As we learned this month, many dairy products are among the easiest foods to make yourself; and reading Home Dairy by Ashley English inspired us to make some “basics” that we usually buy.  Yogurt, butter, fresh cheeses like paneer, ice cream, and ricotta all contain the simplest of ingredients, and require only the simplest of procedures to create.  The book gives succinct instructions and helpful photos for a wide range of dairy products, as well as some recipes using your homemade delicacies.  Everyone who tried had success; and to prove how easy it is, we even made butter at our meeting.  If anyone had wandered into the library’s meeting room that day they might have wondered why a bunch of people were sitting in a circle shaking jars of white liquid– but that’s all there is to making butter out of heavy cream!  Freshly made butter really does taste…..fresh; ditto for homemade yogurt, ice cream, and just about anything else you can think of.  Store-bought dairy products are certainly good, but if you have the time and inclination, making it yourself kicks it up a notch.  And it’s pretty cool, and fun, to know how to do it yourself.  Home Dairy lays it out so simply that you’ll wonder why you never tried it before.  And for those who want to attempt something more complex, the author gives detailed information on making aged cheeses, complete with instructions for a DIY cheese press.  Just in case you need a new hobby!

Recipes that group members tried included yogurt, paneer, and ice cream.  Most of us did not care for the ice cream recipe– it was made with only heavy cream (no milk or half-and-half) and was therefore too dense and coated the mouth in an unpleasant way.  The flavors (ginger peach and strawberry balsamic) were delicious, though!  The yogurt and paneer were easy and successful, needing only milk and store-bought yogurt or lemon juice to produce.  One deterrent to trying some of the cheeses was the need to buy specialty items such as rennet, calcium chloride, or various cheese cultures.  One group member told us she’d had luck buying these supplies at Beer & Wine Hobby in Woburn.  And of course you can buy items online: beer-wine.com; cheesemaking.com; or amazon.com.  There are undoubtedly others as well.

So….I like yogurt.  A lot!  I eat it almost every day for breakfast, and now that I know how to make it myself, I can make it just the way I want it, and save money too!  If you’re a fan of yogurt, and want to know more about its history and uses past and present, as well as explore recipes that use yogurt in lots of different ways, then check out:

This recently-published title is beautifully photographed and loaded with recipes that any yogurt-lover will enjoy.  From appetizers to main dishes to frozen yogurt, this book has it all, and it’s all delicious!

This month’s Bibiliobites meeting found us exploring that most important meal of the day, breakfast! Our two main selections were comprehensive tomes that covered the full range of possibilities for breakfast, from savory to sweet and everything in between. A Real American Breakfast was an enjoyable read for many, as it had numerous entertaining sidebars with historical and cultural tidbits about American breakfast customs. The New England Bed and Breakfast Cookbook also had positive reviews, as did Eggs and The 250 Best Muffin Recipes. But it appears that while we enjoyed our reading, there wasn’t that much cooking going on! Most people who tried recipes made them for lunch or dinner. Recipes we liked include: huevos rancheros; herbed popovers; ham and sweet potato hash; baked eggs in individual ramekins; granola; Vermont cheddar pie; egg and tomato stacks; chocolate chip muffins; rhubarb bread with rhubarb conserve; and fresh strawberry scones with ricotta cheese.
Unsurprisingly, we discovered that most people eat the same breakfast almost every day– and even these excellent books didn’t really change our habits! We took a survey during our meeting to discover what everyone really makes for breakfast, and found that (also unsurprisingly) the most popular breakfasts are the quick and easy ones: toast or English muffins; cold cereal; fruit; yogurt; and oatmeal. Coffee was a clear favorite, and a large minority can’t stomach the idea of any food first thing in the morning. However, weekend brunch has definite appeal for most, especially when cooked by someone else, preferably a restaurant chef. So some recipes we tried may find their way into a brunch repertoire, but don’t look for them to appear on your average Tuesday before work!
If you want to widen the scope of what you eat for breakfast, or you need a special and/or regional recipe for a special brunch, then check out the above titles. They’ll give you plenty of new and interesting ideas for days when you want something a bit more exciting than “the usual”!
For all you oatmeal fans out there, in the course of researching titles for this month’s meeting we came across the following:

If you like to eat oats hot or cold; in a smoothie, a soup, a stew, or a cookie, then this book is for you! The author uses oats in imaginative ways; you may not like all of her ideas, but the recipes will certainly expand your notion of how they can be incorporated into your everyday cooking.

