Cooking Anything Food52 Style
Kristina’s Bookshelf
Several years ago, Food52, the online crowd-sourced food community and recipe hub, came down from the ether to make some old-fashioned hard copy cookbooks. Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, former New York Times columnists, originally founded the website as a space where cooks could come together to exchange recipes, offer one another support, and talk about food. Their award-winning site became a favorite destination for home cooks who appreciated the flavorful recipes made from seasonal ingredients. Produced through local publisher Ten Speed Press, with seven titles published to date, the cookbooks are excellent. Each has a list of recipes right in the table of contents, which makes it easy to browse for something to suit the season and satisfy the palate. These are great books for beginning and advanced chefs alike, and they are all very much in keeping with the Food52 ethos that memorable cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. Check out their latest title on grilling!
Food52 Any Night Grilling: 60 Ways to Fire Up Dinner (and More)
by Paula Disbrowe
(Ten Speed Press, 2018)
Find out how easy it can be to whip up tasty, flavorful dishes over flames any night of the week. No long marinades or low-and-slow cook times. Use any kind of grill—coal, gas, kettle-style with a lid—or consult the extensive equipment section for help choosing the best one for your needs. Disbrowe serves up streamlined recipes for a variety of dishes. For instance, you might want to grill bread and top it with feta puréed with olive oil and red pepper flakes, grilled ribbons of crookneck squash, and small fresh mint leaves. Or try grilled Halloumi cheese with blood oranges, green olives, and pistachios. Asparagus and string beans get a smoky romesco sauce. Drumsticks go sweet and smoky. Cheeseburgers get dressed with green chili. And for dessert, try grilled pound cake with peaches. Find tips for charring fruits and vegetables in coals for caramelized sweetness and added flavor, and use lingering heat to cook ahead for future meals. This book is a wonderful addition to a great series.
Edible East Bay’s book editor Kristina Sepetys is eager to share her ideas and book recommendations with our readers.
