Thanksgiving + Moosewood, etc.

If you don’t follow on Facebook, I shared last night that we finally figured out our Thanksgiving menu in full! I’m incredibly excited to start cooking. I had to run out for a few things at the store last night (bananas, milk, etc.) and cannot believe the crowds. Did you guys do your holiday meal shopping yet?

Hopefully our vegetarian fare won’t be gobbled up before we stock it.

MENU

Local cheese plate

Pumpkin Pesto Rolls

Vegan Mushroom Stuffing

Walnut + Lentil Loaf

Pan-Browned Brussels Sprouts

Best-Ever Kale Chips

Garlicky Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Chocolate Pie (Coconut Milk or Tofu Base)

And now that we’re in the gift-giving season, I thought I’d highlight some of my favorite cookbooks you might want to add to your lists. Or give to your foodie friends. Though I read lots of blogs and write my own recipes, there’s still nothing quite like paging through a cookbook for a hearty meal, especially in winter.

MOOSEWOOD

Any of the Moosebook Cookbooks are good in my opinion. I have a few favorites, including Moosewood Restaurant Cooks At Home, Cooking for Health, and Simple Suppers. I like that there’s a broad range of vegetarian, vegan, and even pescetarian recipes to mix stuff up.

ISA CHANDRA MOSKOWITZ

You can’t go wrong with anything Isa Chandra Moskowitz produces. I’m partial to the Vegan Brunch book because it’s my favorite meal of the day. Over the years, I’ve also made a number of recipes from both the Vegan Cupcakes and Vegan Cookie books.

OH SHE GLOWS

Angela did a great job with The Oh She Glows cookbook. (Here’s my review, in case you missed it.) I find myself consistently paging through to find good recipes, but I think my favorite part is the homemade pantry section in the back. I linked to her walnut + lentil loaf above, but the one I’m using for Thanksgiving actually comes from the cookbook.

FOREST FEAST

The book (and blog) -- The Forest Feast -- is actually new to me, and I put it on my Christmas list this year. What I like is how simple the recipe are. Each requires only a few ingredients, which I think makes this book perfect for busy weeknights. And it may sound silly, but I also like all the watercolor illustrations.

MARK BITTMAN

I don’t think a cookbook list is complete without something from Mark Bittman, right? His straightforwardly titled How To Cook Everything Vegetarian is surely a classic for new and old veggies alike. Plus, it’s quite comprehensive with over 2,000 recipes!


What cookbooks are on your holiday lists this year?

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Moosewood Peanut Sauce

I love cookbooks. But I hate cookbooks. See, the trouble I have with cookbooks is that I usually don't have all the ingredients needed for recipes I want to make. Typically, we eat simply -- so we don't stock our refrigerator shelves and cupboards with exotics. Or forget exotics, we just don't stock them fully enough to have a huge variety of ingredients at our disposal.

Frugal living at its more frustrating, but I digress.

What I've learned is that with some creative substitution, many of these cookbook recipes turn out edible. Tasty, even. So, when we found this African-take-on-peanut-sauce recipe in the Sundays at Moosewood Cookbook, I didn't fret when we didn't have the following:

Cayenne (ground)
Ginger (ground)
Peanut Oil
Tomato Juice
Apricot/Apple Juice

Instead, I looked at these ingredients individually for what each would contribute to the dish.

Cayenne (ground) -- for spice
Ginger (ground) -- for flavor
Peanut Oil -- for flavor
Tomato Juice -- liquid and tang
Apricot/Apple Juice -- liquid and sweetness

And then I looked around our kitchen and found substitutions. Keeping the measurements similar/the same, if possible. First, I'll give you all the recipe.


What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 tablespoon chili oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves
• 1/2 ripe banana, mashed well
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 generous tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

Method . . .

1. Put the chili oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add in the onions. Cook until glassy and tender.
2. Add the mashed banana and basil leaves. Cook for two minutes, until browned.
3. Whisk the water with the ketchup, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Add it to the pan and cook for a couple minutes.
4. Then turn off the heat and stir in the peanut butter. Mix until well incorporated.
5. Store peanut sauce for up to one week in your refrigerator. Or serve hot/cold with fried tofu. Or banana naan. Or veggies. ANYTHING, really.

Now, for your reference, here's what I substituted and why. It may not be the same as the original, but it tasted amazing. Well worth the challenge.

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 tablespoon chili oil -- flavor and spice (cayenne and peanut oil sub. -- PB adds enough peanut flavor already)
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves -- flavor (added for fun)
• 1/2 ripe banana, mashed well
• 3/4 cup water -- liquid (equal amount to original juice measurements)
• 1 generous tablespoon ketchup -- tang (mix with water -- above -- for tomato juice sub.)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup -- sweetness (mix with water -- above -- for apricot/apple juice sub.)
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice -- flavor (ginger sub.)

How do you deal with cookbook recipes that require more than you have? Do you avoid them or get creative? We'd love to know! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.


And all you moms (and to-be moms) out there: What's your take on maternity wear AFTER your due date? Read my thoughts on (never home)maker, baby!

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Foodie Book Club Details

Hey, everyone! Those of you who have been reading the site for a while know all about the Foodie Book Club. It's this little group we started to read books related to recipes, cooks, foodie bloggers, etc. You also may know that as the head of this group, I've slacked a lot this summer. In fact, I haven't read a single book. Well, until now. And I'll be posting my review of Julie Powell's Julie and Julia within the week.

I'd like to catch everyone up to speed. Here are the books the club has read/reviewed so far.

• MARCH: The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain (our review)
• APRIL: A Homemade Life by blogger Molly Wizenberg (our review)
• MAY: United States of Arugula by David Kamp
• JUNE: The Vegetarian and the Butcher by Tara Austen Weaver
• JULY: The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

When we started the club, we had a TON of interest. We recognize however, that it's hard to keep up. Lives get in the way. As well, we haven't been the best organized, but we're motivated to change. So, if you're new to the blog and you'd like to join, don't be intimidated.


We have MOVED the club from (never home)maker to a new home on Good Reads. If you'd like to OFFICIALLY sign up, just create an account on GR and search for the "foodie book club." You'll see our smiling faces. Or follow this link to find the Foodie Book Club directly.

Here's some more info:

• Each month, we read a book chosen by majority (or just that sounded interesting to us). If you'd like to suggest books for consideration, please email us or leave a comment on the board. Currently, we have a list set through November.
• We'll read the book and then post about it starting last Friday of the month. How? We'll post a thread calling for all your reviews. Simply add your link to the reply.
• With our new home on Good Reads, we're going to allow you to post your reviews at any time, no deadline. But we'd appreciate if you could get it in within one week from the posting date. Just leave a PERMAlink to your post, not the link to your general blog page. Good Reads also allows those of you without a blog to participate. Just link to your Good Reads review.
• Posts need not only be text and a general summary. You may pick a specific section you particularly enjoyed and tell us why. You could post a video where you talk about your reactions. You could create a recipe that you felt inspired to make by reading. A photo response. I'll say it again: Anything goes.
• And we know that things come up in life that might make participation in any given month a complete in-possibility. We ask that you try to not miss too many months (but, again, we're all busy -- so, we get it).
• To sign up, just visit the Foodie Book Club on Good Reads. Follow instructions to join. And join. If you have questions, we'd be happy to help!

Also: If you'd like a button for your sidebar so everyone can know you're in the club, just grab the one below!

<a href="http://www.neverhomemaker.com/2010/02/foodie-book-club-details.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4383030070_e9ba2a2324_o.gif"></a>

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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