COOKBOOK REVIEW: Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Slow Cooking

Still working on my 2020 cookbook project. This slow cooker book by Williams-Sonoma is gorgeous, but the recipes are involved and not really what I cook day to day. I was flipping through the other day though and found an amazing looking recipe for Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff. I decided to give it a try!

It wasn’t as exactly pretty as the picture but it was absolutely delicious as an early winter Sunday dinner. The beef was so tender, and I really liked the sauce. My kids liked it too!

None of this is anything I would make on a weeknight when I need a fast dinner, but I would probably try another recipe on a weekend when I have time to putter.

[REVIEW] The Pioneer Woman Cooks - A Year of Holidays

I’m slowly trying to catch up with my 2020 goal to cook from 20 new-to-me cookbooks. Last week’s choice was The Pioneer Woman Cooks A Year of Holidays. I love the idea of this book, but in the end the step by step instructions with a picture of each step drove me nuts. For some reason when recipes are laid out like that I just can’t follow.

I was inspired to break out my smoothie maker, and I’m looking forward to frying eggs in a tortilla. I just won’t be baking the delicious looking carrot cake because there’s no way I’d be able to follow the recipe.

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REVIEW: Easy Chinese Cookbook by Chris Toy

My latest cooking experiment was from the Easy Chinese Cookbook by Chris Toy. We’ve been hungry for Chinese food, and looking for something to help take the place of our favorite local shop (closed due to COVID-19.)

I had a good time flipping through this book. It has a nice variety of approachable recipes. We decided to start with the homemade dumpling wrappers, and had so much fun! I didn’t think we could manage these, but between the three of us we got it done!

I recommend this book if you’re looking to try some of your take out favorites at home.

Note: This book was provided in exchange for a honest review by the publisher. Links are affiliate links with bookshop.org. Thanks for your support!

COOKBOOK REVIEW: The Peached Tortilla by Eric Silverstein

I was surprised by how much I liked this cookbook. Going in I thought it would be full of pretty looking but impossible to cook at home restaurant food. There were some involved recipes, but there were a lot of attainable ones too.

I also loved reading Silverstein’s story. Growing up as an American in Asia, then moving back to America having never actually lived there was an interesting way to develop a palate. I also appreciated his realizations that his career as a lawyer was killing his soul, and was glad he shared his first few years of floundering as a food truck operator. We can all use a reminder that hip restaurants and gorgeous cookbooks don’t just get awarded because you’re a nice person.

One night after work last week I whipped up some Chinese BBQ sauce and the Bacon Jam Brussels Sprouts to go with a ham dinner. Both were delicious. Next I’d love to try my hand at making some of the street tacos and cocktails from this book.

Messy weeknight kitchen

Visiting Austin has been on my travel bucket list for a few years now, and when I go visiting The Peached Tortilla is high on my list of things to do.

COOKBOOK REVIEW: Spiced by America's Test Kitchen

One of my goals this year is to read and cook from twenty new to me cookbooks. My first of the year was Spiced, a book I had really high hopes for because it’s from America’s Test Kitchen.

And this book did not let me down. I loved the look of all the recipes and really liked how they included many sauces, spice mixes, and dips since that’s what most of my cooking consists of these days.

There were many things I would have loved to cook, but the only recipe I had everything on hand for was the Sriracha salt. It was very easy to make, and smelled amazing. I can’t wait to try it on popcorn and scrambled eggs.

Even though I really enjoyed flipping through this book I probably won’t buy my own copy. I would need to buy so many specialty spices and new pieces of equipment that it’s just not practical.