new fav brekkie & cookbooks
Life is hard; food doesn't have to be #122 [vol6, 1.1]
Carolina Gelen (pronounced Caro-LEEENA) is a fav follow on Instagram. Her style is simple fresh ingredients, using interesting combinations of what’s in the pantry. She grew up in Romania, immigrated to Utah in 2021 but learned to cook mostly without recipes from her mother. Romania is in eastern Europe, formerly under communism which means Carolina and her mother made everything from scratch. They would definitely agree that life is hard and food doesn’t have to be. Her Substack is called Scraps.
I didn’t need another cookbook, the internet overfloweth with recipes. I buy cookbooks to support creators while jumpstarting my own creativity in the kitchen. And sometimes it’s nice not to stare at a screen. That said, I recommend this cookbook for the tips and techniques. However she mostly cooks for one or a small crowd; if you’re regularly feeding an army this might not be the one for you.
The above breakfast is about the 5th recipe of Carolina’s book in the egg section. I’ve made it twice in two days and you need to make it too. I will definitely make it more this summer when tomatoes are abundant.
Ingredients
egg
1c cherry tomatoes
1T olive oil
1 thick slice (sourdough) toast
1/2 c cottage cheese, ricotta or Greek yogurt
2T fresh dill (mine lacked so I substituted smoked paprika & cayenne)
sea salt & freshly cracked pepper
clove of garlic, optional
Instructions
She makes a jammy egg (lower egg into boiling water for 6-7 minutes). I thought it faster (easier? better?) to make a fried egg with jammy yolk. In fact, I doubled everything for my daughter could eat it too.
Heat cast iron skillet 4-5 minutes, add olive oil then tomatoes and leave undisturbed until blistered, 2-3 minutes. Shake pan then let some tomatoes burst, another 2 minutes. Season with salt.
Toast bread to your preference. Slice clove of garlic and rub cut side onto bread (this elevates the meal!)
Dollop toast with cottage cheese. Top with blistered tomatoes and any juices from pan, more salt and fresh pepper. Add any fresh herbs and top with jammy egg. I didn’t have herbs and used smoked paprika with a bit of cayenne. More cracked black pepper.
Currently Reading
How to Cook a Wolf was recommended in an article by NYT with a title like “Top 25 Influential Cookbooks for American Cuisine.” The link was gifted from another blog otherwise I would link the article. I don’t remember many of the other cookbooks except Julia Child and Samin Nosrat (Salt Fat Acid Heat).
From Amazon:
Written to inspire courage in those daunted by wartimes shortages, How to Cook a Wolf continues to rally cooks during times of plenty, reminding them that providing sustenance requires more than putting food on the table.
M. F. K. Fisher knew that the last thing hungry people needed were hints on cutting back and making do. Instead, she gives her readers license to dream, to experiment, to construct adventurous and delicious meals as a bulwark against a dreary, meager present. Her fine prose provides reason in itself to draw our chairs close to the hearth; we can still enjoy her company and her exhortations to celebrate life by eating well.
I’m only a few chapters in. It’s a great book on a snowy day or nibble at bedtime. The prose is circular (flowery? rambling?) at times and reminds me a bit of Ann Voskamp - which isn’t my favorite style.
I like the incremental reminders that quality is better than quantity. And making do is often done best with positive frame of mind.
If you every work in a kitchen with me you know I love saving all the bits and reinventing them later!
What cookbooks do you recommend for any reason? Share in the comments!
Life is hard; food doesn’t have to be.
Julie
PS: In case you missed it - 26 Meal Ideas for My College Son - I fixed the link for the pizza casserole.
PPS: Don’t sleep on the Beautycounter Winter Sale up to 65% off.