I live in the Pacific NW, in a smallish town about halfway between two major cities, surrounded by farms and orchards, and close to the water. To say we have an abundance of amazing produce and fish would be an understatement. I prefer shopping at local farm stands and farmers' markets, and I usually purchase local fish already broken down and flash frozen. I don't eat a lot of meat, but do like chicken. I'm not a vegetarian, but find that I eat "vegetarian" usually 3 days a week, sometimes more.
So this book really is right up my alley. Close to nature, simply prepared dishes utilizing locally-grown products, minimal "fuss." Yes, this is the way I like to cook. There are 250 recipes - most are easy to prepare using basic ingredients.
Myra Goodman has filled in the book with tips and techniques to make your kitchen more "green" -- covering topics like water conservation, energy savings, sustainability, composting -- you get the idea. These are presented as essays or quick tips -- easy to read while you're waiting for the water to boil or the soup to simmer.
But I really purchased this for the recipes, and so far, I have not been disappointed. I always try at least three recipes from each cookbook before I review it, and "The Earthbound Cook" was no exception.
FIrst up: from Chapter 4 (Fish and Shellfish) -- Seared Salmon with Chipotle-Lime Butter. I'm single, so I cut the recipe in half to make 2 servings instead of 4. This was a fast dish -- mix the marinade, let fish sit in that for an hour, then a quick sear while preparing the butter mixture. Less than 15 minutes from fish into the skillet to eating. And it was sublime. My only change to the recipe: I don't use canola oil; instead, I prefer grapeseed oil (more neutral flavor, higher flash point). Everything else was per recipe.
Next: from Chapter 5 (Vegetarian Entrees) -- Vegetarian Three-Bean Chili. I didn't cut this recipe since I usually make a pot of soup or chili and freeze in single-serving containers. For this one, I mixed the spice blend first (it looks like a long list of ingredients, but 5 of them are spices) and set it aside; then started the recipe from step 1 (heating oil, cooking onion, bell pepper and jalapeno). I always have dried black beans on hand and got those ready the night before; I did use canned red kidney beans and white cannellini beans. I used vegetable stock that I had made and frozen earlier, too (yes, I've invested in a mid-sized chest freezer, even though I'm single). I figured this was one of those recipes that's better the second day, so after the chili was finished, I put it, covered, in the fridge. Oh.My.Goodness! Made some homemade cornbread, and what a meal! Very simple recipe, minimal preparation, and VERY tasty. This one's a keeper, for sure.
OK, so we're on a roll. Next up: Chapter 10 (Breakfast and Brunch) -- Ham and Gruyère Frittata. This is a good basic frittata recipe -- 6 eggs, ham, cheese, herbs, a little onion, a little milk, a little cooking on the stovetop, a little cooking under the broiler. I added a handful of baby spinach to mine; would also be good with mushrooms, maybe some cubed cooked sweet potato, too. Serves 2-4. I had some left over, so the next day, I turned it into a couple of breakfast burritos. Still delicious.
I need to mention the index -- it's excellent! In too many cookbooks, the index seems to be an afterthought. Not here. It's comprehensive and complete. Really outstanding, in my opinion.
So there it is -- really good non-complicated recipes; some good "filler" material, plenty of stuff to chew on. This one has been added to my Kindle "Favorite Cookbooks" collection.
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