Friday, September 6, 2019

Two Peas Welcome You To Their Pod

Rare is the cookbook that appeals to both vegetarians and carnivore. Rarer still is that it's welcoming as an old friend and inviting as a much loved neighbor. Yet that's exactly what Two Peas And Their Pod Cookbook (Grand Central Publishing 2019) is. This is the must have cookbook for both experienced and novel home chefs.It has everything in it to create warm, homey meals everyone will love.

The book was written by vegetarian Maria Lichty with the help of her omnivore husband , Josh. It's based on their popular website of the same name.It mostly caters to parents. The Lichtys themselves have two little boys who figure prominently in both the blog and the book.Maria and her husband have pages dedicated to cooking with kids of all ages and what jobs to give them at different stages of their kitchen experience.I love this book. It has some of the best recipes I've seen in a long time along with endless pages of advice. There's also a sweet homeyness to it, reminiscent of Chip and Joanna Gaines give and take on their TV show. Fixer Upper. The chapters are slightly different than the average cookbook. There is one devoted to nothing but cookies!!!One of the most important is the one entitled "Helpful Things". This is a definite must read. There is a list of kitchen gear and gadgets that every kitchen needs to have along with his and her lists of the gadgets they can't live without. Maria shows how to organize the room with a pictorial. Tips on kitchen staples and the shelf life of spices are also included.Unlike other cookbooks the Lichtys also include grocery shopping tips.I like the fact that they recommend buying store brands instead of national ones and always taking a well crafted list. Check out the whole section on different types of parties at the back of the book.

The recipes are amazing. I love the vegan ones and will definitely be trying those out.There is spaghetti squash with broccolini, tomatoes and garlic bread crumbs, the perfect Saturday night meal with friends along with veggie full fried rice. The last is a great way of using left over rice and bringing in a slew of veggies to the dinner table. Josh brings meat recipes to the book. Chicken lovers will enjoy the chicken taquito recipe that also feature's Maria's favorite guacamole recipe.For the little ones Josh's sister , Whitney gives her crunchy and fun coconut chicken fingers. On the healthy side there is  grilled salmon with mango-avocado salsaThe sides are very tasty looking and two or three together could also provide an all veggie meal.There are also chapters dedicated to homemade soups and mouthwatering salads. - the last are another group of recipes I want to make. Then there is that whole chapter dedicated to COOKIES!!!!! Maria is a big cookie fan so there are all types listed. Of course there are chocolate chip cookies dusted with Malden sea salt for a sweet-savory kick and triple chip chocolate cookies. A great holiday cookie would be  her easy frosted sugar cookies. Of course there is a dessert section ripe with cakes and galettes. There is even an opening section on breakfasts that feature bars and breads like the chocolate banana one that would make for fun desserts. She honors her dad with his cinnamon roll recipe.

Buy Two Peas And Their Pod Cookbook now. This is a great must have for any kitchen library. It is chock full of good advice.