01 Dec Food & Wine: Reinventing the Classics
Edited by Dana Cowin
Food & Wine, 256pp., $29.95
Review by Caroline Ford
You know the drill with chicken pot pie: chicken, veggies and creamy broth bubbling beneath a flaky pastry crust blanket. Or you may be familiar with the crowd-pleasing crab cake, yet generally expect a combination of crab, breadcrumbs, egg and seasoning. Then there’s your mother’s lasagna; comforting, but it follows a reliable pattern of layered noodles, meat, sauce and cheese.
Well, it’s time for a makeover. Food & Wine Reinventing the Classics
This cookbook delivers over 100 simple and creative twists on familiar dishes. Some of the recipes were developed by the Food & Wine test kitchen or cookbook authors, while many hail from premier chefs and dining destinations across the country. The entire collection was perfected by staff experts.
The recipes have step-by-step instructions and include both active and total preparation times. Every course is covered: starters & soups, pastas & grains, seafood, poultry, meat, salads & vegetables, breakfast & brunch and desserts. Each recipe includes dazzling color photos for plating inspiration. To make your meal complete, the majority of recipes have expertly selected wine pairings.
You’ll find recipes to satisfy every taste and age. There are classic American favorites such as Pan-Fried Pork Chops, Turkey and Gravy, Sweet Potato Casserole and Tomato Soup alongside international choices like Stuffed Grape Leaves, Yucatan Chicken, Middle Eastern Lamb Skewers, and Chicken Hot Pot. All reinvented, of course.
If you’re a loyal Food & Wine reader, you might notice several recipes and photos from one of the magazine’s mouth-watering covers. Ooey gooey Butterscoth Sticky Buns beg you to get your fingers messy, and the Cheddar BLT Burger with Russian Dressing is guaranteed to drip down your chin and plate.
Unlike many cookbooks, the recipes are manageable enough for a novice to impress a crowd. For accomplished cooks, Reinventing the Classics is the perfect cookbook to give your recipe repertoire an exciting update and banish culinary boredom.
Caroline Ford is a freelance food stylist and writer. She lives in Portland, Oregon.