A Beautifully Curated Cookbook

Once in a great while a beautifully crafted cookbook gets published.Rustic ,Joyful Food: My Heart's Table (Sourcebooks Publishing 2019) is one of those books. It is chock full of good recipes and stunning photographs of the various dishes. It may have humble and homey recipes but it is really a shining gem every home chef should have in their library.

The chef behind the book is Danielle Kartes,a food stylist and  former restaurant owner created this beautifully written and photographed book. It would make a lovely hostess gift, especially for home chefs who enjoy cooking and collecting cookbook. The photographs are stylish and are true pieces of art, bringing to mind the works of Rembrandt and Monet. Of course there are the usual introductory chapter on pantry staples which is a great boon for new home chefs, starting out on their own. Chef Kartes calls them building block and they are the basics that should be in every kitchen. Another plus is at the end of the book where there is a section for simple basic like simple syrup and fresh whipped cream. I like this chapter because the recipes can be used in other recipes in the books or my own. She has a sun dried tomato pesto one, perfect on slices of toasted Italian bread. There are several easy vinaigrette recipes such as the refreshing strawberry basil one and the sweetly zesty signature citrus dressing. Her from scratch salted toffee sauce would be great layer in  homemade ice cream cake or poured over a slice of homemade butter pound cake. The other chapters are divided in appetizers, main courses, soups and sides and ends with sweets.

The recipes are down to earth , with no fancy ingredients that require trips to fancy specialty shops.Some of the appetizers listed can be used for the main course.One is a rosemary and bacon flatbread that takes store bought flat bread topped with bacon and mozzarella.There is also a how to on assembling a cheeseboard, incorporating both sweet and savory components. Chef Kartes also includes popular hot dips such as a creamy artichoke and spinach one and pico de gallo. The soup section has the classic tomato soup, the perfect lunch or dinner on both hot and cold days.Another highlight is her French onion topped off with a mix of Havarti and Parmesan cheeses. The main dishes are pure comfort foods.A good dish , especially on a cool rainy summer day, is the classic chili with grass fed beef and tomatillos. Serve it with her garlic and cheddar cornbread.Quiche lovers will enjoy the caramelized leek and bacon tart, rich with twelve (!) eggs. For sides there is the parchment  paper vegetables and  brown butter carrots. The sweets section features such treats as homemade graham crackers and the unique chocolate white chocolate chip cookies. She even includes  popsicle and almond bark recipes too. I love that she includes a chapter on drinks There are boozy ice cream floats along with healthy blackberry mint water.

Rustic Joyful Food - My Heart's Table is an absolute gem of a cookbook. Buy this book, not only for the mouth watering recipes but for the beautifully curated pictures.  They are true artistry , food not only for the body but for the soul as well.