Yum!

"Multicookers such as the GoWISE USA and Instant Pot Duo are hugely popular; however, most recipes are unreliable or are designed to work in only one model of multicooker--and most often, they use only the pressure-cook setting. Enter Multicooker Perfection (from America's Test Kitchen), a collection of foolproof recipes tested and developed to work in any multicooker and conform to your schedule. Make each recipe "fast" using the pressure-cook setting or let dinner cook while you're out by preparing it "slow" on the slow-cook setting. These crowd-pleasing recipes are perfectly suited for cooking at the touch of a button, from soups and stews like Easy Beef and Barley Soup and Chipotle Pork and Hominy Stew; to weeknight-friendly meals like Braised Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and Capers, Ziti with Sausage Ragu, and Thai Braised Eggplant; to company-worthy dishes like Tamarind Braised Beef Short Ribs and Osso Buco with Sweet and Spicy Peperonata. Plus, you'll find a chapter of unexpected recipes like Boston Brown Bread, Buffalo Chicken Wings, and even a perfectly creamy Cheesecake. Make cooking easier and better with this must-have cookbook for any multicooker owner." (from Amazon.com)

"In 85 innovative recipes, Lindsay-Jean Hard—who writes the “Cooking with Scraps” column for Food52—shows just how delicious and surprising the all-too-often-discarded parts of food can be, transforming what might be considered trash into culinary treasure. Here’s how to put those seeds, stems, tops, rinds to good use for more delicious (and more frugal) cooking: Carrot greens—bright, fresh, and packed with flavor—make a zesty pesto. Water from canned beans behaves just like egg whites, perfect for vegan mayonnaise that even non-vegans will love. And serve broccoli stems olive-oil poached on lemony ricotta toast. It’s pure food genius, all the while critically reducing waste one dish at a time." (from Amazon.com)

"With gorgeous full-color photos, artful writing, and out-of-the-box recipes, you'll see why this duo's successful and heart-healthy website, MayIHaveThatRecipe.com, has such a dedicated following. Drawing on the ancient traditions of Turkey, Lebanon, and Israel to the trendy palates of Barcelona, Spain, Cohen and Fox showcase delicious vegan dishes with sophisticated flavor profiles and beautiful, crowd-pleasing presentations. From brunch specials such as Chickpea and Pepper Shakshuka and Zucchini Fritters with Yogurt Cucumber Sauce, to rich, intensely-flavored desserts, like Creamy Tahini Cheesecake and Rose Water Pudding Tartelettes with Pomegranate and Pistachios, there's a dish for every meal. Paired with fresh greens, the salads and appetizers can more than hold their own for an easy weeknight supper that is healthy, filling, and beautiful. Entrées such as Harissa meatless meatballs with Aromatic Turmeric Broth and Sweet and Savory Quinoa Stuffed Eggplant do double duty for everyday or holiday. With detailed explanations of Middle Eastern foods, and suggestions on the best way to build up a home pantry of staples, you'll discover a world of flavor. Once you begin cooking from Tahini & Turmeric, you'll find yourself experimenting with pistachios and pomegranate syrup--and, of course, tahini and turmeric." (from Amazon.com)

"Inspired by the landscape and flavors of his childhood on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Timothy Pakron found his heart, soul, and calling in cooking the Cajun, Creole, and southern classics of his youth. In his debut cookbook, he shares 125 plant-based recipes, all of which substitute ingredients without sacrificing depth of flavor and reveal the secret tradition of veganism in southern cooking. Finding ways to re-create his experiences growing up in the South--making mud pies and admiring the deep pink azaleas--on the plate, Pakron looks to history and nature as his guides to creating the richest food possible. Filled with as many evocative photographs and stories as easy-to-follow recipes, Mississippi Vegan is an ode to the transporting and ethereal beauty of the food and places you love." (from Amazon.com)

And in honor of National Lawn & Garden Month...

Since its original publication in 1989, The New Organic Grower has been one of the most important farming books available, with pioneer Eliot Coleman leading the charge in the organic movement in the United States. Now fully illustrated and updated, this 30^th Anniversary Edition is a must-have for any agricultural library.
Eliot Coleman’s books and innovative methods have helped innumerable organic farmers build successful farms in deep accordance with nature. The wisdom in this seminal book holds true even as the modern agricultural canon has grown―in large part due to Coleman’s influence as a wise elder with decades of experience. New information has been included in this edition to showcase the new tools and techniques that Eliot has been developing over the last thirty-five years.
Inspired by the European intensive growers, The New Organic Grower, 30^th Anniversary Edition, offers a very approachable and productive form of farming that has proven to work well for the earth and its stewards for centuries. Gardeners working on 2.5 acres or less will find this book especially useful, as it offers proof that small-scale market growers and serious home gardeners can live good lives close to the land and make a profit at the same time. The New Organic Grower is ideal for young farmers just getting started, or gardeners seeking to expand into a more productive enterprise.
New material in this edition includes:

• Beautiful color photographs throughout, taken by master gardener and author Barbara Damrosch (Eliot’s wife and co-farmer)
• Updated information throughout on how Eliot’s practices have changed through his experiments over the years
• A new section from Damrosch about incorporating flowers on the small farm
• More information on new tools Eliot has invented that don’t appear in any of his other books

Thanksgiving Is Here! (Almost)

If you haven't already, it's time to start preparing for the big meal. Perhaps you want to try something new; or maybe you want to stick with the classics, but are unsure of your abilities. Why not check out one of the following books to help you get an idea of what to serve your friends and family (or what to take with you)?

