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I have quite a few cookbooks and this may be my very favorite. It's neither a new nor a trendy cookbook. However, everything I've cooked from it has been wonderful.  Whenever we have guests over for dinner, this is the book I turn to.  The dishes are fabulous without requiring that I spend 3 days in the kitchen.  There is a large section in the back of the book devoted to individual herbs: how to grow, harvest, and cook. Really makes me wish I still had an herb garden.

Some of my favorite recipes:

Grilled Peach Salad (pg 69).  Every year I can't wait for the height of peach season to make this salad.  It combines the sweetness of grilled peaches with the spicy bite of watercress, arugula and jalapenos.

Roasted Ratatouille (pg 141). This uses several fresh herbs, as you might expect. Roasting the vegetables yields a really special taste.

Roasted Parsnips with Thyme (pg 145).  This dish is wonderful on many levels.  It's absolutely delicious and it's very simple to prepare.  Even though it's roasted, it almost seems like parsnip fries.  We love parsnips, but even people who think they don't like them will like this dish.

Herb-Braised Short Ribs of Beef (pg 220). I love short ribs more than anything.  They're my signature dish.  I've made many different recipes and this is one of my all-time favorites. It's fantastic and very easy to prep.  The beef is falling off the bone tender.

Pork Tenderloin Crusted with Mediterranean Herbs (pg 222).  I've made a LOT of versions of pork tenderloin and this is one of my favorites due to ease of preparation, healthfulness, and delicious taste.  The herbs form a really nice crust after being seared.  The meat is perfectly cooked in the time designated and it is still really moist.  It couldn't be simpler.  I have made the Red Pepper and Hazelnut Sauce that Traunfeld suggests to accompany the pork.  The sauce on its own is really tasty and quite attractive.  I don't feel it's a good accompaniment to the pork. Think it would be better partnered with fish or vegetables.

Maple-and-Herb Brined Pork Roast (pg 224).  The flavors of the herbs really come through if you follow Traunfeld's suggestion to line the bottom of the roasting pan with rosemary and sage branches.  The meat turns out very moist.

Roast Boneless Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Lavender (pg 229). This is so excellent and could not be more simple.  Perfect for any holiday.  Depending on my guests, I don't always use the lavender.  That does not diminish the taste in any way.

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I have quite a few cookbooks and this may be my very favorite.

 ...

Herb-Braised Short Ribs of Beef (pg 220). I love short ribs more than anything.  They're my signature dish.  I've made many different recipes and this is one of my all-time favorites. It's fantastic and very easy to prep.  The beef is falling off the bone tender.

 ...

Have to ask. Laura, what is your favorite local source for short ribs? And, what a great book recc--thank you!

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Have to ask. Laura, what is your favorite local source for short ribs? And, what a great book recc--thank you!

While we were living in MoCo, I used to buy them from a farmer at the Bethesda Central Farm Market on Sundays -- unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the farm, but the short ribs were great.  Since moving into DC two years ago I've bought them from Harvey's at Union Market.  Just to be clear, we eat mostly chicken and seafood.  It's a fairly rare treat that I cook meat other than poultry, so I don't have that much experience with Harvey's, but have not been disappointed in what I have purchased there.

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