Turkey Meatloaf with Chipotle Glaze

Sorry for the delay in posting.  Our internet was down, and I also had a million things on my to-do list to tend to.  I accomplished one of them, in case you were wondering, which was showering this morning.  Anyway,  I digress...

Another reason to purchase this book is for this recipe: Mini Turkey Meatloaf with Chipotle Glaze.  I've made many a meatloaf before, but none with such unique ingredients as this one.  Grated sweet potato and zucchini, sauteed with onions, add flavor, richness and nutrition!  Listen to me, I'm like a pocket of health.  Also, instead of the traditional addition of bread crumbs: oats.  Oats!  It made for one delicious meatloaf.  And I will eat any chipotle anything.  Anything.  I didn't take many pictures because I was eating too much.  Also not on my to-do list.  Oops.    

Quick cookbook reviews

There's been a LOT of new cookbooks coming out lately, and I thought I'd give you a quick run-down.

I'd get these:
Roy Fares won pastry chef of the year a few years ago, and has been cooking on a popular Swedish tv- show. He's also written his first book: Sweet. And it's absolutely awesome, do get this if you're at all into baking and desserts. Everything sounds delicious and very approachable - I've tried one recipe so far, and it was easy to follow and turned out as I had imagined it. As a bonus, the book is peppered with photos of Roy himself, who is quite easy on the eyes.



Jonas Cramby writes a blog for a popular Swedish magazine and he loves tex-mex. His first cookbook contains completely from-scratch recipes and is aptly named Tex-Mex From Scratch. Everything sounds so awesome, and just a little bit daunting. I feel a strong need for a tortilla press and a tortilla warmer... and maybe a shot of tequila. But seriously, I love the book. It's great.



The popular home baker Martin Johansson has just came out with his third book, which has more easy sourdough breads and also pizza! Definitely a must have, if you like his other books. Or if you didn't get those, but want to learn more about home baking, in a very easy and unpretentious way.


And for everyone who's had a baby, or just needs to juggle things a lot to get food on the table at a reasonable time, try Debbie Koenig's great book, "Parents need to eat too!" It has chapters on naptime cooking, one-handed cooking, "un-cooking" and lots of make-ahead tips. Debbie is a also a blogger, and one that I have "known" for a very long time, so I'm extra-excited about this book.

And I'd skip these:
Jan Hedh's latest, called "Sura degar och söta bröd" (Sour doughs, sweet breads) which as usual, annoyed me. His recipes are ridiculously detailed, and a good portion of the book is just various advice, pretty unstructured. I know a lot of people love his books, but I'm not one of them.

"Mannerströms stora kokbok" by Leif Mannerström is another epic work that's surely to be admired by most foodies. Mannerström is a very renowned Swedish chef, although known to the public perhaps mostly because of his participation as a jury member on the Swedish Masterchef. He's very opinionated, and usually feels that things can only be done one, correct way. His way. Thanks, but that's not my style.

Danyel Couyet has, on that note, written a book with classics, "his way". You'd think I like this better, but sadly, I found it pretty pretentious and annoying. Some things are just not very "twisted" and some are outright crazy. (Some sliced flank steak atop your pasta bolognese?)


And that's it for today. I have many more books to talk to you about, but we'll see when I get around to them :)

Spinach Gnocchi

As I've already told you, I'm a huge fan of the Weelicious cookbook.  Huge.

And so is everyone in my family, adults and kids alike.  Especially kids.  I made this Spinach Gnocchi for Jack the other day and he ate it up.  HUGE point for Mama.  Of course, I called them "Green Cheese Balls."  I know, I know, you're not supposed to disguise what they're eating in order to sneak in the healthy stuff.  Listen, when he can vote for the President, I will reveal what the Green Cheese Balls really are.  Until then, HE'S EATING SPINACH!!!  

  

And so am I, because this recipe is delightful.  Click here for it.  

Cookbook Watch - Indian Cooking in Sweden

These days, I rarely buy cookbooks in physical shops anymore. I research, then order online. And I get some review copies from publishers, too. But this book really caught my eye, and before I could help myself, I paid for it and left. (well, I did start to look up the price online, but couldn't get a good connection. Besides, you should support local book shops!)

So, what is this? An Indian cookbook, called "David Batras inte så tråkiga indiska kokbok", which translates into "David Batra's not so boring Indian cookbook". Is David Batra a well known chef, you ask? He is not. He is however a well know Swedish comedian, so when he promises a "not so boring cookbook"... He delivers.

Apparently, he cooks a lot in his spare time. His dad is Indian and this book is filled with David's own favorite recipes. Some are from his dad or his aunt, many are his own take on Indian classics. All are quick(-ish), and can be made with ingredients found at almost any supermarket.