As spring reluctantly arrived in our corner of the world, we took a short digression into the world of fiction with Nicole Mones’ The Last Chinese Chef.  We didn’t really stray far, however, since this book is firmly rooted in the cuisine of China and its indelible connection to Chinese culture.  The story concerns recently-widowed food writer Maggie McElroy who travels to Beijing for multiple reasons, one of which is to interview Sam Liang, a rising chef in Beijing’s competitive restaurant scene.  Sam has been trained by his three chef “uncles” in the exacting traditions of imperial Chinese cuisine.  Through the numerous discussions of food between Sam and his uncles, and between Sam and Maggie, we learn a great deal about the Chinese approach to food: that all meals in China are communal– food is never individually plated and is meant to be shared with family or friends; that food in China aspires to engage the intellect as well as the palate, with dishes that bring to mind events in history, great works of art, poetry, and/or philosophy.  As such, Chinese food is inseparable from its culture, and comments on it.  It is a unifying force in a diverse and changing country.  Phew!  It was a lot to take in.

In addition to the main plot, there is a fictitious book within the book (also titled The Last Chinese Chef), which Sam’s grandfather wrote and which Sam is translating into English.  Quotes and excepts from this memoir let the author explore and explain Chinese cuisine over the past 70 or so years.  Ms. Mones lived in China for 18 years and her extensive knowledge brings authenticity to her work.   For American readers, one of the main points in the novel is that Chinese-American cuisine is quite different than Chinese food in China.  Since most of us probably won’t have the opportunity to travel to China, we can only hope that someone like Sam will bring the real thing to the US!  In the meantime, reading this book certainly gave us a window into a little-known world, and maybe gave us some different ways to think about food and its connections to our, or any, culture.

Since we didn’t do quite as much cooking this month, we decided to follow through on the communal aspect of Chinese meals, and went out to lunch as a group at Feng Shui in Chelmsford.  Theoretically our goal was to focus on the flavors and textures of the food, as Sam and Maggie might have done; but we were all enjoying being out together and discussing the book, so we may not have been as conscious about the meal as we could have!  But in any event, the general consensus was that the book was well written, engaging, and a fascinating exploration of a world with which few are familiar.  We especially wished the book-within-the-book was a real one, so that we might read it.  Each chapter started with a quote from that book– here’s my personal favorite:  “Apprentices have asked me, what is the most exalted peak of cuisine?  Is it the freshest ingredients, the most complex flavors?  Is it the rustic, or the rare?  It is none of these.  The peak is neither eating nor cooking, but the giving and sharing of food.  Great food should never be taken alone.  What pleasure can a man take in fine cuisine unless he invites cherished friends, counts the days until the banquet, and composes an anticipatory poem for his letter of invitation?”

That about sums it up!

This month we explored the cuisine of Mexico with two of Rick Bayless’ books.  Bayless is a nationally known expert on authentic Mexican cooking, having written several books on the subject; he also operates four restaurants in the Chicago area and stars in an eponymous PBS television show.  He’s a busy, busy guy!  His passion is showcasing regional Mexican cooking, as distinct from the more familiar Tex-Mex.

Of the two books we read,  Mexican Everyday was the more approachable.  Most recipes could easily be made on a weeknight, and substitutions for less-available ingredients were always given.  Some of the dishes that we tried: chipotle meatballs; chicken with rice and beans; green-sauced enchiladas; chorizo, potato, and mushroom tacos; spinach, mushroom, and caramelized-onion tacos; and jalapeno shrimp.  All of these were given two thumbs up!

Mexico One Plate at a Time had lots of great background information on ingredients and cooking methods.  Several people commented that the book was a fascinating read; but the recipes were more involved, which meant substantial time had to be set aside to try them.  The guacamole and tortilla soup recipes both drew praise, as did the Mexican rice pudding (“easy, and the creamiest ever!”).

Members also commented that they really enjoyed going out for Mexican food, so here’s a list of local restaurants that were recommended:

• CasaBlanca in Chelmsford
• On the Border in Woburn
• Border Cafe in Burlington
• La Carreta in Nashua
• Margarita’s in Nashua and Lexington
• El Huipil in Maynard

Best of all, eating at a Mexican restaurant in the Southwest…..or perhaps at one of Rick Bayless’ restaurants!  Road trip anyone?

