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Overview
Carla Hall first won the hearts of fans nationwide on Bravo’s Top Chef, then won Fan Favorite on Top Chef: All-Stars. In Cooking With Love, she serves up more than 100 fantastic recipes for food that hugs you. With her signature tasty twists on tried-and-true classics, comfort food never tasted so good!
From down-home deviled eggs with smoky bacon to silky and light spicy carrot-ginger Soup to the ultimate chicken pot pie with buttery crust on the bottom to her Granny’s unforgettably luscious five-flavor pound cake, Carla’s flavorful recipes are so deeply satisfying, they’ll become family favorites in your kitchen.
For Carla, the only way to make truly comforting food is to cook it from the heart, and in Cooking with Love, she shows you that love with her tempting, inspiring recipes for all sorts of sumptuous dishes, displayed in beautiful full-color photographs. Carla also tells funny, poignant tales of her own life cooking with family, friends, and fellow chefs.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781451662214 |
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Publisher: | Atria Books |
Publication date: | 11/06/2012 |
Sold by: | SIMON & SCHUSTER |
Format: | eBook |
Pages: | 336 |
Sales rank: | 105,141 |
File size: | 84 MB |
Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Genevieve Ko is the author of Better Baking. She has coauthored several books, including Home Cooking with Jean-Georges, Cooking with Love, and Carla’s Comfort Food. She has been an editor at numerous publications, such as Good Housekeeping, Gourmet, Fine Cooking, Bon Appetit, and The Los Angeles Times. She is currently a senior editor at New York Times Cooking. Visit genevieveko.com for more.
Read an Excerpt
Cooking with Love
Introduction
Hootie hoo! Welcome to my very first cookbook. I’ve been a chef, a caterer, a lunch lady, a dancer, a runway model, a reality show star, a daytime cooking show host, even an accountant (really!)—and now I’m a cookbook author. But most of all, I’m a simple Southern girl who loves to cook and who cooks to love. What you’ve seen on The Chew and Top Chef isn’t a gimmick, or an act, or something that ends when the dishes are cleared. That’s who I am and what I cook. Food that hugs you. What could be better than that?
Now, giving a hug is easy, but making food that hugs requires a little bit of practice, but it’s actually easier than most people think—and so much more fun! Whether you’re starting to cook for the first time or you’ve been in the kitchen forever, I’m here to give you the techniques, the recipes, and the confidence you need to cook with love.
As you’ll see, my food comes from all over the place. I draw as much comfort from Italian flavors as I do from Japanese ones. But at the end of the day, much of my inspiration comes from the American South. I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, home of the Grand Ole Opry and the Titans. But my grandmother’s house is my favorite spot in town. Every week of my childhood, I was smothered with a giant food hug at my Granny’s Sunday supper. I can’t say that I learned how to cook at Granny’s side, though. Most of the time when we went to her house for a family meal after church, the closest I came to cooking was making mud pies.
Then one afternoon, Granny asked me to help harvest collard greens from the garden. Like any kid, I tried to beg my way out: “Really? Do I really have to pick the greens?” My complaining didn’t get me anywhere, so I relented and did it. I wasn’t happy about it. When we sat down to eat, I had to make sure I wasn’t asked to pick the greens again and informed everyone, “I don’t know what you’re eating. I couldn’t tell the difference between the greens and the weeds. You might just be eating weeds right now.”
I’ve learned a lot since then: the difference between greens and weeds, the fact that, of course, Granny knew which was which and cooked only the collards, and how much the memories from our Sunday suppers have defined me. Granny’s weekly ritual started long before I came around. She was born Freddie Mae Price to Jessie, who came from a family that was spread across South and North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Jessie had been bought as a slave by the Price family and was among the last to be freed. In her 102 years on this earth, she lived to see generations of change in the South. She also passed on to Granny the depth and breadth of great Southern black cuisine. I wish every person in America could have sat at Granny’s table and been transformed by her cooking, warmth, and hospitality. I’m writing this book to honor Granny—and the women who came before her—and to give you a taste of just how much joy can be had in the kitchen and at the table.
I’m even giving you some of Granny’s treasured recipes, like her buttery pound cake and juicy smothered pork chops, and passing on my interpretations of soul food. Sure, I cook my collard greens low and slow, but guess what? I also sauté them quickly and top them with gremolata, an Italian parsley-lemon-garlic mix. And I do a mean French bouillabaisse sauce of fennel and tomatoes to serve with a roasted whole snapper. Yep, I do all that. I’ve been cooking professionally for years (and I mean years!) and travelling and eating around the world. I’ve discovered that I can draw comfort from all types of cuisines. Here I’ve created a collection of my all-time favorites. Sort of an “all you’ll ever need” repertoire of global comfort food. Because it’s not the geographic origins of the food that matters, it’s the heart you put into it.