Photos are pretty, and plentiful. I've read half the book and already planned next weeks menu. So, in short: two enthusiastic thumbs-up!

Cookbook Watch - some fall news

I'm way, way behind on my cookbook reviews, so I'll try to make up for it... first a batch with some books for kids, one for party people, and one by a Desperate Housewife!



Systrarna Eisenmans Mingelmat is written by Lisa & Monica Eisenman, who formerly ran the Cookbook Café in Stockholm. They closed down quite a few years ago, but I still remember that café fondly. Great food, great baked goods, great cookbooks. Since then, they've written several cookbooks - mostly about cakes and cookies, but also a few other ones. This one is ALL about party food of various kinds. And it's truly a bible in its genre, with 565 recpipes for canapés, toasts, mini pizzas and all sort of things. Anyone who likes to throw a party will love this book - and I know I'll use it often. A keeper.



I had no idea Eva Longoria could cook. To me (and I suspect to most people), she's Gaby in Desperate Housewives, and that she actually owns a restaurant was complete news to me. But she does. And she's written a cookbook, too. A nice one! In Eva's Kitchen, she shares her, and her families favorites. What I love is that the food is Tex-Mex - Mexican food, as cooked in Texas. It's fresh, feisty, and much healthier than you might imagine.



Mums för de minsta ("Yum for the smallest"") by Linda Hallberg is a coobook for babies, up to toddlers. It has a lot of nutrition basics, that new parents usually worry quite a bit about, and hands-on recipes for good starter purées as well as tasty food for slightly older and more adventurous eaters.



Laga mat med barn by Karolina Sparring translates to "Cooking with children" but the real aim is "Cooking FOR children", because this is a book that kids (6+) can use on their own. It's nicely laid out and attractive, and my only fault with it is that the recipes themselves aren't all that exciting. However, I realize that for most families, that's not much of an issue.

Got a kid? Get this book.

Sorry for the crappy iPhone picture. And sorry for not posting a more extensive review. But you have to get this book: River Cottage Baby and Toddler cookbook, by Nikki Duffy. Well, at least if you cook for kids, or babies, or toddlers. I just love it - such a great read, such a great cookbook, such a great philosophy. I whole-heartedly stand beside the same ideas about feeding your child as the author has, and well, it's just great. Good, clean food, from scratch. No worries.

Sole a la Grenobloise

I don't know what that means, but even though it sounds very erect-pinky-fancy, it's relatively simple to make! Delicious too... flaky sole, nutty brown butter, tart lemon and salty capers. YES. (Um, pretend mine didn't fall apart in the pan.) Find the recipe in my BFF's cookbook, or I will paraphrase for you here.

sole, dunked in milk, dredged in flour, pan-fried in hot olive oil and butter...


peeled, cored and sliced lemon circles...


rinsed and drained capers...


butter browning...
(eventually the capers and lemons are added)


sauce spooned over fish, sprinkled with sea salt...

Cookbook Watch - June 2011

Laga mat tillsammans by Sara Begnér, (Norstedts) ("Cook together") is a book about cooking with kids. I think that's a great idea, and this book is perfect if you want to find new family favorites that are also somewhat h
ealthy and good for you. (Even though that's not the emphasis of this book, Sara has previously had a very strong health aspect in her writing.) Letting kids help in the kitchen is rewarding in so many ways - not only does it teach good habits and life skills, but it's often more fun to eat what you've helped make.

The book has nice photos - both of the food and of Sara and her family. A bit too many of the latter for my taste - it takes a lot of space, and the recipes themselves are kept brief. Some recipes use shortcuts like store-bought tortellini and meatballs, but there are also much more ambitious dishes like Osso Buco.



Camilla Läckberg is a famous author, and Christian Hellberg a successful chef - maybe not the most obvious pair to write a cookbook, but Fest, Mat & Kärlek (Party, Food & Love) is actually their second. (I reviewed their first book here.) This one is all about party food, what you're likely to eat with good friends. Most things look impressive but are actuallty quite simple. There's a lot of luxurious dishes including oysters, scallops, lobster and truffles, but also thai-spiced kebabs, and tomato salad with lime and tons of coriander, and a very yummy sweet potato dip served with fried flour tortillas. It's a beautiful book, with a nice layout and good photos, and definitely a good idea for those that like to entertain. It's a plus if you like seafood a lot, though.



Macarons are popping up everywhere these days - in bakeries (sadly, often pre-bought, frozen, industry shells with tons of additives), magazines, blogs and books. I don't have a lot of macaron books - up until recently, only the Japanese one called I Love Macarons, and frankly, that one isn't very good at all. So, I was excited, yet sceptical, when I recieved Macaron - Chic & Delicious French Treats by Annie Riggs, that just came out in Swedish at Bonnier Fakta.

