Author Archives: Tasha

Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook

cover of Cook With Jamie

This is, as far as I can tell, an awesome cookbook. It’s part recipes, part concepts (“here’s how to match things together so they taste good! Here’s how to use a knife properly!”) and part stories about the students he works with. All of it is written conversationally, and if you’ve heard Jamie Oliver speak on TV (or in his TED talk, which I recommend), you can imagine him reading it. I love that there are full page pictures of every recipe so that you can know what you’re expecting when you make a dish.

As you can tell from the title, it’s a book about learning to cook. As such some of the recipes are loose. “A large knob of butter”, “a few bay leaves”, “a good glug of olive oil” and “a splash of red wine vinegar” are some of the ingredients I see flipping through a few pages.… Continue reading →

The Super Smoothies Deck – DONATED

Cover of The Super Smoothies Deck

_The image at right links to the Amazon Kindle version of this “book”. The physical deck appears to be out of print._

This set of smoothie cards is not going to see any play for at least a month, I am sad to say. Bill and I don’t own a blender. Well, we own an immersion blender that Angelique, Marty and Mike were kind enough to give me a long time ago, but that’s not going to cut it for these smoothies.

Frankly, that’s kind of a bummer, because some of these recipes look delicious! Of course, the ones that look most delicious are going to require me to ask my cousin A.J. to cover the eyes of our dear grandmother, because the best looking ones have names like _Libido Lifter_ and _Honeymooner’s Tonic_.… Continue reading →

The Recipe Deck: Quick & Easy

Cover of The Recipe Deck: Quick and Easy

Okay, this one definitely entered this relationship with me. Where did I get it? Did I purchase it or was it given to me?

I really just don’t know. However, it’s ours now, and so into the “books” pile it goes.

I like it, in concept. One card, one recipe, one huge and gorgeous photo on the front. What’s not to like? And with recipe names like _Peaches & Berries in Toffee_ or _Tuna & Golden Onions_ it’s hard not to think this could go well for us.

Also, the _Mediterranean Spinach_ photo makes me drool.

Number of recipes: 52 (from the outside of the box)
Number we’ve made: 0

You can find all the recipes we’ve made from this deck by clicking the “Quick & Easy Deck” tag below.… Continue reading →

Quick & Easy Thai by Nancie McDermott

Cover of Quick and Easy Thai by Nancie McDermott

It feels like we’ve been here before, doesn’t it? Except, I have no idea the providence of this book, so I can say with confidence that Bill *definitely* had it before we started dating.

It’s a Thai cookbook. It’s surprisingly large for only 70 recipes, and there are some gorgeous photos. Again, though, not as many as one would expect from all these pages and only 70 recipes.

However, Bill is welcome at any time to make _Spicy Fish Cakes with Green Beans and Wild Lime Leaves_ or _Chicken with Fresh Basil_. I’ll probably cry as I eat them, but they sound tasty.

I wish I could say more, but I just don’t know much about this cookbook. Maybe Bill will wander in and add some edits about it.… Continue reading →

The Everything Thai Cookbook by Jennifer Malott Kotylo

Cover of The Everything Thai Cookbook by Jennifer Malott Kotylo

Wasn’t Bill just beginning to wonder if he owned any cookbooks coming into this relationship? Is it a trick answer if I say, “yes”, but the first one discussed was given explicitly to him, but after we started dating?

I’ll leave that question to the philosophers.

Either way, while this cookbook is definitely “ours” now, it started out as his. Joe & Patty, if you’re reading this, he was SUPER thrilled to get it (and the tequila that came with it). I think, though I can’t swear to it, he even has cooked a thing or two out of it. Though he hasn’t since I got back from Kenya.

This could well be because we’re eating out a lot. Or because I’m a little shy regarding spicy foods (though they are growing on me).… Continue reading →