Cookbook giveaway: The Smitten Kitchen cookbook
Anybody who is fond of food blogs has probably spent a little time on the Smitten Kitchen blog, which features impressive yet relatively easy recipes and gorgeous food photos that make you want to drool.
Now, the author of that blog, Deb Perelman, has come out with her own cookbook, “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.” This book, like the blog, features lovely pictures and a variety of dishes that look and sound gourmet but do not appear to be very difficult to prepare.
One lucky blogger is going to win a copy of this cookbook. And since it is bitterly cold outside and some nasty weather is reportedly moving in, I think I’ll share two recipes from the book that look perfect for a cozy evening indoors on a winter night.
For a chance to win this book, leave me a message and write a Haiku about why you love or hate snow, whatever the case may be. I’ll pick my favorite for the win. It isn’t that hard, I promise. As a reminder, Haiku is three lines, 5 syllables in the first, 7 in the second and 5 in the third. I’ll go first:
When the snow comes down,
I want chili and PJs,
maybe some whiskey
Hey, that was fun. I’m going to do another:
Snow piled on the roof,
snow blanketing the driveway.
Snow can kiss my butt.
The deadline to enter is 5 p.m. on Monday. I’ll choose a winner on Tuesday. Read on to see recipes for slow-cooker black bean ragout and pork chops with cider, horseradish and dill.
Slow-Cooker Black Bean Ragout
Makes 6 cups
Bean ragout:
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 lb. (or 2 1/2 cups) dried black beans, rinsed if not already soaked
1 dried chile
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. table salt
9 to 10 cups water or unsalted vegetable or chicken stock
1 Tbsp. lime juice or sherry vinegar
Garlicky toast:
1-inch thick slices of bread, such as country or ciabatta loaf
Olive oil
Table salt
1 large garlic clove, halved
Cumin Crema:
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup sour cream, creme fraiche, or crema Mexicana
Optional garnishes: Chopped onions, cilantro, lime wedge
1. Put all of the bean ragout ingredients except lime or vinegar in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until beans are very tender (3 to 6 hours, depending on how fast your slow cooker cooks).
2. To make toasts, brush bread with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Toast under the broiler, and as soon as you take it out of the oven, rub it with the raw garlic cloves.
3. To make crema, stir together cumin and sour cream. Set aside.
4. Once the beans are cooked, stir in the lime juice or vinegar. Adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle over toast, top with crema and sprinkle with cilantro and chopped onions, if desired.
Pork Chops with Cider, Horseradish and Dill
Serves 2-4
Glaze:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup hard or pressed apple cider
2 Tbsp. freshly grated or prepared horseradish
1/2 tsp. table salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Chops:
4 bone-in loin pork chops, 1/2-inch thick, about 1 1/2 pounds total, at room temperature
Table salt
Black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1. Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Trim any excess fat from around chops until you only have about 1/8 inch of fat. Pat chops dry with a paper towel and generously season them with salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil in a heavy, 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until oil starts to smoke. Add pork chops to the skillet and cook them until they are well-browned, about 3 minutes. Turn chops and cook 1 minute longer, then transfer them to a plate and pour off any fat in skillet.
4. Pour glaze into the skillet and bring it to a simmer. Cook until mixture thickens enough that your spatula leaves a trail when scraped across the pan, 2 to 4 minutes.
5. Return chops and any juices to the skillet; turn to coat both sides with glaze. Continue to cook over medium-high heat until the center of the chops registers 140 on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.
6. Serve chops with glaze drizzled over them and sprinkled with dill.
Recipes adapted from “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook” by Deb Perelman.
January 25, 2013 - 10:49 AM
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Snow is now falling
Old ladies rush to Kroger
For TP and bread
Snow is fine with me
As long as I can get out
For things I forgot
(isn’t there always something?)
Tumbling, tumbling down
White kisses land on my cheek;
My winter romance.
Birds at the feeder
Woodstove burning cozy warm
Time for a long nap
These are fun. Keep ‘em coming! Kim, you are making me wish I was at home, though
Snow is now falling
Virginia drivers sliding
Into the ditch
Motorists, no clue
Where I grew up years ago
We knew it as snow
People at the store
Gathering their many supplies
For a French Toast Party
My tires have no grip.
Sliding backward down a hill.
Please dial nine one one!
First glimpse of white
Little feet scramble outside
Get cocoa ready!
the snow is sparse
I nearly busted my arse
the bruise would be big
but I had to dance a jig!
Snow, it gets me down.
‘Specially in Roanoke.
Why can’t V-Dot plow?
Love watching flakes fall,
blanketing the hills and trees.
Oh boy, sledding time!
Car slides into pole
Hey! Get out of the way!
But pole won’t back down
Thank you for the recipe…I’ve got the black bean ragout in my crock pot now..it smells delish!
Caroline –
beautiful imagery.
Tonight is quiet
Under a blanket of white
Smitten with delight
body shivering
breath and hot choc’late steaming
snow oxymoron
Snow four letter word
The more the better for me
A day off work yay
Ice is outside door
If Smitten Cookbook I had
Cooking I would do
Snow is coming soon.
No school! No school tomorrow!
Oh, it’s only rain.
snow transforms landscapes
things familiar become new
perspective changes
scoop up fresh white snow
drizzle warm maple syrup
on top. eat. repeat.
Locked inside – Winter’s here.
Comfort cooking keeps me sane.
Frozen Hell – HELP ME!
Cascading crystals
Petition our attention.
Welcome respite!
A snowy forecast?
Chilly children chanting charms -
School-day sabotage!
Behind a snow plow
With frozen windshield wipers
Oh, to work from home
5-7-5 is not “required” in English as far as I know – Therefore:
dirty snow —
just below the surface
purity
Frosty snow outdoors
And a yummy pie inside
What a winter treat!
A single snowflake
So different from others
Like people of Earth
Need milk and bread now
Along with everyone else
Shelves are empty, wow
Will it snow today?
Need eggs, bread, and milk, do I?
to make french toast, Yay!
Sweet winter snowfall
Vanilla, sugar, warm hearth
Snow cream and mom’s love
It’s a recipe!
Frosty the snowman
Christmas tree and Christmas star
Sled and snowball fight
Written by a five year old!
Snow angels frosty
House flowers two hot cocoas
Santa Christmas tree
Written by a three year old!
Oh, how I love snow
Although, I rarely go out
I do like it so!
My shovel works hard,
My back aches, my path is clear.
The plow rumbles by.
Leaves droop in wet ice,
rhododendron chandeliers.
Kids indoors. Again.
Snow laden, drooping,
evergreens gently sway. I
bake bread, smiling.
Can’t wear shorts in snow
Don’t have to shave my legs though
I’d like summer back
Snow falls, silent,
white fluff dancing on the wind.
Inside, dough rises.
Icicles shiver -
blowing snow stings neighbor’s cheeks.
Kneading dough, I sweat.
Can’t get to the store
Sugar, milk, vanilla, snow
Voila! Have ice cream
Snow still swirls,
a frenzied dance – push, turn,
Punch down dough!
Snow is not my friend.
For Living in Michigan.
Dream Caribbean……..
Thanks for the giveaway!
mmalavec(at)med(dot)umich(dot)edu
Skeletal limbs stretch
Up towards the sullen sky
Beckoning the snow
Dyslexic am I
Come join me at the window
Behold! The great wons!
Faceted magic
Natures winter white floating
Crystal elegance
Jan. 26, 2013
wet snowflakes drifting
carelessly to winter ground
melt on my warm tongue
When the snow falls down
Inside you will find this girl
Reading a cookbook