For those of us who cook at home, one’s library of recipes is both a treasure and a burden. Like an old babushka from communist Europe, the ripped pages, dog-eared cookbooks and scraps of scribbled meal ideas are piled away in the ever-growing corner or dusty cabinet. Each night we peruse the pages looking for a new idea, a fresh perspective. But every time we open the same books, a looming sense of doubt fills our hungry bellies. There’s only so many pot roasts, stir-fries and creamy soups to find in one’s hoarded collection. Thank goodness an outside world exists. If it weren’t for libraries, magazine aisles, Bravo TV, the food channel and other consumer-friendly sources of food ideas, we’d still be standing over the stove stirring at the same old pot of stew.
Last week, while volunteering at the Alberta Coop and cleaning out the various ‘free boxes’ at the store, I came upon a large pile of magazines. At first I did not know these pages belonged to well-known publications. I soon found out that the covers were intentionally removed even though the magazines were perfectly fine. (The reasons for this are a completely different matter.) Among the various options was a cookbook – a “holiday special” for this particular publication.
It was only moments before beginning this post that I bothered to note the magazine’s name. The lovely pictures and wonderful meal ideas sucked me in before I cared to know who wrote what. Well, it turns out that Sunset magazine, a monthly publication devoted to “West coast living” was responsible for this awesome find. Aside from the great recipe suggestions, the simple fact that I got this for free is good enough for me. I’m the kinda guy who will take random cookbooks for the sake of undiscovered ideas only to learn that such cookbooks are soon-to-be trash. Lucky for me, this particular find will not end up in the recycling bin. Instead, I’ll use it regularly next week to feed ourselves and entertain new culinary possibilities.
Suffice to say, I’m very excited about this week’s menu. It’s got flare and flavor, both of which a home cook needs once in awhile. So here’s what I got for the next set of meals:
- Pan-fried trout with cornbread and kale (from Sunset)
- Coconut-braised beef with rice and vegetables (thank you Mark Bittman)
- Jalapeno-ginger butternut squash soup (from Sunset)
- Nutted brown rice pilaf with sauteed greens and roasted sweet potatoes (from Sunset)
- Braised white cabbage and roasted acorn squash (thank you Jamie Oliver)
- Butternut squash gnocchi and swiss chard (from Sunset)
It’s hard not to agree that this menu looks rather fabulous. I’m also happy to provide links to all of the recipes so that those interested can explore these new culinary venues too. If this isn’t one of the best meal plans yet, I don’t know what else could be. And of course the best part is finding this magazine – a real savior in my search for new ideas on the same old ingredients.
Related posts:
- Sorry for the Delay (weekly menu 17)
- Seasonality saves cost (weekly menu 7)
- Between the Holidays (weekly menu 14)
- The Last Dance with Kale (weekly menu 27)
- Risotto is worth the effort, trust me
Tags: fish, Mark Bittman, NW cuisine, weekly menu