cookBOOK Worm.

Naturally, I am not a book worm ...unless I find a really good book on a really good topic. Lately I have found some good books and I have enjoyed reading them (over and over and over).

Every page, the golden sentences jump out at me and tie together everything I have been attempting in the kitchen. Here are just a couple quotes from books that I have been reading this week. I believe they will be of use to you as they have been to me.

"Success is a poor teacher. Baking is a craft mastered only through years of trial and error. It is important to remember to let yourself try and fail - it's only flour, water and time." 
-Artisan Baking Across America by Maggie Glezer

"Every important lesson in baking has come learning from my mistakes. If you know how it can go wrong then you're well on your way to mastery." 
-Bake Like You Mean it by Gesine Bullock - Prado

When you sit down to read a cookbook, grab your flavor journal. Don't have one? Make one! Mine is a small padded black notebook with white stiching on it giving it a very cushy comfortable cover. I have no doubt that it will be filled up soon and be "volume one" in a long line of flavor journals.

Now that you have your flavor journal, take time to think about the flavors listed on the page before you. Envisioning what it would look like on a plate. What it would taste like in your mouth? If a thought comes to your mind about how you can alter, improve or experiment upon the recipe before you, write it down (always log what cookbook you were reading and what page for easy reference)! That is a cherished idea and you don't want to forget it. Every idea is worth something. It may not be a stunning dish, but it could lead to a unexpected flavor revolution.


Whenever possible, I make time to experiment and try out the ideas I have written down. Then I write down how it turned out, what I would do differently or not. Before you know it, you will have a great book full of ideas that are just your style, and that is what makes you unique. It is important to be able to replicate traditional dishes or a certain style... but in the end, people want to see your style. Be creative and be you. 

What are your favorite cookbook or culinary topic books? Comment below and let me know! ...I might just read another one (or two...)

Beware, no recipe included, only creativity

Chips & Dip. A common snack and a great way to start off a summer BBQ or just about any relaxed meal with family and friends.

Traditional dips include sour cream and onion, ranch dip, hummus, salsa, yogurt fruit dip, guacamole, cheese fondue, bean dip and many more. But what if you want to venture out... create something new... make something different? Well, you can. The idea of making something without a recipe may be frightening to some, exciting to others, or just plain incomprehensible. Until you have established a few simple flavor pairing rules, you could be getting yourself into a doozy!

Think about what a particular dip is like. What texture(s) does it include? What is it eaten with? Is it cold or hot? What is the main ingredient?

I am not here to give you a recipe with step 1-2-3 of how to make a great bean dip. I want YOU to venture out and explore. There is a whole world to discover.... one that is not in cookbooks. It is in your head. You just have to cultivate it and try things out. To me, there is no such thing as a failed failure because each failure gets us closer to success. If I quit cooking when I had my first failure, I would be in the kitchen with that pot of black beans that exploded. (for that story, read my book "Balance for Busy Moms"). What turned out to be my biggest failure to this day, led me to a great success.

Sometimes our biggest failures can turn into our successes like these Black Bean Brownies

Okay, so back to the dip creating now. The key is to separate your options into three categories.

Base
What is the base going to be? Think about what texture you want it to have. Should it be creamy, sticky, thick?

Here is a list of some bases that I use:
Cream Cheese
Sour Cream
Greek Yogurt
Avocado
Peanut Butter
Honey
Salad Dressing
...add a few. What else is similar to the ingredients above?






Main Ingredient
This gives your dip that awesome flavor. What is your dip supposed to highlight? Make this ingredient the most important.

Here is a list of some main ingredients:
Tomato
Onion
Red Pepper
Cucumber
Beans
Graham Crackers (dips don't have to be savory... go with something sweet!)
Oil
...only to name a few!


Spotlight
This is where the fun comes in! The spotlight is the secret ingredient. Flavor that adds to something in order to make the main ingredient pop!

Here is a list of some:
Salt & Pepper
Garlic
Cumin
Sugar
Chile Powder
Onion Powder
Chocolate Chips (they are good with everything right?)
...keep going, use your imagination.


As Chef Jacob is always saying on the Stella Culinary Podcast... 

"Technique is king." and for creating anything, it really is if you want to succeed. With proper technique, you can leave behind recipes (scary I know!) and come up with what you really want. 

"Creativity is to not copy" -Ferran Adria

Have fun! Send me an email to share what you latest dip creation is.