This month we explored the cuisine of Armenia (tying in with our One Book title, The Sandcastle Girls), and by extension, the Middle East.    This was unfamiliar turf for most of us, and we were introduced to new spices, flavor combinations, and cooking techniques.  Our Armenian cooking focused on kufta, which are as delicious as they are ubiquitous in the area around the eastern Mediterranean.  Kufta are basically meatballs, but they can be meat-based or vegetarian, grilled or poached, stuffed with a filling or not— you get the idea!   The combinations are as limitless as they are delicious.  Two members made Izmir kufta, one of the simpler recipes.  These kufta are made with ground lamb and can be served with a quick tomato sauce.  We learned that bulgur is a very important grain in Armenian cuisine; in fact there are four distinct grinds, from fine to extra-coarse.  Each of these is used in specific ways for specific reasons.  The Armenian Table was further enhanced by the author’s family stories and photographs, though there were few pictures of the recipes themselves.

Jerusalem, unsurprisingly, focuses on the food of that city, a varied and flavorful stew of Arab, Israeli, African, European, and Middle Eastern influences.  In addition to recipes, this book provides information about the city’s long history, with beautiful photographs of Jerusalem, its citizens, and the foods that have become associated with it.  We were introduced to some spices frequently used: za’atar, sumac, Aleppo pepper.  We learned that hummus doesn’t only come in a tub from the supermarket; a few group members took the trouble to make it from scratch with the book’s recipe– and were impressed with the results!  Many of the vegetable dishes were tried; among the ones that members enjoyed were the roasted butternut squash with tahini and za’atar, roasted cauliflower and hazelnut salad, and spicy beet, leek, and walnut salad.  One person raved about the kufta-like turkey and zucchini burgers with green onion and cumin.  Another well-liked main dish was the chicken with caramelized onions and cardamom rice.  All of these foods were a great way to warm up a cold, snowy winter: full of flavor with a healthy dose of spice!

A few group members brought in some treats for us to try: Armenian cracker bread (that would go well with the aforementioned hummus), chocolate krantz cake (an impressive braided sweet bread similar to a babka), and clementine and almond cake.

Places to buy spices featured in these books:

• Penzey’s, 1293 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington
• Indian Basket, 12 Wood St., Lowell
• Sofra Bakery, 1 Belmont St., Cambridge MA

To paraphrase cookbook author Ken Haedrich, in winter only serious soup will do!  We gathered post-blizzard to discuss Anna Thomas’ Love Soup, a collection of vegetarian soup recipes.  Reviews were generally mixed: definite high points, but some lows as well.  Many recipes were tried; among those that were liked best are Pickle Soup (yes, it does have pickles in it!), Vegetarian Onion Soup Gratin, and Spicy Butternut Ginger Soup.  People also enjoyed Old-Fashioned Cream of Mushroom Soup (“better the next day”), Caramelized Cabbage Soup (“better the first day– cabbage didn’t age well!”), and Kale and Sweet Potato Soup with Cumin and Lentil.  High praise was given to the stock recipes, if you have the time to attempt them.  Most of the soup recipes were hearty, complete meals-in-a-bowl loaded with healthy veggies, grains, and beans– appreciated by our post-holiday waistlines!

On the negative side, many of the recipes seemed to be pretty labor-intensive, involving numerous steps, lots of chopping, and multiple pots.  To be fair, many recipes made a large amount; but still, substantial time had to be set aside to make the soup.  The book also had no pictures, which made it harder to visualize the finished product– we wanted some drool factor!  A few ingredients would be hard to find in New England (the author lives in California), such as epazote leaves.  Many recipes used the same ingredients; for instance several soups contained greens, or sweet potatoes, or cabbage.  Three of the bread/scone recipes were flavored with fennel and orange– delicious, but it would have been nice to have some variety.

Though we had our complaints, overall this title is worth a look, and most of us came away with at least one new favorite, or a new variation on a soup we’d been making for years.  Especially in winter, there can never be enough soup!

