Top Shelf Cookbooks

I collect cookbooks – there are shelves and shelves of them in my home. I love to flip through their shiny pages seeing the ways the authors have combined familiar ingredients in new and exciting ways. I pore over the ingredient lists and examine the photographs; I envision the finished dishes and can almost taste the food just by reading the descriptions. I’m such a food nerd.

Cookbooks are losing ground to internet searches and while I can fully appreciate the speed of Googling “easy chicken dinner recipe,” there’s still something I love about holding a well-edited collection of recipes in my hands.

I thought I’d save you some time in the bookstore by sharing some of my absolute favorites here. These are the books I turn to again and again to the point where my copies of them are dog-eared and food splattered. If you’re interested in fresh, flavorful, healthy cooking and these aren’t already in your collection, they should be. I’ll even include the Amazon links so you can find them quickly… now let’s get cooking!

The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook– This one is published by the staff at Cook’s Illustrated, an authority on a scientific approach to cooking that produces perfect results every time. Love that they gathered their healthy recipes in one place!

The All-New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook– A great comprehensive volume from the top cooking magazine for health conscious cooks. They publish an annual guide as well with all the recipes from that year’s magazine! My mom’s been giving me one for Christmas for years.

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook– Ina Garten’s recipes aren’t always the lightest but I have good results lightening them up without compromising the flavor. I love her style! I credit Ina with luring me out of corporate America and into the food world – I even made a trip to the Hamptons to her original shop before it closed!

Everyday Italian– Giada De Laurentiis is one of my favorite TV chefs and this volume is packed with great recipes. You must try the turkey meatballs – amazing.

Jamie’s Food Revolution– Jamie Oliver is convinced that anyone can cook and he’s on a mission to spread the word. His book is filled with fresh, fast, easy dishes that you really CAN make, even if you don’t consider yourself a cook!

Cat Cora: Classics with a Twist– I’ve had a lot of success with this book, but one of my favorites is her easy chicken curry with peas. Amazing.

What’s your favorite cookbook? Post it in the comments below or on our Facebook wall and join the conversation!

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Simple Tuscan White Bean Soup

By the time college football season starts and the afternoons are crisp, I’m ready for soup! I think on most weekends there is a pot of something on my stove on Saturday afternoon. I love the coziness of that bubbling pot against the backdrop of a game on TV and I love that there are often leftovers for lunch during the week!

This soup, however, doesn’t need to simmer all day. In fact, you can bang the whole thing out in about 40 minutes start to finish and it can even be made vegetarian by omitting the pancetta. Buy good broth/stock for this – it makes a difference!

 

Simple Tuscan White Bean Soup

makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 – 1 oz. slice of pancetta, cut into 1-inch cubes (optional, but this does enhance the flavor)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (increase to 2 if omitting the pancetta)

1 small onion, medium diced

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

4 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3 1/2 cups good quality low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 sprig fresh rosemary

Directions:

1. Cook the pancetta in a large stockpot over medium heat until just golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside the pancetta and add the oil to the pot along with the rendered pancetta fat.

2. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add the beans, salt, and chicken broth. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Submerge the rosemary in the liquid, cover the pot, and let stand off the heat for 20 minutes.

4. Discard the rosemary and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with olive oil if desired. You can even top it with the bit of pancetta you started with if you’d like.

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Wheat Berry and Apple Salad

Have you tried wheat berries yet? They’re not actually berries…they’re kernels of wheat (all except for the hull)! These little nutrition powerhouses pack a ton of health benefits – namely fiber, folic acid, protein, B vitamins, vitamins E & C and minerals. That’s a hard working salad if you ask me.

Consider this a healthy riff on a Waldorf Salad…great sweetness and crunch…but no mayo.  And apples! Aren’t you ready for apples to be in season again? I know I am! I was so excited to see the first Honeycrisps at the grocery store this week – fall can happen now.

Wheat Berry and Apple Salad

makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked wheat berries

1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

grated zest of 1 lemon

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup diced tart apples (such as Granny Smith)

3/4 cup halved red grapes

1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

1/4 cup finely diced celery

1 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the wheat berries, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the wheat berries in a colander and then spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet to allow them to cool to room temperature. You can refrigerate the cooked wheat berries to speed up this process.

2. Whisk the lemon zest and vinegar together in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing is emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. In a large bowl combine the cooled wheat berries, apples, grapes, walnuts, onion, celery, and basil. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine.

4. Best if allowed to sit for an hour or so. The salad can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

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