We have an upcoming wedding in a month and decided to start a cookbook for the couple with some go-to recipes we have come to love, plus some basics like chocolate cake, buttercream, southern biscuits, pancakes, tomato sauce — you get the picture.
Putting together this book has me thinking about some of my go-to places for trusted recipes and cooking advice.
For Christmas one year, my husband got me a subscription to Milk Street. If you’ve never heard of them, you should take a look. Started by Christopher Kimball, the guy from America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s County, Milk Street travels the world exploring food, learning local recipes from locals, and then puts them into recipes for the everyday cook. They aim to make the recipes delicious and simple. I have yet to make a dish we haven’t liked. In fact, I made Sweet and Sour Pork for dinner recently and it was delicious, so much so that I won’t have to order take out again. A couple weeks ago, I made pork tenderloin with two different spreads that were to die for, and served it with some roasted potatoes and green beans. It felt fancy. If you don’t want to get a subscription, they have several cookbooks you can get. I’ve seen a few at McKay’s and I know the library has at least one. Milk Street is one location I will be reminding myself to return to for delicious and quick meals.
For VBS every year our food for the workers are provided by people at church volunteering. At times I’ve used it to test out recipes, especially if it’s something that makes more than what we could consume at home. The first dish I made was Joanna Gaines’ Yellow Squash Casserole with Green Chiles from her first cookbook. It was a hit! The only switch I made was using shredded cheddar cheese instead of Velveeta. Let me tell you: I’ll be adding that one to my list as well as to the wedding gift. If you don’t have her cookbook, the library has a copy. The other dish was lamb sandwiches. Yep, I decided to give it a go at roasting a leg of lamb and prayed it would be eaten. Was I worried it would be a complete failure? Absolutely, but it actually turned out really good. My brother pointed me in the direction of Jamie Oliver who made it really simple and not scary at all to cook. It took about an hour and 30 minutes to cook. I let it rest and then sliced it thinly with a carving knife, made some tzatziki sauce and served it on rolls with feta cheese and tomatoes. Y’all I was so proud.
Serious Eats is my other go to for tips, tricks, and recipes. I’ve used their dry brining technique to cook the Thanksgiving turkey, their spatchcock chicken is an easy meal to take to someone, the stovetop mac & cheese is amazing, and you can find several of Stella Parks’ recipes on their page. Her cinnamon rolls are my go-to for birthday breakfast. There are several other recipes from Serious Eats that I use consistently. Just take a gander at their database and you’ll find some gems plus some new ways of cooking things that could make your life easier.
Now for a little sweet something!
I always try to keep the cookie jar full, but if I’m honest, it does go empty for a week or two. My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe is from Stella Parks. Sprinkle with a little sea salt after you take it out of the oven and it’s divine. These are the only chocolate chip cookies my niece will eat. I’ve used this cookie in place of Nilla wafers in banana pudding and let me tell you, you’ll never go back. If you’re craving chocolate cake, Liv For Cake’s recipe is tender and moist. It takes about 10 minutes to throw together and about 40 minutes to bake. I’ve tweaked my version a bit and use half cocoa powder and half black cocoa. It gives the cake a darker and richer flavor. This is an easy one if you’re in need of a last-minute something for a gathering. For a buttercream, the general ratio is two cups of powdered sugar for every stick of butter, vanilla, and a little milk or cream. Cream together until smooth. Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, you can make any flavor you need.
Oh man, I could go on for my go-to baking and dessert recipes! My advice is to find something you love and once you’ve mastered it, you can tweak it in various ways.
Gathering recipes these last few weeks has me thinking of putting our own family book together instead of recipes scattered throughout various books. It also has me thinking of back to school time in a few weeks and gathering those simple yet flavorful meals that can be put together quickly. I just need to get my meal planning together.
