Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys
November 19, 2010 David Tanis, the head chef at Chez Panisse, came out with another elegant cookbook that's absolutely perfect for the holidays. Not only does Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys captures the essence of his simple, soulful cooking he also inspires us to incorporate seasonal ingredients while cultivating meaningful food rituals at home.
This fun cookbook features many celebratory menus for each season and it's a really good one to get ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Tanis also has a satisfying chapter on his kitchen rituals, which feature tips on making jam, cooking pasta for one, and creating your own herring and potatoes. I'm intrigued by his Tea-Smoked-Chicken Salad and Pho recipes. The photographs are so beautiful it's like looking at an art collection.
I've included a recipe for Molasses Pecan Squares below. It's not as complicated as making a pumpkin pie and it's just as delicious for a simple Thanksgiving meal.
Molasses Pecan Squares
Molasses is a classic American ingredient, and so are pecans. Here they make a dessert
that is a little like gingerbread.
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened, plus more for buttering the dish
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans,
plus a handful of whole
pecans for topping
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch-square baking dish. Cream the 8
tablespoons butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. (An electric mixer is helpful.) Add the
egg yolks, molasses, and vanilla and beat well.
Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt, and add to the mixing bowl, stirring well.
Stir in the chopped pecans.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold them into the batter.
Spread the batter in the dish, and sprinkle the whole pecans over the top. Bake for 35 to
40 minutes. Check for doneness with a kitchen knife; when it comes out dry, the dessert
is done. Cool in the pan and cut into 3-inch squares.
Excerpted from Heart of the Artichoke by David Tanis (Artisan Books). Copyright 2010. Image credit: Christopher Hirsheimer.
For editorial consideration, a review book copy was provided for this post.
Reader Comments (4)
Oooh, these look yummy! I have this book, too. I was going to make one of the veggie dishes first, but you're making me think I ought to try out a dessert first now. ;)
The photographs in this book are soooo beautiful. I always look at the dessert recipes first! Haha. :)
I thought that Tanis's kitchen rituals was the most exciting part of the book. I loved the entire book, but his personal journeys were beautiful!
I posted my thoughts on his book as well as my own kitchen rituals here: http://theveryhungrybookworm.wordpress.com/2011/01/15/the-kitchen-rituals-of-a-very-tired-teacher/
Check it out! I would love to hear what your kitchen rituals are.
Lauren - I agree, I loved his mouthwatering rituals. :)