Those of you who have been reading the site awhile know how I feel about Lynne Rosetto Kasper, the host and personality behind The Splendid Table radio show. I want her to live down the street from me, so I can call her for recipe advice and borrow cookware (my imaginary neighborhood is a very cool place to be). Instead I listen to her on the radio while I cook and pretend she’s my talented culinary auntie. Her laugh alone makes me happy.
I was happier still to get a chance to meet her, and her wonderful work partner and show producer Sally Swift, when they were on book tour recently. I helped out with the event at The Book Larder, Seattle’s new cookbook bookstore, and got to spend some time chatting with Lynne and Sally and hearing them laugh, a lot.
It’s always a little funny meeting someone you’ve admired from afar, but in this case the admiration is well warranted. Both Lynne and Sally are delightful, warm, and funny, and the book they’ve put together is a real treat. Their latest is: The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Weekends.
This book came as a natural outgrowth of their first book, How to Eat Supper.
They needed a place to put the longer recipes, the things you want to make when you have more time and resources. Things like Vietnamese Caramelized Catfish Sand Pot (yum) and Yucatan Pork in Banana Leaves, and Charred Lamb with Smoked Romesco. There are tempting sides to go along with these dishes as well, like West Indies Green Beans, Gingered Puree of Winter Roots, and Orange Onion Salad with Warmed Corriander Oil. These are recipes that get a food-lover’s brain churning.
Perhaps the most unusual part of the book is that it mirrors the radio show—chock full of information and trivia and quotes and inspiration (if you’re a fan of the show you will hear Lynne’s voice in your head as you read). This is a book that will take some digesting—there’s so much there, all beautifully designed. You could probably spend the coming year immersed and experimenting, and have a grand time doing so.
This would be an excellent gift for the true food lover and adventurous cook. The recipes range widely around the world, from Europe to Asia to the Americas and beyond. There are master broths, homemade pastas, and recipes like Grilled Lettuces with Pine Nut–Parmigiano Cream and the 65° Egg.
See what I mean? It’s a cookbook that gets you thinking. And craving. It’s dangerous late night reading—you might find yourself heading to the kitchen.
Thanks to the publisher, Clarkson-Potter, I am able to give away one copy of the book. Let’s have some fun with this. Leave a comment telling me the most impressive or ambitious thing you’ve ever cooked or that you want to cook (for me: croquembouche and panforte). This is a book for those who love food and having fun with their dinner. Let’s celebrate that.
As the final quote from the book says:
“If you aren’t up for a little magic now and then, you shouldn’t waste your time cooking.”
—Colette
DISCLAIMER: Because of the vagaries of the postal system, and because these books are being sent from the publisher, I cannot guarantee their arrival time. Please take this into consideration (I’d hate to disappoint anyone in their holiday gifting plans). Also—and it pains me to say this—I’m going to have to restrict this to North American postal addresses only, as I’ve had problems with overseas deliveries. I’m very sorry for this, and appreciate your understanding.
Winner of the Homesick Texan Cookbook is Vicki (commenter #45). Send me your address, Vicki!
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Listening to The Splendid Table is one of my favorite things to do on the weekend – and my favorite segment is Stump The Cook. As a child it always amazed me the funny things Lynne could use to make a pretty good sounding meal – one I still remember involved somewhat shriveled carrots, sesame oil and frozen corn.
Shriveled carrots? And I bet she came up with something that sounded good.
Such a fun show. Glad you like it too.
I don’t even remember what it was called, but I’ll never forget how to make it! There were at least seven layers of ice cream and sorbets, different flavors, layered one at a time across the entire inside surface of a metal mixing bowl, frozen until hard before smoothing in the next layer. Some layers were studded with fruits or nuts, too. Took forever! But completely frozen and sliced, there was every color of the rainbow in neat tidy layers. Once was definitely enough.
Holy crap, that sounds amazing!
Ice cream bombe?
Something like that – but I think it was Italian.
Just last weekend I topped my cooking ambitions. Well, baking ambitions. I made sourdough bread! After weeks and weeks of growing my own starter, nurturing its sourness. It was a long, long process and it finally result in real bread! Delicious bread. It was such a high point that my husband and I broke out a super nice bottle of wine, some fancy cheese, oil, and vinegar, and had an evening of it.
How great, Julie. Sounds like a delicious and fun time!