Since sweet potatoes and/or yams appeared in many of the recipes, the question arose as to what’s the difference between the two:

What is the difference between a yam and a sweet potato?
Answer: taken from The kitchen.com.

Sweet potatoes are not a type of yam, and yams are not a type of sweet potato. They are both tuberous root vegetables that come from a flowering plant, but they are not related and actually don’t even have a lot in common. You probably have never eaten a yam.
Here’s an interesting little history lesson to explain why there’s so much confusion. There are two types of sweet potatoes — “firm” and “soft.” The firm variety was the first to be produced in the U.S., so when “soft” sweet potatoes began to be produced commercially, there was a need to differentiate it from its firm counterpart. Since the “soft” sweet potatoes slightly resembled true yams, they picked up the name and became what you see labeled as “yams” in most U.S. grocery stores.
Common U.S. Grocery Store Labeling
• Yam — Soft sweet potato with a copper skin and deep orange flesh.
• Sweet potato — Firm sweet potato with golden skin and lighter flesh.
Ironically, when you want a classic baked sweet potato, with a crisp skin and fluffy orange flesh, or sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole, what you should buy will be probably labeled yam. Even though it’s not a yam. It’s a sweet potato. The soft kind.

The recommendations and the recipes were flying fast and furious at the August Bibliobites meeting.  Everyone seemed inspired by summer’s bountiful produce to try new things, as well as new variations on old favorites.  We did not read a specific title; each person checked out a book from our collection that related to the theme.  Among the recommended cookbooks:

Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop:  Though the book had no pictures, it had lots of good recipes.  In particular P. raved about the Sicilian Cauliflower, braised with tomatoes, onions, and raisins.

Asian Vegetables by Sarah Deseran: T. enjoyed shopping for Asian greens at the Lowell Farmers’ Market.  She’d never seen most of these items before, but took along her book as a guide to what to purchase.  One favorite was jap chae, a Korean noodle dish made with sweet potato noodles.  She also tried a water spinach dish which contained shrimp paste, a highly fragrant ingredient!  The photographs in this book were especially appreciated, as they enable the newbie to buy and use unfamiliar produce with more confidence.

River Cottage Veg: 200 Inspired Vegetable Recipes by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.  G. loved many of the recipes in this book, and brought in a sample for us to try: Beet Ice Cream!  This was an intensely purple concoction of beets, chocolate, and cream.  Even beet haters would have loved it!

Taste of Home Farm Fresh Favorites by Sara Lancaster; Go Fresh: a Heart-Healthy Cookbook by American Heart Association; Vegetable Harvest by Patricia Wells.  Though L. admitted she’s not that big on vegetables, she changed her mind after trying recipes from all three books!  The Taste of Home book won points for its lavish illustrations and nutrition info for each recipe, and Vegetable Harvest had great tips on cooking with vegetables.  L. enjoyed the  AHA book’s spaghetti sauce (with turkey sausage) recipe, as well as a simple saute of corn, onions, and red pepper.  L. also brought us a sample of a nontraditional zucchini bread she had tried: not too sweet, with nuts and dried fruit.  A great twist on an old favorite!

Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes For the Single Cook by Joe Yonan; One World Vegetarian Cookbook by Troth Wells.  D. was in an eggplant frame of mind, and tried the eggplant parm from Joe Yonan’s book, which made tidy little stacks of eggplant, cheese, and sauce.  The eggplant was roasted, rather than breaded and fried, a time- and calorie-saver.  From the One World book she made ratatouille, which she had eaten but never made before.  Some of the ratatouille wound up in the freezer, so we’ll stay tuned to see how it is in a few months.

One member (another D.!) tried some vegetable recipes from her book of traditional Greek recipes.  One she enjoyed is called toulou, a layered dish of potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, tomato sauce, garlic, and parsley.  Like a lasagna, all the ingredients must be cooked before baking, which made it time-consuming.  However the recipe makes a large panful, and is so delicious it’s worth the effort.

Food to Live By: The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook by Myra Goodman.  C. brought in a recipe she especially enjoyed from this book, Black Bean and Corn Salad, which she served as a salsa-like dip with tortilla chips.  It was delicious!  This book has an extensive collection of recipes using both vegetables and fruits.  Though produce is the focus, there are chapters devoted to main dishes both vegetarian and carnivorous.  Many beautiful photographs complement the text.