And the book is about making comfort food good for your heart, too. I never count calories or sacrifice flavor. Instead, I boost flavors by using just the right amount of butter (which I love!) and the ideal cooking technique. I say “no” to nothing. It’s all about moderation. For example, I always make sure that both my pan and the oil are hot enough when cooking cornmeal-crusted Southern fried catfish. That way, the cornmeal doesn’t soak up the oil, it just gets super crisp in it. My dishes end up being naturally nutritious. My goal is to create the most delicious, comforting dishes possible, but I’m also always thinking of ways to lighten ultrarich soul food classics and other soulful hearty favorites. It’s a way of bringing out the fresh, natural flavors in great ingredients, but my motivation hits closer to home.
While living abroad, I received a call and found out that my mama was seriously ill. I flew home right away and was relieved to find that her emergency surgery had been a success. Since that experience, I’m constantly tinkering with dishes to make them lighter, healthier for Mama. Even when I started my first “professional” cooking company, delivering lunches using a retired mail truck and sheer grit in getting my food out through rain, sleet, and snow, I was providing options far superior to the surrounding fast foods, both in flavor and nutrition. With my company, The Lunch Basket (which I later renamed The Lunch Bunch), I became the lunch lady of Kennedy Street in Washington, D.C., a primarily African American neighborhood with lots of beauty salons, barber shops, florists, and doctors’ offices.
Even though I didn’t realize it at the time, my decision then to not use beef or pork (though some of my recipes here do) came from a desire to show people how tasty food could be without those things. I stuffed my biscuits with lean smoked turkey and put together fresh green salads, seasonal fruit, and rich veggie soups. At the end of the day, I’m giving you delicious fresh food—whole ingredients, lovingly prepared. I’m making dishes good for my family, in every sense of the word, and I’m here to help you do the same for your family and friends, too.
The act of cooking for and feeding loved ones yummy wholesome food is deeply fulfilling. I didn’t completely understand that until I was an adult well into my food career. I went through a heart-wrenching breakup (boyfriend left me for best friend—you know the story), so I poured myself into my lunch business to shield myself from the pain. By cooking for others, I was nurturing them with food, and in turn, felt nurtured myself. I expanded the lunch business into a catering company and called it Alchemy Caterers, because I needed it to change my life, to turn the lead in my hurt into gold. I wanted my food to do the same for others and be a conduit for healing. I don’t know exactly what you need right now, but I do know that there’s comfort in food. Alchemy is all about transformation, and I want to change the way you experience food by cooking with love.
The only way you can make transformative food, even if it’s one of the simple dishes in here, is to cook it from the heart. You have to want to do it. If you’re not in a good mood and don’t feel like cooking, the only thing you should make is a restaurant reservation. And you can’t cook with fear. I didn’t grow up in the kitchen and I know how it feels to be intimidated by a recipe and be immobilized by that fear. I’m here to tell you it’s okay to mess up! I’ll help you avoid screwing up and tell you what to do in case something does go wrong.
Now, it’s time to have fun! I’m going to make sure you enjoy cooking for family and friends by sharing easy entertaining tricks I’ve learned from decades of catering. When you’re armed with tips from a pro, cooking with and for friends is the best way to have fun in the kitchen. One of the happiest moments in my life—my wedding day—came from doing just that. My husband, Matthew, and I celebrated our marriage with forty friends and family and a group of us prepared the food together. I didn’t stress over the planning or micromanage the meal. I just let everybody express themselves in the kitchen and it was awesome. I felt like I was on top of the world and I honestly can’t imagine a more memorable wedding day. But take my advice as a former caterer: Please don’t try this if you have hundreds of guests celebrating with you. LOL.
So, are you ready? With all my yummy recipes and tips, get excited to welcome friends and family over for big meals and good times!
A little note: Any brand names of products I use in this book are included just because I like them!
