New Cookbooks That Caught Jackie's Eye

For Andrea Reusing—an award-winning chef, a leader in the sustainable agriculture movement, and a working mother—“cooking in the moment” simply means focusing on one meal at a time. Tender spring broccoli given a smoky char on the grill, a summer berry pudding with cold cream, or a cider-braised pork shoulder served with pan-fried apples on a frosty night—cooking and eating this way allows food in season to become the foundation of a full life. Cooking in the Moment is a rich, absorbing journey through a year in Reusing’s home kitchen as she cooks for family and friends using ingredients grown nearby.
When seasonality is reimagined as a grocery list rather than a limitation, everyday meals become cause for celebration—a whole week of fresh sweet corn; a blue moon autumn asparagus harvest; a rich, spicy soup made with the last few sweet potatoes of winter. Reusing seamlessly blends down-to-earth kitchen advice with delicious, doable recipes, including childhood favorites (chicken and dumplings), simple one-pot dinners (shrimp, pea, and rice stew), as well as feasts to satisfy a crowd (roast fresh ham with cracklings). And while the action takes place in North Carolina, the kinds of producers and places that animate these pages—farmers, ranchers, cheesemakers, butchers, bakers, orchards, backyard henhouses, and fishing holes—can be found all over, producing the flavors that we crave.

With gorgeous photography throughout and more than 130 recipes, Cooking in the Moment will inspire cooks everywhere to embrace the flavors and bounty of each season.

Jackie says: This is one beautiful book!  Follow this link to see some of the gorgeous food porn, I mean photography, as well as a few sample recipes.

With a strong focus on using local produce and family time, Clodagh McKenna's new cookbook brings together recipes and ideas gathered from her years of travelling and taking notes. Packed with household tips as well as notes on food producers, farmers' markets, and favorite restaurants, cafes and bars, there are chapters on aperitifs, lunchbox ideas, baking, mid-week suppers, homemade fast food, and Sunday roasts, as well as preserving and edible gifts. Practical and popular, Clodagh's recipes include Fresh Mint Mojitos, Spiced Butternut Squash, Foccacia, Sunday Roast with all the Trimmings, Autumn Spiced Apple Chutney, and Hazelnut Fudge, and are as nutritious as they are delicious.

Jackie says: The recipes are amazing and the notes she spreads throughout the book make it an absolute delight to read.  Check out her website for her food blog and to sign up for her e-zine as well.