Happy Cooking!

First up, is Southern From Scratch: Pantry Essentials and Down-Home Recipes by Ashley English. This beautifully photographed cookbook begins with 50 essentially Southern recipes and the pantry staples you'll need in order to make these from scratch. Then, you'll move on to fresh takes on the classics that will have you making the most of fresh, local ingredients. Once you have the jams and jellies, pickles and relishes, sauces and vinegars down pat, you'll have the bases for more flavorful recipes. This book is definitely where to start for traditional Southern dishes as well as new takes on old classics.

The final two books come from America's Test Kitchen. First is How to Roast Everything: A Game-Changing Guide to Building Flavor in Meat, Vegetables, and More. This indispensable guide to roasting has collected years of test kitchen experience to help cooks of all skill levels master the art of roasting. You will learn that what you buy and how you prep is just as important as knowing how to roast. There are ten essential roasts showcased here: from chicken to beef and pork to salmon. The rest of the chapters are arranged by protein or vegetable and fruit and are chocked full of new and innovative recipes. So, go ahead and enjoy Lemon Roast Chicken, Chinese Barbecued Pork, Warm Cauliflower Salad, and Bulgur-Stuffed Roasted Eggplant. YUM!

The second book, The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook, is exactly what it sounds like: a comprehensive guide to the recipes and product tests from all the seasons of the show 2001 -2018. I love watching these episodes on PBS, but if you would like to have an accessible copy of the recipes, this is the book for you. Salads, soups, stews, meats, veggies, and desserts are all covered, along with various product reviews from over the years and quick peeks behind the scenes at the television show. The beginning of each chapter has a table of contents as well as a comprehensive index in the back, just after the shopping guide which includes equipment and ingredients.

Cookbooks Are Not Just for the Holidays

Want to learn a new way to cook? Have you ever thought of trying a plant-based diet? "Chef Chloe Coscarelli has revolutionized how vegans cook and eat with exciting, plant-based recipes that are fun, full of flavor, and make you feel healthier. When she decided to become a vegan chef, she dreamed of changing the way the world ate. Chloe believes the most delicious dishes come from plant-based ingredients, and has debunked the myth that vegan cooking is bland and visually unenticing. Enter: Chloe Flavor: Saucy Crispy Spicy Vegan. Every recipe here is bold in taste, loud in color, unabashedly unique, and, above all, easy to make. With dishes like Smoky Grits & Greens, Mango-Guacamole Crunch Burgers, and Sea Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies, this food is for fun, friends, and family—and it’s all about the flavor. Vegans will delight in Chloe’s creations and carnivores won’t miss the meat one bit."(Amazon.com)

For those who want to keep their omnivore ways, but you want something new, you could also try The Home Cook by Alex Guarnaschelli. "For Alex Guarnaschelli—whose mother edited the seminal 1997 edition of The Joy of Cooking, which defined the food of the late twentieth century—a life in food and cookbooks was almost predestined. Now an accomplished chef and author in her own right (and mom to a young daughter), Alex pens a cookbook for the way we eat today. For generations raised on vibrant, international flavors and supermarkets stocked with miso paste, harissa, and other bold condiments and ingredients, here are 300 recipes to replace their parents’ Chicken Marbella, including Glazed Five-Spice Ribs, Roasted Eggplant Dip with Garlic Butter Naan, Roasted Beef Brisket with Pastrami Rub, Fennel and Orange Salad with Walnut Pesto, Quinoa Allspice Oatmeal Cookies, and Dark Chocolate Rum Pie." (Amazon.com)

Perhaps you're ready to expand your culinary skills on the perfect holiday meal. Why not try Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Holiday Entertaining from America's Test Kitchen? "With decades of experience turning out perfect turkeys, the experts at Cook's Illustrated are no strangers to pulling off a great holiday meal. In All-Time Best Holiday Entertaining, we have gathered 75 spectacular, foolproof recipes from our extensive archives to help you confidently prepare memorably festive feasts for years to come. America’s Test Kitchen is well-known for its top-rated television shows with more than 4 million weekly public television viewers, bestselling cookbooks, magazines, websites, and cooking school. The highly reputable and recognizable brands of America’s Test Kitchen, Cook’s Illustrated, and Cook’s Country are the work of over 60 passionate chefs based in Boston, Massachusetts, who put ingredients, cookware, equipment, and recipes through objective, rigorous testing to identify the very best. Discover, learn, and expand your cooking repertoire with Julia Collin Davison, Bridget Lancaster, Jack Bishop, Dan Souza, Lisa McManus, Tucker Shaw, Bryan Roof, and our fabulous team of test cooks!" (Amazon.com)