I want to grill a lobster…do the whole process from a live one!
You are a braver soul than I am!
Though I’d be happy to eat some of your lobster
Best of luck with it.
Most ambitious project to date? A huge and expensive prime rib for a fancy birthday celebration. And the first time I canned jam, I thought that was pretty ambitious, although it is easy now that I’m used to it.
Isn’t that funny–how the first time is scary but it quickly becomes second nature? Though I still find jam really satisfying. Love the lids pinging!
I once had the idea to cook a French feast of french onion soup, cheese souffle, and chocolate mousse. I thought that was ambitious, until I actually did it, and discovered that the hardest part of the whole meal was having the patience to allow onions to caramelize for three hours. It taught me a good lesson, though, that half the time, the food that intimidates you isn’t really so hard to make after all. Which leads me to Indian food, which I love to eat, but am afraid to cook, for some stupid reason. Hoping that Santa will bring me Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking for Christmas, to kick me in the right direction.
How To Eat Weekends looks like a gorgeous book!
My cookbook club just did Invitation to Indian Cooking (our thoughts: stick with one of her newer books). Once you have all the spices and get used to chopping lots of onions, garlic, ginger, it’s not as hard as you might think. Best of luck with it!
I want to bake a full on xmas ham this year.
That’s a very impressive, centerpiece sort of dish, isn’t it? I hope you take pictures (and feel free to send one to me, I’d love to see it!) I’ve never cooked a ham myself. I’m a little intimidated by big pieces of meat
Man, my difficult recipes are simple my comparison to everyone else’s. But I just made risotto for the first time, and that wasn’t nearly as hard as I’d been lead to believe.
Risotto can be intimidating! Good for you. I don’t make that myself too often, though I should as it’s so yummy.
I bet yours was delicious.
It was a long time. A long, long time ago. I was about twelve and I baked a cake in the shape of the old lady’s shoe. There’s a picture of me (in my home made apron) standing next to it and surreptitiously holding the thing together. The next adventure was individual Baked Alaska.
You must send us the picture! I so want to see that
One Christmas, my sister and I made Beef Wellington, which wasn’t terribly hard, it just has a lot of steps. We also spent a summer perfecting creme brulee, which can be a little fussy, but is usually good regardless. I get intimidated by canning and baking bread, so those are the projects I want to take on in the future.
You will be able to can some jam to eat with your bread!
Canning and bread baking are both intimidating at first glance, but less so once you try it. If you have a friend who does either, ask for a hands-on lesson (I’ve taught a number of friends how to can). Once you see how it’s done, it’s a big confidence booster.
And both canning and bread baking are deeply satisfying, moreso than regular meal cooking because the result sticks around longer and can be shared with friends in a different way. Best of luck with it!
Oh I really love this one!!!
Sorry I had a problem with the computer on my previous post. I will start over.
I love The Splendid Table on NPR. The thing I even impressed myself with was being able to make strudel dough from scratch. One little bit of dough that I streched all the way across the table and ended up being a delicious apple strudel desert. Amazing!
That sounds so good (and fun to make!). I have a friend who is part German and makes great strudel. I keep on meaning to ask her to teach me. She never uses a recipe, just throws it together. Amazingly good!
Honestly, this may sound silly but I tried very hard to bake gluten free, vegan breads for the holidays this year and it was not happening for me. Everything turned out all wrong. I made the batters several different ways with different recipes and it was all flops. I may keep trying–I don’t like to give up on kitchen goals!
That is frustrating. I’ve done gluten-free baking, but not vegan as well. Best of luck with that!
PS. Just noticed that Sasquatch Books has released a GF/Vegan holiday baking book for the holidays. Might be helpful.
Always checking out their first one from the library,,,would love this one.
I loved the other Splendid Table’s How to Eat book after getting it from the library — in fact, I just added it to my Christmas list! I have so many cookbooks already, so I like to get new ones from the library to see if I’ll actually want them permanently.
One of the more ambitious meals was one New Year’s when I decided to make a meal of all appetizer-type things for just my boyfriend and I. I think I got through two of the items — Indian-style potatoes in phyllo pastry bags & various types of sushi rolls — and then we were full, I was tired of cooking and the kitchen was a mess! Luckily I didn’t try to do the other items I had planned!
