Cookbooks

After I published yesterday's blog post, I realized that I didn't share where my cooking inspirations come from. I have quite an extensive cookbook collection (put on your surprise face!). The ones pictured at the left are a few of my favorites. You can see they range from Indian to Italian to French to a book of simple dinnertime recipes for folks too busy to spend an entire afternoon putting together a meal. Last night's puff pastry/goat cheese delight is from the Susan Loomis book "Cooking at Home on Rue Tatin" The luscious panna cotta that I'll eat tonight (I sampled it this morning...tres magnifique!) is from Lynn Rossetto Kasper's "The Italian Country Table." I'll move onto Lynn's most recent book "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper" for tonight's over-roasted chunks of pork steak with roasted greens and red peppers. I'll make a side dish of steamed green beans tossed with lemon zest and grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese from that cookbook as well. I love just reading these cookbooks; all have cultural information as well as culinary treats.

This cookbook, however, is my very favorite. It was published in 1972, and I bought it soon after. The name on the inside cover says "Evelyn Wyman," so you get an idea just how long I've had it. It's dirty and stained (it's made more than one trip into the Yellowstone backcountry!) the pages are dog-eared and torn. You can't tell from this photo, but it's held together with clear packing tape on the binding. The book is called "The Vegetarian Epicure" by Anna Thomas. Ms. Thomas wrote a volume 2 that I own as well; I think I've seen an updated version at Barnes and Noble recently. This is the book that changed me from a meatloaf, spaghetti, and hamburger girl to a woman enthralled with vegetables, fruits and cheese.

And bread! This book began my journey into the mysteries of bread baking. Just look at these written on, stained pages. My defining moment in bread making occurred shortly after purchasing this cookbook. I made a challah to take to my friend, Barbara's house for supper. Her mother exclaimed over it..."it's so beautiful; it looks and tastes just like I remember the challah on the Sabbath from my childhood in Germany before the war!" I was hooked from that moment. I've made every bread recipe in the book; I even made bread routinely in the wood cookstoves of the Yellowstone backcountry. You know, I really should start making my own bread again. Every time I buy bread at the store, I'm disappointed with it. Maybe I could even master croissants!