Table of Contents
Introduction xi
Appetizers 1
Down-Home Deviled Eggs with Smoky Bacon 3
Sweet and Spicy Walnuts 7
Polenta Trio with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto 9
Smoked Trout Dip 13
Bacon, Blue Cheese, and Apple Stacks 15
Herb Focaccia with Ricotta and Olives 17
Curried Beef Dumplings 21
Salads 25
Arugula and Shaved Fennel Salad with Goat Cheese Croutons and Champagne Vinaigrette 26
Mixed Greens, Strawberries, Pecans, and Ricotta Salata with Chocolate Vinaigrette 29
Mixed Greens and Pan-Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette 31
Lemony Roasted Beets and Arugula with Herb Cheese 33
Roasted Carrot Salad 35
Celery and Blue Cheese Slaw 37
Fennel and Napa Cabbage Slaw with Ginger and Lemongrass 38
Sweet and Gold Potato Salad 41
Three Bean Salad 43
Hoppin' John Salad 47
Soups 49
The Saints' Gumbo with Andouille Sausage, Chicken, and Crayfish 51
Chicken Noodle Soup 53
Groundnut Stew 57
Oyster Stew 60
Watermelon Gazpacho with Cucumber, Jicama, Sweet Peppers, and Basil 63
Summer Vegetables in Green Chile Broth 66
Seersucker in Summer Corn Chowder with Tomatoes 70
Spicy Carrot-Ginger Soup 73
Tomato-Sweet Potato Bisque 76
Creamy Potato and Garlic Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons 80
Fennel and Celery Root Soup 82
Side Dishes 85
Country Greens 87
Sautéed Collard Greens with Brussels Sprout Leaves and Gremolata 88
Hoppin John Black-Eyed Pea Confit 91
Creamed Corn 95
Smashed Herbed Potatoes 97
Root Vegetable Ragout 99
Roasted Baby Carrots 101
Spicy Sweet Potato Puree 102
Creamy Goat Cheese Grits 103
Super Squashy Butternut Squash Grits 104
Fresh Corn Grits Cakes 106
Turkey Sausage and Cornbread Dressing 108
Skillet Cornbread 111
Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits 112
Golden Raisin Scones 115
Parker House Rolls 117
Basil Bacon Bread 121
Vegetarian Dishes 125
Creamy Mac and Cheese 127
Grilled Cheese Trio: Broccoli Pesto and Cheddar; Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Mozzarella; Arugula-Artichoke Pesto and Havarti 130
Goat Cheese and Leek Tart with Pink Peppercorn Crust 134
Rustic Mushroom Tart 137
Garlicky Spinach Soufflé 139
Spring Pea Flan 141
Mustard-Marinated Grilled Veggies 143
Oat and Lentil Salad 145
Pecan and Oat-Crusted Tofu 147
Black Bean Patties with Mango Relish and Tropical Vinaigrette 149
Roasted Red Pepper Risotto 151
Meat 155
Beer-Braised Pulled Barbecued Brisket 157
Roasted Filet of Beef 159
Marinated Flank Steak with Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade 161
Mama's Hamburger Help-Me Meal 164
Granny's Slow-Cooked Sunday Smothered Pork Chops 167
Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Root Vegetable Ragout 169
Cuban Pork Loin with Marinated Red Onions and Queso Blanco in Grilled Tortillas 172
Swamp Thing: Braised Pork Shoulder in Smoked Pork-Corn Broth 176
Osso Buco 180
Persian Marinated Lamb Roast with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce on Grilled Pita 183
Poultry 185
Chicken Pot Pie (with Crust on the Bottom!) 186
Creamed Chicken with Broccoli and Mushrooms 191
Chorizo Chicken 'n Raisin-Thyme Dumplings 193
Super Fast Fried Chicken 195
Sunday Roast Chicken 199
Poached Chicken with Roasted Fennel and Frisée Salad 201
Backyard BBQ Salad 203
Matthew's Chicken Curry 205
Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry 208
Buffalo Wing Burgers 211
Pan-Seared Turkey with Cranberry Pear Relish 213
Duck Ragù over Butternut Squash Grits 217
Fish and Shellfish 221
Southern Fried Catfish 223
Grilled Tuna with Tomato-Olive Relish 224
Spicy Hot Smoked Salmon 227
Crisp Salmon Cakes 229
Cod en Papillote with Roasted Tomato-Artichoke Ragout 231
Seared Cod in Spring Pea Broth with Minted Pea Pesto 233
Miso-Poached Hake with Cilantro-Orange Salt 237
Poached Halibut with Roasted Vegetables and Mint Tea Broth 240
Roasted Snapper Bouillabaisse 242
Lump Blue Crab Salad with Chilled Shiso Soup 247
Lobster Bisque 250
Lobster Rigatoni 253
Desserts 255
Flaky Butter Crust 257
Granny's Five-Flavor Pound Cake 258
Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce 260
Pecan Shortbread 'Nana Puddin' 262
Pecan Shortbread 264
Double Lemon Chess Pie 266
Apple-Sweet Potato Upside-Down Pie 268
Spring Tart with Strawberry-Rhubarb Curd 270
Lime Meringues 273
A What? A Tomato Compote with Tomato-Strawberry Sangria Sauce! 277
Blackberry-Tarragon Parfait 279
Butterscotch Mousse with Vanilla Salt 281
Almond Tuiles 284
Chocolate Espresso Napoleons 286
Chocolate Decadent Bites 291
Pantry 293
Tips and Techniques 295
Acknowledgments 299
Index 301
What People are Saying About This
Carla Hall knocks it out of the park with her first book, all about love, tradition, family, flavor and style, and flavor again. Her true natural ability to make things delicious is all over every single recipe. I love working with Carla on “The Chew” every day and simply get jiggy every time we get to taste her magic on set. With this sweet tome in the home kitchen anyone can make thoughtful tasty food with real style. I am making Carla’s poetic Hoppin’ John and pure-comfort chicken pot pie tonight.