What a great idea for New Year’s Eve. How funny that two were enough. I love the sound of the potatoes in phyllo bags.
This weekend I’m going to make stuffed calamari with a homemade marinara sauce over linguini. I’ve loved it in restaurants but never tried it myself. Wish me luck!
Best of luck! I am sure it will taste wonderful.
Julia Child’s Bouche Noel, including the meringue mushrooms.
Oooh, that is a good one! Definitely goal-worthy (send me a picture when/if you do!)
a homemade Turducken – except ours was a GooDuchickail (deboned goose stuffed with a deboned duck stuffed with a deboned chicken stuffed with a deboned quail each with a separate stuffing)
That is wild. How long did the prep take? And three different stuffings? Wow.
I had never heard of “The Splendid Table” or Lynne Rossetto Kaspar until my daughter played podcasts of the program on a car trip from San Francisco to Oregon. I was hooked and now have to listen to her Saturday afternoon radio show while I cook something tasty for the weekend. Last weekend it was persimmon bread-delish!
Isn’t it a lovely weekend tradition? I am usually putting away my farmers’ market purchases and getting ready to make something for Sunday dinner. I love it.
Conquering pie crust from scratch 5800 ft above sea level. It only took me twenty years.
Hats off to you high altitude bakers. A friend of mine bakes at 8,500 feet. Don’t know how she does it.
the most ambitious thing i want to cook: soufflé. maybe i’ll try it in the new year…
Do it! And send us a picture when you’re done!
Oh I know the perfect person to give this to as a holiday gift! She loves that show!
I suppose I need some new cooking ambitions if I don’t have a goal in mind. I guess a 6 month old and 3.5 yr old will do that to a person! My most ambitious, though I didn’t think so at the time was to make an anniversary dinner for my parents and a few of their friends when I was 13 or 14. They sat outside for their summer meal and I remember the main course was salmon, not sure what else I made. I know there were some veggies and dessert and I don’t remember having any stress about it.
How lovely. One of those magical moments a reader mentioned was an anniversary meal cooked by her 14 year old and his younger sisters. I am sure your parents and guests loved it.
I would love to win a copy of this lovely book! I guess compared to other people, the most complicated thing I’ve made wasn’t too ambitious: puff pastry (to be made into a delicious apple tarte tatin). I don’t think I’ve ever made anything really difficult, maybe just time consuming or things that require patience (candy making). I have a list of lots of ambitious things I’d like to make, but I mainly stick to simple cooking and baking with quality ingredients, and I try to just challenge myself a little more with each weekend project.
Puff pastry is total bragging rights, don’t sell yourself short!
Buche de Noel in middle-school French class! Now in my adult life, I encounter so many Spanish speakers that I often wish I had chosen to take Spanish. But I forgot how Mme Barry’s amazing cooking projects were such a big factor in my decision!
That’s impressive middle school project! Did you make the mushrooms too?
I’m still trying to perfect my macarons. They seem so simple to make, but they’re really not! I just got a copy of Pierre Herme’s Macarons, so hopefully it will help me get some good feet on them!
I’ve never made macarons. I’m too scared to try.
These are to die for, and not so difficult. I try to make them for my daughter’s birthday, as she loved them so when I took them to Christmas a few years ago. I’m going to have to make them again this year!
Orangette is a great cooking blog, and you’ll find the recipe here:
http://orangette.blogspot.com/2005/01/odysseus-and-macaroons.html
Take the leap! You’ll be addicted!
Thanks, Tiff, you are so sweet. I’ve had those macaroons of Molly’s. They are so good!
Rona was actually talking about the French cookie, macaron (confusing to have the names be so similar). They’re these tricky little sandwich cookies that are apparently very fussy to make. I’m too scared to even try.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaron
But thanks for reminding me of Molly’s recipe. I must make those again soon. So good.
I have done several times the macarons from Call me cupcake and they are great and always turn out well. Here’s the tutorial http://cakejournal.com/archives/how-to-make-macarons
And make sure to follow the Stella Park’s 10 Macaron commandments (especially the grinding of the almonds) http://bravetart.com/blog/TheTenCommandments.
Her recipes as also very nice. The rose champagne macarons are delicious!
