This book was borrowed from the library.
I completely missed Turshen's last three cookbooks, most likely because they did not appear in the New Non-Fiction Book section of our library (which is next to the children's section - older cookbooks are upstairs, in the very back, so I will never make it there, probably ever). I was attracted to the title, as "simple" is a lifestyle goal for me, as well as the pictures of the food, her home, and her life with her wife in upstate NY.
Each of Turshen's recipe titles are written out in her print at the top of the page, reflecting a working chef's notebook. There is one recipe per page that includes some commentary, ingredients, and directions. The 110 dishes are separated into sections - my favorite section entitled "Eleven Chicken Recipes". Each section is intermingled with personal reflections on her childhood, family, career ladder, and relationship.
I held onto this cookbook during the summer months and was not able to try as many recipes as I would have liked, mostly because so many of them seem like they should be made in the cooler weather. Favorites included Low-and-Slow Baked Greek Chicken + Potatoes, and Sticky Chicken, which my children devoured. The kids also ate the Sesame Rice Bowls with Tofu, Quickles + Peanut Sauce, which was described as a weeknight pantry dish but had over twenty ingredients. Yet, it came together quicker than the ingredient list, as promised. The Mustardy Cracker Crumb Fish and Sizzle Burgers, standard Fifties nostalgic recipes, were not as popular in our household. I only tried one sweet recipe from her Eleven Memorable Sweets section, her Orange + Greek Yogurt Cake (now having held onto the book until early Fall), and was disappointed in its flat flavor, which maybe had more to do with my dislike of whole wheat flour.
I am sure longtime fans of Julia's will love adding this to their library and cooking through the recipes this winter. If I ever make it upstairs at the library, I will definitely check out more of her cookbooks.
