Ursina's Shelf - Time to Get Cookin'!
Issue 9
Dear Gourmands,
Many of us are spending more time at home than ever before. For Dominic and me, a positive side effect is that we are also cooking more than ever before. The pandemic has propelled us from beginner’s level to intermediary in the kitchen. Here I’d like to share a few books that inspired us along the way.
Favorite Cookbooks
Deliciously Ella Quick and Easy Cookbook by Ella Mills (2020)
Disclaimer: We own three of Ella’s cookbooks and I had a hard time deciding between this very new book and her book Deliciously Ella The Plant-based Cookbook.
My Description: Ella is a British blogger-turned-author-turned-entrepreneur who started her blog Deliciously Ella with plant-based recipes to overcome a scary illness that affected her physical and mental well-being. The blog and her first book propelled her to influencer stardom. These easy recipes are all plant based but do not use ‘substitute’ products, instead relying heavily on inexpensive staples, such as beans, lentils, and other easy to find ingredients in simple recipes. Her newest book is organized perfectly for harried professionals with savory dishes categorized into “10-15 minutes”, “20-30 minutes” and “big batch” sections. The recipes are also marked as nut free, freezes well, and lunch box!
Favorite recipes: Since this book was released in May, we have already tried more than 10 recipes and several have become repeat favorites, including the sun-dried tomato pasta for a fast and tasty dinner, smashed chickpea sandwich to pack for lunch, and 5 ingredient breakfast cookies. Thank you to Alex for introducing us to Delicious Ella—and baking the banana bread for us!
Bonus tip: If you would like to try one of her recipes first, this chickpea stew recipe on her website is our #1 big batch recipe (we swap the eggplant for extra zucchini, skip the garlic, and brown the onion in the pot).
Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Sami Tamimi and Yotam Ottolenghi (2012)
My Description: The authors who met in London and became business partners, both grew up in Jerusalem: One in the Muslim east and the other in the Jewish west. This book is a celebration of their hometown cuisine, flavors, and ingredients, paying homage to the many cultural influences and interconnected history of Jerusalem. There is even a full page dedicated to the “humble eggplant”. Every recipe has a story too, and there are plenty of vegetarian recipes. Thank you to Julie and Bryan for gifting me this book and even greater thanks for cooking us recipes from this book!
Favorite recipe: Conchiglie with Yogurt, Peas, and Chile.
The Palestinian Table by Reem Kassis (2017)
My Description: This book is a treasure to me, not only because of its content, but because it was written by my freshman year roommate Reem! Reem not only explores the flavors of her home, the recipes of her grandmothers, and shares local traditions, she openly discusses her love for cooking and spending time in the kitchen, while also being an ambitious working parent. Spices feature heavily not only as a flavor but also an ingredient to Reem’s memories of growing up in her mom’s kitchen.
Favorite recipe: Chickpeas in Tahini Sauce. This filling dish is great with fresh parsley and cucumbers.
Vegan Foodporn: 100 Easy & Delicious Recipes by Bianca Zapatka (2019 in German, 2020 in English)
My Description: The title says it all—these are simple and tasty vegan recipes for vegans and non-vegans alike. And if the title is making you chuckle a bit, you will laugh even more when I tell you we received this as a gift from Dominic’s dad and his wife for Christmas last year. Similar to Deliciously Ella, this book is perfect if you would like to add more plant-based recipes to your rotation without difficult-to-find ingredients or overly elaborate preparations. From dips and spreads to pastas and dals, these dishes are varied and represent favorites from many cultures.
Favorite recipes: Avocado Pasta hands down. We also love the tofu nuggets that we pair with a homemade ketchup.
Buddha Bowls by Tanja Dusy (2018 in German, English version coming May 2021)
My Description: Bowls are great for lunch prep, and also fun for guests. The book includes meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan recipes, and most of the recipes are both easy and fast. I particularly appreciate how varied the ‘bases’ for the bowls are; these are not just your everyday rice or quinoa bowls. For English speakers, you will have to be patient until next year to get your hands on this. Thank you to my parents for gifting this to us!
Favorite recipes: We really like the Japanese-style Otsu Bowl with tofu, and frequently make the Burrito-Beef-Bowl which we cook with soy flakes instead of minced beef these days. There is also a delicious millet bowl and a crunchy chickpea bowl that I like a lot.
Currently reading: The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi from my birthday stack – thank you, Aishwarya, I cannot wait to find out what happens!
Thank you for reading. I wish you a warm and hearty fall weekend. Let me know your thoughts and feedback at ursinab@gmail.com and feel free to share this newsletter with a friend.