So: Try, try, try! I was also very scared, so I decided to make them last 14th of July in honour of la prise de la Bastille, listening to the soundtrack of Amélie…and they turned out well! I’ve done them several times since then
I’ve tried all sorts of wild things thru the years…..and some of them even worked out. Others were interesting to try but not necessarily repeaters. Like homemade English muffins. Why I thought that would be fun I cannot say. But the process of trying new things still fascinates me–this week it will be savory biscotti for Christmas Eve dinner.
I made English muffins when I lived in Japan–where they were very exciting because I didn’t have an over and my little town didn’t have a good bakery. We get by as best we can, right?
This isn’t a book I particularly want. (wink, wink). Now maybe I’ll win!! How’s that for “loser’s psychology?”
Yeah, you really wouldn’t want this book. Not good for you at all.
Let’s see if we can reverse-psych the universe
I think making sourdough bread seems pretty high on my list. That and macaroons. Both seem so finicky to me!
I’m intimidated by macarons, but happy to teach you sourdough. It’s actually pretty easy (so long as you don’t forget to feed your starter and kill it:-).
The most ambitious thing I’ve made (twice!) was dobos torte. It was so much fun to see all the parts come together to make such a beautiful and tasty cake. However, my husband is the real cook and one of his first and most memorable adventures was cooking whole fish in a salt dome. I’m not sure what he liked best, gutting the fish or breaking the cooked dome!
Wow—salt dome! And now I am off to google dobos torte and be suitably impressed
Live langoustines…
As a love of lobster I often stood and gazed at the tanks of crustacea in the local supermarket in France.
I would mentally chose a lobster, trying hard to view it as supper, rather than potential pet.
I would imagine it cooked and lying on my plate with lemon mayonnaise and fresh bread,
Alas, I never could bring myself to buy and kill and cook it.
One day a friend decided to break me gently into the art of cooking live seafood, languostines.
If it’s not cheating I’d like to leave you with a link
http://amouseunderthecooker.blogspot.com/2008/05/lunch-of-live-langoustines.html
During my two years in France no lobsters were ever harmed in my kitchen but lots of languostines ended up on my plate.
You are a braver one that I am! (and also, probably, less vegetarian-leaning:-).
I admit to struggling with anything that is still crawling.
Of course I would happily eat them if someone else would do the deed. I’m nicely hypocritical that way.
I made a truly great chicken pot pie on Monday that I thought beyond my skills–complete with bechamel, pre-baked crust–etc. It was truly wonderful! I haven’t thought any further, other than to consider the suggestions some chefs have made for roasting their turkey’s!
That sounds so good!
I love the Splendid Table! This book looks like such a wonderful cookbook reading; another one you’ve mentioned that will be going on my wishlist.
I’ve always wanted to make pho and creme brulee.
I want to make pho as well, especially this recipe:
http://www.food52.com/recipes/1919_turkey_pho
I listen to the Stitcher rebroadcast of The Splendid Table during my hour on the elliptical machine at the gym. When my 60 minutes — and the show — are finished, I’ve worked up quite an appetite and feel absolutely no guilt satisfying all the cravings that arose while listening!
That sounds like an excellent system, David.
I love The Splendid Table! I’ve conquered bread baking and desserts but would like to work on discovering more weeknight recipes….also roasted and braising meats. I just had to buy a new oven and I can’t wait to fire it up and get cooking!
And this is the perfect time of year for it! (assuming you’re in the northern hemisphere:-)
Have you seen Molly Steven’s All About Braising cookbook, and her new one, All About Roasting? They might be great inspiration for you.
I think you’re going to have a very cozy winter.
I love the first Splendid Table cookbook and can’t wait to take time to check this book out. My most ambitious cooking is a toss up between the night I made Indian food (lamb vindaloo, a cauliflower dish, samosas with dipping sauce and rice) even though I’m a one-pot dinner kind of girl and the time I made tamales, luckily I was cooking tamales with a friend, but I remember being up crazy late trying to finish them before I flew home and stuffing tamales into my suitcase because I didn’t get to enjoy them once we finished around 2 am.
My current ambitious hurdle is sourdough bread. I want to make it but keep chickening out on starting the process.
Your Indian feast sounds delish! And I’ve also been up late (early?) finishing tamales. Oy was that a production!
Sourdough bread is not as hard as you think! Maybe I should do a post on that…
I love love love the Splendid Table! Especially the road food couple. And the what-can-I-make-with-these sections!
