Cook Book Book Club, Meeting #1

A few months ago, I saw an article that inspired me to suggest to a group of my friends that we try a different kind of book club, on that involved cook books and cooking. Yesterday, a dozen of us gathered for our first meeting.

Several suggestions were made for the first cook book, and we wound up going with Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. I made an executive decision that people who had either The Classic Italian Cook Book or More Classic Italian Cooking could use those as well, since the more recent Essentials has all the recipes from the first two and another 50 new recipes.

I set up a group on Facebook to chose a date for our meeting and to keep track of who was making what, so no two people made the same dish. We met at my home because I offered it and I've got a dining table that can sit 18 or 20, if we get cozy, and a large kitchen that would allow people to finish dishes or reheat if necessary. (I was teasingly told that my 4 burner Viking range is not big enough, because we needed 6 burners at one point.)

There were a few guidelines: make the dish exactly as written and only for the number of people indicated. In other words, don't adjust the recipe based on the number of people coming for lunch and don't change the ingredients. (Confession: keeping to Marcella's low garlic quota was difficult for those of us who love garlic.) Keeping the volume of the dish to that in the book (most are for 4-6 people) seemed a little counter-intuitive, but everyone left the table feeling more than satisfied. Even a taste of each dish adds up quickly, and there were a total of 14 recipes made by 12 people. There were even some leftovers because there was so much food.

It is fortunate that so many Italian dishes do not have to be piping hot when eaten, because it is impossible to get that many people to arrive at the same time and get finishing touches on everything. We will have to keep that in mind for future meetings.

I initially thought about setting up the food as a buffet, but I think it worked better for us to sit down and pass a few dishes at a time. The cook was then asked to talk about making the dish and give any suggestions they might have about adjustments. The discussion led us to realize how many of the dishes used sage, which some folks only associate with making turkey. Another ingredient which surprised many people was butter (much more common in the north of Italy where Marcella was from than in the south) and a lot of it was used, but most of us agreed that it could easily be replaced with olive oil to make a vegan dish.

Bread: Focaccia with Fresh Rosemary and Salt (page 618-620) made by yours truly.

I fell in love with focaccia when I visited Italy in 1985. The small town I was in had a bakery which only made focaccia two days a week. It was worth the wait. No one in the States had heard of focaccia (now they don't pronounce it correctly most of the time) and it rarely has the taste or texture of the bread I got in Vernasca. Everyone enjoyed Marcella's recipe, but I think the one I had from the Frugal Gourmet was better.

Soup Course: Minestrone alla Romagnola (page 84) made by Lisa Klink.

Starting the meal off with soup was a great choice on a day threatening rain. It was delicious and filling, even in small portions. The recipe called for beef broth, but I would probably opt for chicken or vegetable broth if I make it because of the number of people I know--myself included--who do not eat beef.

Pasta Course: Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi (page 262) with Butter and Sage Sauce (page 192) made by Catherine Fleming

and Cavatelli (fresh pasta recipe on page 128) with Spinach Sauteed with Olive Oil and Garlic (page 526) used as a sauce made by T Valada-Viars.

Catherine's Gnocchi were pretty much perfect: light and uniformly shaped. The butter sage sauce was wonderful. It is my favorite sauce for butternut squash ravioli. The recipe called for prosciutto, which I knew Catherine used, but the flavor was so mild, it could probably be left out so a vegetarian could eat it.

My sister T's cavatelli were an attempt to recreate a dish we remember our grandmother making on the kitchen table. I always think of my grandmother when I smell flour and eggs. She had a large family (six children, plus a mother-in-law in residence) and there were usually spouses, grandchildren, sisters, brothers, and cousins running in and out of the house on holidays and in the summer. She always seemed to be in the kitchen. T remembered the cavatelli being shaped with the thumb, but I remember three fingers being used to thin and shape the dough. That seemed to work better. While I was sure that the book had a recipe for cavatelli, it did not. Using the basic pasta recipe made for a somewhat heavy dough. I just found a recipe for cavatelli that might make a lighter product.

We questioned the wisdom of steaming the fresh spinach before adding it to the oil and garlic, because it is less time and dish consuming to simply allow the spinach to steam once it is in the oil and garlic. It was a really nice, homey dish.