I'm happy to report that it's great! The macarons are pretty and look just right (as opposed to the Japanese book, where they look lumpy and bumpy) and the recipes seem very promising. She uses pretty much the same basic recipe that I do, so I do trust that - she has a tad more sugar and less almonds, though. The book has about 20 flavor combinations, with detailed recipes. Some of them sound pretty exciting - I want to try blackcurrant chocolate ganache, and definitely banana toffée! If you like making macarons and want some new ideas - get this book!

Cookbook Watch - Food, Love, and cooking for the whole family

Familjens Hälsokokbok, at Bonnier Fakta
This is the second book from Jacob Wismar (I've reviewed his first one here) and I like this one much better. The title translates to "the Family's Healthy Cookbook" and that's exactly what it's about - family food, and if not necessarily super-healthy, it's at least not unhealthy. I'm mostly interested in his homemade fish-fingers, and - very excitingly - his homemade falu-style sausage! Will definitely try those, and report back as I get around to it.



Om Mat och Kärlek (Ica bokförlag)
I had no idea who Tareq Taylor was when I picked up this book, which title means "About Food and Love". I know now that he's a cross-over cook (with Arabic-Swedish-British roots) and he's done quite a bit of cooking on Swedish TV. And he's run several successful restaurants, in Malmö. The book is, unusually, divided into decades. As we all know, food has evolved quite a bit, and it's interesting to think back to what was popular in the 70's, 80's, 90's and the 2000's. I like this way of presenting food, especially since it's followed by plenty of personal anecdotes. In short, I like this book quite a lot, and I'll definitely try out some of the recipes. The lamb marinated in marsala served with pickled pears is calling out to me...



Barnens första kokbok is a translation of Children's First Cookbook by Annabel Karmel, and just came out in Swedish at B Wahlströms Förlag. Since I can't wait to get Titus cooking, I'm collecting all sorts of cookbooks for him. (Yes, yes, I realise it might take a while... but he's definitely showing interest!) This one is very approachable and has good instructions, with lots of pictures. The food is pretty good - perhaps not haute cuisine, but not too boring either. And although it's a bit cutesy (lots of kids with a smudge of jam on their nose, and big red exclamation marks for all the steps that include using a knife), I think I'll give it a go. Or rather, I'll pass it on to Titus, and hope he'll enjoy cooking from it.

Cookbook Watch - Sweden, Skåne and Styling

Jamie Upptäcker at Bonnier fakta
Jamie Does... is the latest book from Jamie Oliver. It's made to accompany the tv-show, where Jamie travels around Europe and discovers food from Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Morocco and most excitingly, Sweden. (I was actually one of the consultants for the production company before Jamie came to Sweden - sadly, I didn't get to meet him.) The recipes are classic dishes, but with an unmistakable Jamie twist which might not necessarily yield the most authentic results.

I really enjoyed the chapter on Sweden. You'll find dishes like Split Pea Soup, Meatballs (topped with warm lingonberries, or suggested as a substitute, blackberries!), beetroot-cured salmon, and a very unorthodox Pyttipanna with salami and quail eggs topped with flowering dill.
The book is quite charming, but I don't know if I'll cook a lot from it. I will try Jamie's supposedly Swedish cardamom buns with blueberries and orange though, as they sound amazing!


Skånska Smaker, by Mattias Kroon, at Ica Bokförlag
Skåne is the southern-most part of Sweden, and they have a very distinct cuisine. There haven't been a whole lot of cookbooks available, so I'm happy to see this one - the title means "Flavors from Skåne". The food is *very* rustic, and often includes pork, eggs and potatoes. Yum, in other words! You'll find the traditional dishes here, but also a lot of contemporary takes, like a warm tomato salad with crumbled goat's cheese. The book is divided into chapters by main ingredient, for example canola, elderflower, pork, apples, distilled white vinegar, eel, cabbage and goose. The photos (by Åsa Siller) are remarkable, and if you have ancestry from Skåne, I imagine you'll love this book. I hope it'll get translated into English!



Food Presentation Secrets just came out in Sweden (Ica bokförlag), with the title "Stajla maten", by Cara Hobday and Jo Denbury. As a food blogger, I was pretty excited. Would I learn new cool tricks to make my food look better? Well, I was underwhelmed when I opened the book. Probably because I had expected something else. This is all about presentation, as the English title clearly states, and it'll teach you tricks like how to cut your vegetables into spaghetti or roses, how to make a perfect lattice top for pies, how to fan out an avocado and.. lots of stuff like that. And I have to admit, I find it rather boring.