The stump the cook section is amazing, isn’t it?
My senior yr in college I cooked a four course meal for 40 people for my birthday. I had just returned from study abroad in Mexico, so the menu was all Mexican food — finishing with two pasteles de tres leches. It was delicious!
Wow, that IS impressive!
I’ve heard of this book! It looks amazing. Nothing like a beautiful picture of beautiful food
It’s a good one, for sure.
I make an Indian snack, idli – the batter is made from rice and dal that I soak, grind and ferment. And each step is a challenge, getting the right grind, wondering if the batter will rise…. But if it all comes together, it’s worth the trouble!
That sounds so good. I’ve tried to make the fermented dosa batter and failed pretty badly. I think it was not warm enough where I live to get it to ferment. I might have to try again in the summer.
I think the most ambitious is a toss up between salt encrusted fish and a lemon panacotta with lemon marmalade that I took on on a Friday evening for the first time for a dinner with friends. Thankfully it all worked out!
That IS ambitious. I am sure your friends must have loved it.
The layout in this book looks beautiful. Would love to own a copy. You have featured some wonderful books!
Thanks–so many good books this year!
Bastilla. My then-boyfriend and I made it together for our first Valentine’s Day. Now we’re married. It was apparently a good dish to have!
How sweet! I love that.
Looks amazing- beautiful photography to boot!
Aren’t those overhead shots great? Makes me want to throw a dinner party.
I love How to Eat Supper, so I’m looking forward to their new book. I love big ambitious cooking projects for the weekends, and sometimes weeknights, too, when I’m in the mood. I don’t know about All Time Most ambitious, but my first year out of college, I cooked Easter dinner for my family. Although looking back on it now it seems quite simple (roast chicken, mashed potatoes, corn pudding, pie) and something I could easily pull off any old night, at the time it seemed hugely impressive. Sometimes I think cooking it easy – it’s just following a recipe and anyone can do it – but then I remember how hard that meal was for me then, and how easy it would be now, and I think, hmm, there must be something more to it.
I love these stories of young cooks making meals for their families. Isn’t it funny to see what we thought was hard back then. Learning curve!
I have never heard of this on NPR or the cookbook however I will be checking out NPR for this program. I have an Amazon card and if I do not win this this may be what I spend my Amazon on. This seems like a splendid book.
You are in for a treat! You should be able to find the program on the weekends, or can download the podcast off the website. Very worthwhile I think.
I love listening to the Splendid Table. I’ve been wanting to jump into Indian cuisine but I’m so intimated by all of the spices.
My cookbook club just did Mahur Jaffrey’s (first) book on Indian cooking and the spices aren’t that bad. And once you have them, you can cook so many things. It’s a little intimidating, but I found it really worthwhile in the end. Best of luck with it!
I would love to host a dinner with tamales and the works… I’ve just always been intimidated of working with the husks.. weird because I love experimenting!
I can understand that, but they’re pretty easy. The biggest worry with tamales (I find) is to make sure the water doesn’t boil away when you’re steaming them. I’ve ruined a few pots that way.
But I learned a great trick–put a penny or two in the bottom of the pot. They will rattle while the water is boiling. If it boils away, the noise stops. Warning system!
I know this sounds simple, but I would love to try doughnuts. The frying part makes me incredibly nervous, as I didn’t grow up in a fried food home and haven’t had any experience with it. Someday I’ll get over the fear!
I’m scared of frying too!
This book looks dangerously fun…
I think it is!
We drove 5 hours with a car full of ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner to my husband’s 98 year old grandmother’s house. It was the first time I’d ever made and entire Thanksgiving dinner. It was just the two of us with grandma and one of her friends. It was wonderful though. She wasn’t able to stand long enough to cook a big dinner like that anymore, so it was a treat to bring it to her.
Oh, that is so lovely. What a treat for them. I’m sure it meant a lot.
I love the Splendid Table, and never miss Turkey Confidential on Thanksgiving morning as I’m preparing my dish to take to dinner! (usually sweet potatoes, never the same way!) How wonderful it would be to have this book.
Many years back I baked a chocolate rum cake that was to die for. And after a 20+ hiatus, a few years back, I started baking bread again, using my “new” 1948 stove with a warming oven. I’m kind of a “fly by the seat of my pants” sort of cook, and throw everything but the kitchen sink into my bread. It’s always one-of-a-kind, and delicious, but that’s how I love to do it! I love the therapy of kneading, and the wonderful fulfillment of that first warm slice. Plus the lovely yeasty fresh bread smell of the kitchen. I’d wear that perfume if someone made it!
