The first cookbook is Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Cooking. Heidi is a well-known natural/vegetartian food blogger who created 101 Cookbooks. It’s a great website full of healthy recipes. I’m trying to incorporate healthy (but yummy!) ingredients such as whole grains, beans, alternate flours, etc into my cooking and baking and I think this is the perfect cookbook to guide me.
Yesterday, I made the Seed-Crusted Amaranth Biscuits. Biscuits, in general, are very easy to make and these were no exception. They only difference was that they were made with whole wheat all-purpose, whole-wheat pastry, and amaranth flours. The flavor is complex and layered and completely different than typical buttermilk biscuits, but no less yummy. These were perfect with the homemade potato-leek soup I made for dinner yesterday.
The second cookbook is The Art and Soul of Baking from Sur la Table and Cindy Mushet. I love, love, love this cookbook. The pictures are gorgeous, the recipes look good, and there are a bunch of helpful tips and ideas that I think will help me become a better baker.
I must have been in the mood for a baking marathon yesterday, because I also made the Old-fashioned White Bread. We’re using it for sandwiches this week instead of buying store or bakery-bought bread. There’s something about homemade bread that makes it absolutely wonderful even though I am nowhere being a master baker (or even an apprentice baker :P ).
Yay for new cookbooks! I have very little willpower when it comes to cookbooks that I want. I just bought Shirley Corriher’s Bakewise. Yeah, I should have just put it on my wishlist for Christmas, but I couldn’t wait. =)
Great, just when I was telling myself that I can’t buy anymore! I have the hardest time contr0lling my spending when it comes to cookbooks. They are my weakness. These look like great picks. I am trying to use healthier grains as well. Gotta love quinoa! The biscuits do sound multi-faceted. They look great, especially topped with a combination of sesame and poppy seeds.
Oooh, I am going to check out these cookbooks. Thanks for the recommendations. That is mighty impressive that you made your own bread for sandwiches. That is so bad-ass. Love it. ;)
Potato Leek is my all time favorite soup, although I never make it myself. Or cook with yeast either, until the kugelhopf. Now I’m ready for bread books, lol. And I need more cookbooks like a hole in the head. Both books look great. And the biscuits and sandwich bread are downright professional.
these biscuits look nice
I have the Art and Soul of Baking too, it really is a great book. I have the natural one on the wishlist, good to have a recommendation. (like I need a reason to buy more books!)