Fish Course: Baked Fillet of Sole with Tomato, Oregano, and Hot Pepper (page 309) made by me

served with Gratin of Artichokes, Potatoes, and Onions (page 458) made by Mary De Longis

and Gratineed Cauliflower with Bechamel Sauce made by Kerry Glover.

The sole was fairly easy to acquire at the local Costco. The tomato sauce is made first, using onions, garlic, canned plum tomatoes, capers, and fresh oregano. I was afraid that our cold weather had done in my fresh oregano, but I managed to find some in one of my pots. After the sauce is made, the sole is dipped in the sauce and arranged in a baking dish. It was a little difficult to understand the instructions for arranging the sole, so I wound up folding the pieces in half. Then the sauce is poured over all and the dish goes into a very hot oven. The instructions said it was 5 minutes at 450 degrees. It took almost 15 minutes before it was actually cooked. Although it sat on the table under foil for a while, when it came time to serve it, the fish was not overcooked at all.

Mary's artichoke and potato dish was good, but she said that she did not know how to properly trim the artichokes. Everyone agreed that she should just try using the frozen artichokes from Trader Joe's the next time. It was, none-the-less, a really good side dish.

The Poultry Course: Oven-Roasted Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary (page 328) made by Sharon Baker

and Chicken Fricassee with Red Cabbage (page 333) made by Laurie Perry

and Sauteed Chicken Livers with Sage and White Wine (page 441) made by Mary De Longis.

We served the chicken dishes with Pan-Roasted Potatoes with Anchovies, Genoa Style (page 524) made by Liz Mortensen and Breaded Eggplant Cutlets (page 496) with Piquant Green Sauce (page 42) made by Maria Elena Rodriquez. Sadly, I do not have photographs of either dish, since the arrived at table after we sat down. Fortunately, Liz did photograph her potatoes (below.)

The roast chicken was melt in your mouth delicious. Sharon said she used the required vegetable oil, even though we all agreed that olive oil would be just fine. She also basted the chicken every 15 minutes throughout the cooking. That's probably something she would not do under most circumstances. The fricassee was delicious and did not smell of cabbage at all. Laurie was really pleased with the flavor available from five ingredients and the ease at which the dish came together.

Mary's chicken livers were so delicious. I might consider making them and throwing them into the food processor to make a spreadable chopped liver. They would probably make a good appetizer that way, spread on bread or toast.

I am a huge eggplant fan, so Maria's eggplant was a big hit with me. She produced a beautiful platter of Milanese-style cutlets and the salsa verde was a lovely touch. I kept a few leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Salad Course: Orange and Cucumber Salad (page 552) made by Laura Brennan.

I invited Laura to join us after we had brunch together a few weeks ago. She was dubious of her cooking skills, but she was game to give it a try with a simple recipe. Her dish was made special by the oranges which came from her own trees (as was the lemon juice used in the dressing for the salad.) Putting the salad course at the end of the main meal before dessert as a palate cleanser is common in Europe and worked very well for us. Laura felt inspired by the whole experience and now feels more confident to try other recipes in the book. Yay, Laura.

Dessert Course: Diplomatico (page 577) made by Nan Cohen.

The dish starts with pre-made pound cake and has a lovely mousse filling. It does require a bit of advance work, since the cake is dipped in rum and coffee and needs to ripen. The recipe is a great do-ahead because it can be made up to a week in advance and kept in the refrigerator.

Liz just reminded me of another rule: chose a recipe without regard to allergies or preferences of other people attending. There will always be food that most people can or will eat and no one has to eat every offering to feel ful. My sister adds that it is important to identify any potential allergens when serving the food (for example peanuts and shellfish) so those with allergies can avoid them. We did try to have signs identifying the recipe for each dish (which is vital in a buffet, less important when dishes are passed at the table but still helpful.)

We are now in the process of choosing our next book, because we were a dozen happy women at the end of the meal.

The Joy of Cookbooks

One can never be too rich or too thin--or own too many books. One of my mottoes is "a room without books is as a body without a soul" and I used to be able to quote it in Cicero's original Latin. We own one of those houses where people ask "have you read all these books?" Harlan Ellison's response to that question is "No. Who wants to live in a house filled with books you've already read?" The truth is, each of the three of us has read most of our own share of the books which reside with us, leaving plenty more to try on a rainy day.