Probably the most difficult thing I made was chicken cacciatore, that was very yummy, but time consuming. I work long hours, and need meals I can cook in an hour or less.
I take the “no fear” attitude about cooking. If it has good things in it, it will turn out fine. and it (almost) always does, or at least it’s edible!
I Love Love Love your blog, and never miss a word! Thanks so much for the opportunity for this give-away.
I love your “no fear” philosophy! That’s a good one to adopt.
I’m loving baking bread as well. That smell when it’s fresh out of the oven makes me swoon.
Thanks for the kind words on the blog, and thanks for reading along!
Some day I’d like to make my own puff pastry but otherwise no challenges come to mind although in recent years I’ve started making pastry, crepes and pot roasts, which wierdly had intimidated me in the past. I think my most ambitious project was a bailey’s chocolate chip cheesecake I made for a valentine’s fundraiser once – it was delicious but I haven’t made it since. It took ages and many steps to make, it weighed a ton and was so calorific and rich you could only have a nibble at a time.
Yes, but it SOUNDS SO GOOD. I want a slice of that now. For breakfast. Is that so wrong?
Wait, don’t answer that
I think that may be part of why I’ve never made it again – that I’d want to eat the whole thing…
I haved cooked every day of my grown up life, 50 years, through children and now Grandchildren. I am a very adventuresome cook and have cooked everything under the sun and being that I never cook the same thing twice so I own many cookbooks. This one looks like a wonderful addition to my library. Thanks you for your blog, I read it daily….
Thank you, Carol. I think your family is very lucky to have your adventurous cooking creations!
My husband and I always run a few errands and visit with each other’s families on Sunday. We time it so that we get to listen to Lynn while driving through the countryside. It’s bliss! Although sometimes we’ll get to our destination and have to sit in the car until the segment is over! Two of the most adventurous things I’ve done in the kitchen are octopus and mayo, not together, although that sounds like a great seafood salad come to think of it! Hubby loves octopus so I bought it whole served it ceviche style with a grapefruit scallion base. Homemade mayo, so easy and delicious. I always substituted other creamy ingredients when a recipe called for mayo, but when made from scratch with quality ingredients…bring it on!
I love the image of you two sitting in your car until the show finishes–I’ve done that myself more than once. What a sweet tradition you have.
This book has my sister’s name written all over it.
I recognize how ridiculous this will sound, nevertheless: I made a multi-layered rainbow Jello-o creation that took hours of patience. I used the tiny boxes of Jello-o in all colors of the rainbow (I don’t associate flavors with Jell-O, just colors, because they don’t remotely resemble the flavors they claim to be!) and color by color, slowly poured them in a trifle dish and refrigerated them. There was no reason for doing this – I just felt like it – and I enjoyed the entire process, layer by layer. I hope that my tastes have evolved since then, but it was certainly felt terribly ambitious at the time, and was huge fun!
It doesn’t sound ridiculous to me at all. In fact, my friend makes something similar and I love it (she made some today for my birthday, because she knows how much I like it). Take a look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kairuy/6297015323/
It’s addictive, but I have far too little patience to make it for myself.
I LOVE that you said croquembouche is one of your most challenging dishes, as it was my first challenging dish, as well as one of my most difficult to date. I was 16 and absolutely obsessed with Martha Stewart (this in 1990, when she would have holiday specials on PBS, and long before her world domination). I saw her make a croquembouche and thought, “I can do that”. And I did! My mother still brags about watching me spin sugar using an old wooden dish rack on Christmas Eve, moments before the family descended upon the house. It was the first time that I blew people’s minds with my cooking, and it’s the feeling that keeps me cooking.
MEEE TOOO (the falling in love with Martha part). I remember the Thanksgiving special–I was making cranberry cordial and canning red pepper jelly for weeks after that. I was about sixteen as well (impressible age). For awhile there I was determined to move to Westport and live in a Revolution Era farmhouse on Turkey Hill Road.
Ahh, those were the days. But I am so impressed that you made the croquembouche. I stopped after the turkey wrapped in homemade puff pastry
I saw the spread in the very first picture and new this was a great cookbook! I want it!
