Synopses & Reviews
Not so long ago, parsley was the only fresh herb available to most American cooks. Today, bunches of fresh oregano and rosemary can be found in nearly every supermarket, basil and mint grow abundantly in backyards from coast to coast, and garden centers offer pots of edible geraniums and lemon thyme. But once these herbs reach the kitchen, the inevitable question arises: Now what do I do with them? Here, at last, is the first truly comprehensive cookbook to cover all aspects of growing, handling, and cooking with fresh herbs.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Jerry Traunfeld grew up cooking and gardening in Maryland, but it wasn't until the 1980s, after he had graduated from the California Culinary Academy and was working at Jeremiah Tower's Stars restaurant in San Francisco, that he began testing the amazing potential of herb cuisine. For the past decade, Jerry Traunfeld has been chef at The Herbfarm, an enchanted restaurant surrounded by kitchen gardens and tucked into the rainy foothills of the Cascade Mountains, east of Seattle. His brilliant nine-course herb-inspired menus have made reservations at the Herbfarm among the most coveted in the country.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Eager to reveal his magic to home cooks, Jerry Traunfeld shares 200 of his best recipes in andlt;iandgt;The Herbfarm Cookbook.andlt;/iandgt; Written with passion, humor, and a caring for detail that makes this book quite special, andlt;iandgt;The Herbfarm Cookbookandlt;/iandgt; explains everything from how to recognize the herbs in your supermarket to how to infuse a jar of honey with the flavor of fresh lavender. Recipes include a full range of dishes from soups, salads, eggs, pasta and risotto, vegetables, poultry, fish, meats, breads, and desserts to sauces, ice creams, sorbets, chutneys, vinegars, and candied flowers. On the familiar side are recipes for Bay Laurel Roasted Chicken and Roasted Asparagus Salad with Fried Sage explained with the type of detail that insures the chicken will be moist and suffused with the flavor of bay and the asparagus complemented with the delicate crunch of sage. On the novel side you will find such unusual dishes as Oysters on the Half Shell with Lemon Varbana Ice and Rhubarb and Angelica Pie.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;A treasure trove of information, andlt;iandgt;The Herbfarm Cookbookandlt;/iandgt; contains a glossary of 27 of the most common culinary herbs and edible flowers; a definitive guide to growing herbs in a garden, a city lot, or on a windowsill; a listing of the USDA has hardiness zones; how to harvest, clean, and store fresh herbs; a Growing Requirements Chart, including each herb's life cycle, height, pruning and growing needs, and number of plants to grow for an average kitchen; and a Cooking with Fresh Herbs Chart, with parts of the herb used, flavor characteristics, amount of chopped herb for six servings, and best herbal partners.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;iandgt;The Herbfarm Cookbookandlt;/iandgt; is the most complete, inspired, and useful book about cooking with herbs ever written.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;-8 pages of finished dishes in full colorandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;-16 full-page botanical watercolors in full color
Review
"Anyone interested in herbs or cooking will be delighted by this superb collection of inventive recipes." Emelie Tolley author of Herbs: Gardens, Decorations, and Recipes
Review
"[T]his not only a collection of sparkling recipes, it is also the best herb reference book I've ever seen." Marion Cunningham author of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook
Review
"Jerry Traunfeld's flavor combinations and beautifully written prose are irresistible." Darina Allen Ballymoe Cookery School, Ireland
Review
"Jerry Traunfeld's simple and honest recipes burst with flavor and will have you rushing to the kitchen to cook and to the garden or window box to plant." James Peterson author of Sauces and Vegetables
About the Author
andlt;Bandgt;Jerry Traunfeldandlt;/Bandgt; is executive chef of The Herbfarm, where he combines a passion for cooking with a love of gardening. He teaches popular classes on cooking with fresh herbs and grows his own supply on a small city lot in Seattle, Washington.
Table of Contents
andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Introductionandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;1. Soupsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;2. Saladsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;3. Little Bites, First Courses, and Egg Dishesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;4. Pasta and Risottoandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;5. Vegetablesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;6. Fish and Shellfishandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;7. Poultry and Meatandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;8. Breadsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;9. Dessertsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;10. Sorbetsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;11. The Herbal Pantry: Condiments and Candiesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;12. Beveragesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;13. Sauces and Other Basic Recipesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;14. Herbs at the Kitchen Door: The Basics of Growing Your Ownandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;15. Herbs in the Kitchen: Buying, Handling, and Cooking with Themandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;16. The Herbs: A Roll Callandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;17. Cooking with Flowersandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Sourcesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Bibliographyandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Acknowledgmentsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Index