As a recap, one of the new things I wanted to do with food on the blog was to focus on one or two cookbooks for a couple of weeks, to give both myself, and you a bigger picture of them. I’m still working out what this will look like. It may involve a lot of weekend cooking, as some of them are not quick recipes. This past week it was Alex Guarnaschelli’s The Home Cook. 

Grand plans were made while lookong through this cookbook! Sadly, grand planning didn’t include fully researching the recipe, leading me to end up making some recipe substitutions. I may have to do one more week of this book, just to try more things out!

The book itself is very easy to read and extremely approachable for home cooks. I would say this would be a good cookbook for anyone, regardless of cooking level. The recipes are clearly marked, broken down into clear steps, and have the cooking terms explained, not just said. It also describes what the results should look like.

I have made several recipes from it already and have some more planned as well. I thought I should give you an update on it, so you knew I was still cooking. 🙂 So far I have made several pasta recipes, three baked recipes, and a soup recipe. They have all been delicious! I have several more planned, but might take a break for a minute. (Ummm, probably not, I may have some planned for this weekend.)

I forgot to take a picture of the Gnocchi Mac and Cheese, but although delicious, it was not photogenic. It was a bit rich and I maybe sort of followed the recipe… I couldn’t find Gueyre and used Havarti and Gouda, as well as some chedder jack. It was good, but I wouldn’t make it again. I have decided that I like my gnocchi crispy. The Husband agrees.

I made Weeknight Marinara and it took a bit longer than expected, but was worth the wait. We enjoyed the little bite from the red pepper flakes.

Very similar to the Marinara was Bolognese with Rigatoni. I was worried the sauce might be too thin, but it seemed to have worked out. I used so much salt in this dish, that I was concerned, but it actually turned out absolutely delicious. The Husband said it was “the perfect dish.” Apparently when you actually measure out the salt and follow the recipe, it turns out good! Who knew?! Seriously though, the salt was all over in the recipe, including making the pasta water taste like sea water.

We both liked this Beef Meatball Soup with Couscous and Paprika. It was delicious. Not terribly complicated to make and the only thing I just changed was to use regular paprika instead of hot paprika, as I only had the regular.

I would definitely make this again. We had it with Parker House Rolls and they were a bit heavy for my taste, but I think it was just that the dough wasn’t warm enough while rising. My house is draftier than I think it is and I should have protected the bowl a little more. They tasted good though, especially after toasting them on the second day with butter to have with the marinara. The recipe made a lot, so we froze the rest. They are the featured picture on the post.

I tried two other baked recipes, the Dark Chocolate Brownies and the Double Dark Chocolate Muffins. (I see a theme emerging…)

The brownies were delicious, definitely gooey in the middle, but not under-baked. We used them to make brownie sundaes.

The Husband liked these as much as the Ghiradelli mix ones and they were pretty quick. The batter was kind of funny though, it baked with a really high sheen and so it looked like it wasn’t done at all, but it actually was. I had to use an ounce of bittersweet with the other unsweetened chocolate, as I had run out.

The Husband didn’t try the chocolate muffins. I may have forgotten to tell him which tin they were in. They were good and held up well. Not as sweet as chocolate muffins normally are, which was nice. I did follow this recipe. I would make them again, but maybe halve the recipe.

So over all, it’s been a pretty good experience with this cookbook. I do have lots more recipes to try, but will mostly be trying them on weekends. They aren’t exactly quick recipes for when I come home late.

We’ve had some other recipes mixed in, of course, including Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Sausage Pasta, Chicken Noodle Soup, and an Asian beef Stew from The New Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Ellen Brown. The chicken was from a really good roast chicken that refused to cook. It was apparently still a little frozen even though it didn’t feel that way when I baked it. I threw a lot of the spice cupboard on it and it was yummy after it finally cooked.

Here’s the soup! I threw more of the spice cupboard in it and I actually liked it. Normally it’s a little under seasoned for me, no matter who makes it.

The Husband was my sous chef for the chicken sausage pasta dish. Look at this mise en place!

The Asian Beef Stew was interesting. I was afraid the Husband wouldn’t like it, but he ended up thinking it was delicious. It had Chinese 5 Spice and orange in it. I used blood orange. Mmm…

 It’s good to have a whole cookbook of pressure cooker recipes to try. I get nervous trying to find recipes and this one popped up and looked good. Some of the recipes are a bit fancy maybe, but most look good.

We ended up having chicken pot pie on the same night as my parents and the night before K and J had it. Apparently great minds think alike on cold, snowy days especially! I’m sure the other two potpies were delicious as well, both my Mom and K make excellent ones.

Fancy is prepping for the upcoming polar vortex tomorrow by eating everything she can get her paws on and then stealing all the blankets. I don’t blame her. It’s already super cold!

She was super mad when we made all the chicken dishes and she couldn’t have any. She kept drooling on my foot as I was working and sighing heavy, guilt laden sighs in hopes I would have pity on her poor starving self.

I’m going to go join her and steal back my quilt now, but I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about the recipes and are looking forward to more to come!