Although it may be the easiest meal in the world, the firat time I was forced to make a Thanksgiving dinner was my first year of marriage. We were living in Seattle and could not get across Snoqualmie Pass to go home to Walla Walla. I called my mother and got all of the instructions over the phone and everything turned out beautifully. My mother is now gone, and I joyfully bring out my scribbled notes from that phone call when I cook Thanksgiving dinner. In fact, I have shared the “Anne Eubanks no-fail turkey” recipe with many people since, always with resounding success!
How lovely that you still have the notes you took, what a treasure.
Are you from Walla Walla? I went to college there! (tho haven’t been back since ’95. Must go soon, the town has changed I hear:-).
Tea,
I am from Walla Walla and moved back in 1991 when it was a near ghost town. it is lovely now, thanks to the wine industry. My dad was class of ’36 and my mom was class of ’39 at Whitman where they met!
I graduated in ’93—we would have been there at the same time!
I’m hoping to come back for a visit in the new year. I can’t wait to see the changes. I used to love all the old neighborhoods with their huge gorgeous trees and houses, and biking out into the wheat fields as far as you could, and the SUNSETS. So beautiful.
Oh, how I would love to live down the street from you and Lynne Rossetto Kasper!
As a vegetarian, I would say that my most ambitious cooking projects have been meat-related. Making Beef Wellington for a romantic evening with my husband (mushroom version for me) and cooking a huge cider-brined turkey for a family Christmas dinner were particularly ambitious for me. Since I cannot taste the dish as I go, I have to rely on my sense of smell and the feedback from my “testers”. Having a trustworthy recipe in those situations is so important!
Wouldn’t it be fun to have Lynne down the street? I’d love that.
I hear you on the cooking of meat. I’m in a similar boat. I don’t mind tasting it, but since I grew up vegetarian, I don’t know what it’s SUPPOSED to taste like (and sometimes I’m really surprised!).
I love ethnic cooking and though not fully accomplished have successfully made dinners from many different cuisines. This next year I want to make a fabulous paella (never attempted) and delve more into Japanese cuisine as I so love it.
This cookbook looks amazing. Thanks for the opportunity!
Paella is on my list as well. Next summer!
You’re on! Stay in touch….
Hi Tara! I got to hang out with Lynne and Sally when they were in Portland on that same tour and was the guest judge for the Stump the Cook Portion of the show they did live here. Just like you I was thrilled to meet them and have my devotion affirmed. What lovely women.
Aren’t they great? Was such a treat.
Love the last quote from this book! How True!
Thanks for the chance for a copy of this lovely book.
Kristy
Isn’t that quote great? So true.
LOVE the splendid table show and how to eat supper was wonderful. i’d love the new one. most ambitious thing i’ve cooked????? nowadays i am into simple, good ingredients, seasonal, fresh, not too fancy. but when i was 10 or 12 (i think it was) i made cream puffs for a surprise anniversary party that i put on for my parents! thanks for the memory, i had forgotten about that
I love these kids cooking stories. So sweet!
Thanks for the link, I’m listening right now! The book looks awesome, I’ll have to check it out at the bookstore.
You are in for a treat!
I want to learn how to make croissants!
That is a worthy challenge! I’ve not tried croissants myself either. Would like to.
Cheese. I have wanted to try making my own cheese for years and have yet to give it a try. There is even a farm not far from my home that gives lessons and I still have not done it. One of these days……
That was on my list too. I’ve since taken three cheese classes, it’s so much fun! I hope you find the time for it.
Love, love, love listening to the Splendid Table. Would love the book
I’ve loved the Splendid Table for years. I was so sorry that I couldn’t make it to the Book Larder event.
My cooking aspirations are fairly lowbrow, as they’re mostly about a desire to recreate the foods – Mexican, southern and Creole – that I miss from growing up in Texas. (A few days late, I’m a huge fan of Homesick Texan, and will have to get Lisa’s cookbook.)
Isn’t it true how the old comfort dishes become so important when we are far from home. I was making bagels and tortillas when I lived in Japan.
The Splendid Table cookbook would be divine. My most adventuresome cooking was coordinating a menu to celebrate Julia Child’s birthday. Three friends and I used Vol. I, and my contribution was a chicken dish, and vegetable dish. The most trying aspect was grinding fennel seed with no mortar and pestle. The dinner was a huge success, and I have asked for the much desired mortar for Christmas!
