Tastemaker Award-winning author Helen Witty presents "The Good Stuff Cookbook," with more than 300 easy-to-make delicacies that require little kitchencraft.
Helen Witty's books have been three-time winners of the prestigious Tastemaker Award and the James Beard Award Nomination and she has published many articles in magazines on cooking. A former editor at Cusine and Food and Wine magazines, Helen is also the suthor of Better Than Store Bought, Mrs. Witty's Monster Cookies and Fancy Pantry. She lives on eastern Long Island, New York with her husband, Richard, a stickler for tasting all her own recipes.
CONTENTS
THE GOOD STUFF
What's good to eat? One set of notions.
CUSTOM CHARCUTERIE
Transforming meats and poultry into pate, mousse, confit, hearty spreads, updated sausages, smoked viands, and more.
SEAFOOD FEASTING
Fisherman's luck, diner's pleasure: Seafood sausages and pates; seafood variously dill-cured, potted, salted, marinated, or smoked; salmon pastrami, plus others.
SAVORY WHETS-FROM THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM
Great starters from fruits of the earth: Caponata, dried tomato tapenade and pesto, deviled or curried nuts, olive tapenade, olivata, potted mushrooms, roasted peppers and tomatoes, and even more.
BREAD and BEYOND: HOME BAKING FOR THE JOY OF IT
For baking mavens or beginners, two groups of breadstuffs beyond the ordinary:
Part I: Bread in Loaves and in Special Shapes A breadmaking primer, plus loaves starring bulgur, Cheddar, sun-dried tomatoes, or semolina. Chocolate-filled rolls, English muffins, crumpets, bagels, focaccia, tortillas, soft pretzels, and more besides.
Part II: Crisp and Savory Breadstuffs and Biscotti Hard pretzels, cocktail biscotti, corn chips, grissini, crackers (cheese, wine, sesame, ginger, rye), oatcakes, digestive biscuits, and other crunchy items.
SAVORY SAUCERY
A four-part basketful of sauces, relishes, and condiments:
Part I: Salsas Hot, mild, or in between, for summer or winter, devised to taste
Part II: Aioli, Pesto, Seasoned Butters, and Mayonnaise Suave celebrations of emulsion sauces and their variations.
Part III: Barbecue Fixin's, Hot Sauces, and Other Meat-Mates For saucing barbecue, steak, or burgers, here are starting points (or the last word). Also country chili sauce, harissa, pepper sauces, and more enhancements.
Part IV: Uncommon Relishes, Ketchups, and Chutneys All these, plus garlic jelly, red rosemary or hot red pepper jelly, sherried onion marmelade, and other fillips.
SEASONINGS SUBTLE AND SMASHING
Flavor-crafting for curious cooks. Marinades, spice and herb blends; seasoned salts and dry rubs; seasonings for curries, chili, gumbo, and jerk; mushroom essence, and more good things.
DAIRYING-A FEW SIMPLE DELICACIES
Modest ventures into a bucolic craft: Potted cheese, fresh white cheese, herb-marinated cheese; making and using yogurt and crSme fraiche.
PICKLING-SWEET and TART, SALTY, PUNGENT, and SPICY TIDBITS
Sampling a world of pickles: Cornichons, grapes with tarragon, cured lemons; pickled mushrooms, cherries, hot peppers, shallots; cocktail vegetables; young ginger Japanese style, and other bagatelles.
BIG FLAVORS-SPECIAL VINEGARS, MUSTARDS, and OILS
Custom-crafted condiments and seasonings: Wine vinegars from scratch, vinegars flavored with fruits or herbs; oils infused with garlic, Chinese seasonings, hot peppers, or herbs; many mustards, roasted garlic paste, and more.
THE PLEASURES OF PASTA MAKING
A master recipe for semolina pasta, plus offbeat noodling: Pastas redolent of green herbs, sweet or hot peppers, nut paste, porcini, garlic, or saffron.
PRESERVING-SWEET STUFF IN NEAT JARS
Preserving how-to's; classic and inventive recipes metamorphosing berries, fruits, pumpkin, tomatoes, wine, honey, or fresh ginger into classic preserves, butters, jams, jellies, conserves, and marmalades.
CONFECTIONERY-A SMALL BANQUET OF SWEETMEATS
Sweet guidance for fashioning chocolate truffles, toffee, glazed or spiced nuts, marzipan, ginger (crystallized, coated with chocolate, or in syrup), plus other kickshaws.
GREAT COOKIES AND A CAKE OR TWO
Sugar baking from airy amaretti to pfeffernusse, by way of real macaroons, classic and innovative biscotti, three-ingredient almond bars, Florentines, panforte, fine shortbreads, Pavlova cake, and other delights.
TOPPING OFF WITH DESSERT-SAUCES and BEYOND
Creating grand finales with chestnuts in Cointreau, Nesselrode or Melba sauces, chocolate butter, berry syrups, Cumberland rum butter, toppings of fudge, caramel mocha, or rum and raisins, among other indulgences.
MAIL-ORDER SOURCES
INDEX