Everyone has a favorite dish
.It's the go to for dinner parties or holiday meal. It's that comfort food or treat we turn to when times get tough. Imagine a whole cookbook
filledwith all sorts of delicious recipes for both food and drink. Now home chefs can, thanks to celebrity chef and Food Channel star Gail Simmons. Her new cookbook is a must have for any kitchen,
Bringing It Home (Grand Central
Publishing 2017) was written by Ms. Simmons and Mindy Fox.
and it features everything from fun cocktails and nibbles to roasts and sides. She knows food thanks to her background for helping out Vogue Food editor, Jeffrey Steingarten to being one of the most popular judges on the Food Channel favorite Top Chef for the last few years. Her book has deeply detailed descriptions on vital kitchen gadgets as well as what every well stocked pantry should have
.These also are described in depth so no home chef can ever buy the wrong ingredient after reading it. Another important bonus is the chapter on chef lessons worth bringing it home. These are tips ranging from when to add salt to knowing when a dish needs acid. I like the fact that most of the recipes also have additions such as Kitchen Wisdom which are little asides about shopping, cutting or cleaning ingredients and Snippets (also one of Ms Simmons' childhood nicknames) that have fun facts about the food. There is also Chef Tech which gives home chefs and
bakers tips about preparation and cooking. Because of these the book is a great gift for novice chefs who still may have qualms about cooking and baking.
The recipes not only reflect her traveling, both with family and for Top Chef but also her Jewish and Canadian background. There are recipes for chopped liver and pork and beans Quebecois, an homage to her grandmother. The book is divided up into such chapters as Begin The Day For breakfast, Poultry and Meat along with Drinks - non-alcoholic sips and Drink-Drinks, the real deal. Ms. Simmons gives an easy recipe for soft boiled eggs along with the fancier Bloody Mary Eggs that's a spin on the North African dish
shakshura. Imagine this for brunch, washed down with her Pickle Juice (!) Martini. She has excellent meat dishes such as Piri-Piri Roast Chicken, chicken zinged up with the
ancho chilis, fresh ginger and coriander and Not Your Mama's Horseradish Brisket, in which the traditional cut is coated with garlic and horseradish. There are also excellent sides too, such as salt and vinegar smashed potatoes and grilled radishes. The two favorite sections are the Nibbles and Sweets chapters are chock full of fun recipes. I want to try her Crispy Chickpeas, spiced up with
dukkah, the Egyptian spice blend for a snack while
her Toasted Hazelnut Tarte Au Sucre would make a nice change up for pie during the holidays. Her bourbon marshmallows also sound like a real treat, especially floating in her dark hot cocoa.
Bringing It Home is a cornucopia of Gail Simmons favorite recipes
.It's a great book, chock full of all sorts dishes and desserts. Her favorites are so tasty and delicious that they're sure to be everyone's else's favorites too.
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