How impressive! My cookbook club is doing Mastering the Art of French Cooking in March. I’m already scared.
Love the Lynn Rossetto Kasper and her husky-voiced laughter on the radio show and sheer delight in all things food, family and fun. I’m sure her cookbook reflects this enjoyment.
Isn’t it true, she takes such pleasure in it all, in a wonderfully warm way. I love it.
I will join the chorus of folks who love The Splendid Table! Lynne Rosetto Kasper is the best ever. As for challenges, I made four different marmalades for gifts last Christmas that took three days per batch. The pear and lemon marmalade was the biggest hit. They were time-consuming and yet not. It sounds weird but three days per batch is a long time and yet the hands-on work was spread out so it didn’t feel that bad. But talk about heartbreak when I burned a batch on Day 3!! My next challenge is to make porchetta — smothering a pork loin roast in herbs and then wrapping it in a skin-on pork belly. I’m a little nervous about it…
Were you using the Blue Chair jam book, by chance? My friend has been making three-day marmalade from that. I’m too impatient! (though it sounds delish).
Thanksgiving for 37 people. By myself. It was fun and a great success. Thanks for another opportunity.
Holy, that is a lot of folks! You must have a big house.
My brother’s old neighbor hosts about 35 people in a fairly cozy craftsman here in Seattle. We always wonder where they manage to put them all. Watching the guests leave at the end of the evening is like watching the clown car at the circus–where do they all come from
And you did it all yourself–impressive!
The most ambitious thing I have made is fancy sushi
That is ambitious. Sushi chefs train for years on that
The buche du Noel I made a few years ago for Christmas was quite the challenge. Five different layers from mousse to crispy, it was the richest thing I’ve ever made. (But so good!) Each layer has to be frozen before the next can be added. Time consuming, but worth the effort.
I would like to learn how to make homemade phyllo dough, then baklava. It is intimidating but one of these days I will do it!!
Holy. The cake sounds amazing, and homemade phyllo dough IS a challenging thing. I have no idea how they get those sheets so thin. I think magic is involved
This book looks great!
definitely croissants.
Me too.
I am such a believer in making great tasting healthy food for my family and friends. Would love to win the cookbook!
would be happy to win!
after reading animal, vegetable, miracle i was inspired to make cheese at home. i got one of those kits, and have successfully made mozzarella that tastes immeasurably better than anything i can buy in my local grocer. it wasn’t difficult, but i felt it was a two person job to have everything ready at the right time. much more challenging was the first time my husband and i made homemade ravioli with the ravioli attachment for our imperia. we finally got the hang of it, but we made a huge mess in the process!
Isn’t fresh cheese great? I want to do more of that in 2012. And I hear you on ravioli. I think you need extra hands. But the result is always so worth it, I find.
Here’s to cooking adventurously!
Most ambitious plan is chocolate croissants, gluten free. Also shanghai duck.
Most ambitious actually completed was a chinese banquet with 12 courses, cooked by my siblings and I when I was 13. No single recipe was too ambitious, but the entire concept was a thing only conceivable by 10-16yos.
Wow, on both counts. Chinese banquet at 13? With a start like that, you might just be the person to take on GF croissants!
Best of luck.
I tried making Beef Bourguignon when I was about 17. It took forever and turned out pretty okay though.
I love these young people cooking stories–you must have been so proud, and your family so impressed!
Yes, I was using the Blue Chair jam book for those 3-day marmalades recipes. It is a long process but oddly less time-consuming than the all-in-one-go recipe I did the year before. I wasn’t in the kitchen for more than an hour or so for each step I think, so I wasn’t chained to the cutting board or stove all day long. Give it a try, your kitchen will smell amazing for those 3 days!
I bet the kitchen smells amazing! I popped in to visit a friend partway through her three days and she said much the same. Curious to give it a try.
I think the biggest challenge was cooking meat for friends because I’m a vegetarian and was so intimidated never having done it! Chicken Marbella, which turned out to be a good choice, since you don’t have to do much to the actual chicken
.
As a raised vegetarian, I totally understand! Brave of you–incredibly nice of you to your friends, really–to even try.
PS. Chicken Marbella? Silver Palate, FTW!