minutes. The book recommends cooking on a half sheet pan, I ended up using a cast iron skillet, similar to the cover photo. The ingredients are also pretty basic: chicken, onion, lemon, carrots, and celery. The most "exotic" ingredient might be the dates. They are easy to find though, if they're not something you typically buy. You can either buy them with the pits (taking those out before chopping and cooking) or already pitted. As he said in the quote I previously used, it's something easy for beginners but with some of the flavor profiles, it's still a good recipe for someone a little more seasoned.

Other recipes I'm interested in for the future: Mom's Tortilla Soup, Brussels Sprouts Slaw, Internet-Famous Crispy Roast Potatoes, Leek Risotto, Cumin Stewed Chickpeas, Apricot-Glazed Chicken, and Favorite Banana Bread.

I really enjoyed this book and I think it's great for beginners. There is so much useful information, consideration of different diets, and tips for changing things up slightly.