The first time I stepped into Phyllis C. Richman's office at the Washington Post, I knew I wanted to have a cookbook collection like the one I saw there. My collection was only a shelf or two at the time, but it has grown substantially. Most libraries and bookstores don't have as good a selection. I buy them new, but I've had pretty good luck haunting thrift stores, antique shops, flea markets and yard sales in order to expand it.

There are frequently cookbooks on my nightstand, along with the other books I'm in the process of reading. Andy Rooney of 60 Minutes did one of his commentaries about cookbooks and couldn't understand why people would have more than a few and certainly didn't believe people actually read them for pleasure. We do.

There are certain cookbook writers I collect like I do some fiction writers. Marcella Hazan is at the top of that list. I think I own every one of her books and I use them repeatedly (Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, which combines two earlier volumes is the best Italian cookbook I own.) Julie Rosso and Sheila Lukins, together and alone are big favorites (it is possible to throw an entire party using the two Silver Palate Cookbooks) and Viana La Place, Julie Sahni, Madhur Jaffrey, and Nancy Silverton also rank. For my husband, Len Wein, it is Rachael Ray--Len probably owns every one of her books. What he didn't buy, I bought for him. I also collect cookbooks on certain topics: Italian food is the big one--without counting I know that dominates my shelves. I'm also prone to picking up books on baking bread, Indian cooking (even though Len can't eat it) and other ethnic cuisines, dim sum, holding tea parties, appetizers and other finger-food.

For my son Michael, I keep looking for cookbooks which will make him want to investigate the kitchen, not just the refrigerator. I've bought him Alton Brown's books (which are largely about the science of cooking, which Michael can relate to), some on Japanese cuisine (he's a Nipponophile), and some aimed at kids in college (I had The Campus Survival Cookbook when I was in grad school which I just loved and have passed on to him.) So far, he makes a nice banana bread.

After September 11, 2001, I spent a year working my way through Nancy Silverton's Breads from the La Brea Bakery. This book is not for the faint of heart, which is why I probably had it on the shelf for four years before I tried it. I started by cutting grapes from my arbor to make sour dough from scratch. After several aborted attempts to learn to make sour dough, Nancy Silverton's method actually worked. The smell of fresh bread brought comfort to me when things were crazy. Of course, Len took to calling the sour dough starter "Audrey Two" since I was constantly having to feed it and I never quite got the knack of keeping it dormant in the refrigerator. So I had lots of it bubbling away in a six-quart tub on the counter for a long time. It lived several years before I finally screwed up. Now, if I need starter, I call my friend Karen who is planning to open a bakery when she finally moves out of Los Angeles. She's doing some contract baking and she always has starter available.

I wouldn't be without my 1970s edition of the Joy of Cooking. Although it is on my shelf, I find the more recent update impossible to read--it uses a kind of type which is not kind on my old eyes--and it just isn't as friendly as my falling-to-pieces one. This is the book I go to every Thanksgiving for its reminders on the right way to roast my turkey and a great pie crust for my apple and pumpkin pies.

I love well-photographed cookbooks. One of the most beautiful cookbooks I've ever seen is an over-sized coffee-table book called Jean-Louis: Cooking with the Seasons. It was shot by Fred Maroon, a photographer of my acquaintance in Washington D.C., and written by Jean-Louis Palladin, a great character who died too early. I met him several times while working with Phyllis Richaman, and though I couldn't afford to eat at his restaurant at the Watergate Hotel, I did get to sample his food elsewhere. Because I am not inclined to take on French cuisine, the book is not in my personal collection. I do hope to have a copy one day, just to be inspired by the pictures.

The most valuable cookbooks in my collection are the notebooks where I've collected family recipes since I was a teenager. There should probably be a lot more, but I concentrated on the Italian holiday sweets. I discovered that some of the recipes didn't really work when I tried to make them on my own, so I had to go back and watch my mother in action in order to make notes to get them to come out right. I'm not entirely sure she was intentionally deceitful, but Mom often doesn't measure when she cooks and there was a lot more refinement needed in the quantities to make things work. Since I'm a by the book kind of baker, I'm surprised there weren't more disasters.