The Cookbook Road Test series takes a rarely used cookbook from my collection out for a spin. We’ll kick the tires, rev the engine and put the pedal to the metal down an open stretch of highway. Meaning we’ll try a few recipes and tell you what we think. Sounds much better in car lingo. Yes, we’ll play some music too. Every road trip needs a soundtrack, right?!
The Cookbook: In a former life I was a meeting planner for Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA), a very worthy charitable organization whose conference that year was held in Milwaukee. In addition to providing high-quality education for attendees, we also hosted a fundraiser with a celebrity chef doing a cooking demo at the Milwaukee Public Market. We had no budget for the enormous fees that some of the big name chefs command, so we called in favors and wound up with a perfect fit in the lovely and talented Chef Wynnie Stein, a longtime member of the Moosewood Collective.
Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York, became well-known in the ‘70s as a very successful vegetarian, natural foods restaurant operating as a collective instead of a traditional business model. They’re still going strong, and have added cookbook-authoring to their menu of delights. Still not ringing a bell? How about this: The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. Found in many kitchens including my own, this famous and beloved vegetarian cookbook was written in the ‘70s by Mollie Katzen, an early member of the Collective (but no longer).
That evening Chef Wynnie prepared several dishes from the Simple Suppers cookbook while speaking about the emotional and health benefits that kids derive from having family dinners at home on a regular basis. Strong families are what PCAA is all about, so this special event scored a home run in terms of message and donations. And I scored a free cookbook, autographed by the chef herself.
The Cookbook: In a former life I was a meeting planner for Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA), a very worthy charitable organization whose conference that year was held in Milwaukee. In addition to providing high-quality education for attendees, we also hosted a fundraiser with a celebrity chef doing a cooking demo at the Milwaukee Public Market. We had no budget for the enormous fees that some of the big name chefs command, so we called in favors and wound up with a perfect fit in the lovely and talented Chef Wynnie Stein, a longtime member of the Moosewood Collective.
Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York, became well-known in the ‘70s as a very successful vegetarian, natural foods restaurant operating as a collective instead of a traditional business model. They’re still going strong, and have added cookbook-authoring to their menu of delights. Still not ringing a bell? How about this: The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. Found in many kitchens including my own, this famous and beloved vegetarian cookbook was written in the ‘70s by Mollie Katzen, an early member of the Collective (but no longer).
That evening Chef Wynnie prepared several dishes from the Simple Suppers cookbook while speaking about the emotional and health benefits that kids derive from having family dinners at home on a regular basis. Strong families are what PCAA is all about, so this special event scored a home run in terms of message and donations. And I scored a free cookbook, autographed by the chef herself.
The Cookbook Road Test stories usually get decorated with fast car photos, but since this one is all about a simple, family-friendly meals we’ve got a safe, sensible minivan instead.
As a guide to preparing quick, easy, delicious, mostly-vegetarian meals (there’s a small section on fish) this cookbook is modest and unassuming – no bling-bling recipes here! Here are a few representative recipes:
The next few recipes are not included here, listed only to whet your appetite and give a broader sense of this cookbook's range:
Keep reading for recipes, pictures galore, a cool playlist, and the verdict.
- Indonesian Sweet Potato & Cabbage Soup – recipe tested and included in this post (keep reading)
- Easy Egg Rolls & Duck Sauce – recipe tested and included
The next few recipes are not included here, listed only to whet your appetite and give a broader sense of this cookbook's range:
- Pasta with Broccoli, Edamame & Walnuts
- Vietnamese Noodle Salad
- Black Beans with Pickled Red Onions
Keep reading for recipes, pictures galore, a cool playlist, and the verdict.
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The Occasion: Wintry weekend dinner for two, leftovers for several days.
The Playlist: James Taylor, Before This World. Received as a Christmas gift from my dear friend Linn, a James Taylor super-fan, this album might seem like an unusual choice for a road trip soundtrack. I wondered if it was a little too folky and gentle for life on the open road. But once we ditch the driving metaphor, I think you’ll agree that this is the perfect mood music for simple suppers at home. This is James’s first album of original music in 13 years. Let’s give a listen. |
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The Recipe(s): This cookbook delivers on its promise – simple dishes, easy and quick-to-table. Nothing fancy, in fact some are so simple they had me saying, “There’s a recipe for that?” However there are several standout recipes, especially in the Soups chapter. As it’s now winter in Chicago during National Soup Month this seemed provident so we selected Indonesian Sweet Potato & Cabbage Soup for the test drive. Take a look at the photos (click to enlarge and read the captions) and get the recipe below.
| Printable Recipe- Indonesian Sweet Potato & Cabbage Soup |
Indonesian Sweet Potato & Cabbage Soup
Recipe source: Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers cookbook
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
Recipe source: Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers cookbook
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger root
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups chopped onions
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups chopped cabbage (1/2-inch pieces), approx. half a medium head of cabbage
- 2 ½ cups diced sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Mung bean sprouts (optional but highly recommended)
- Chopped cilantro, scallions, mint, and/or Thai basic (optional but highly recommended)
DIRECTIONS:
- In a soup pot on medium heat, cook the ginger, garlic, and cayenne in the oil for a minute before adding the onions and salt. Cover and cook, stirring often, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cabbage and sweet potatoes. Add about 3 ½ cups of the broth. Cover and increase the heat to bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and the remaining ½ cup of broth until smooth.
- Add the peanut butter mixture to the soup with the tomatoes and soy sauce. Simmer covered until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Serve each bowl topped with bean sprouts and cilantro, scallions, mint, and/or basil.
We also road-tested the recipe for Easy Egg Rolls, baked with phyllo dough instead of fried with wonton wrappers. Duck sauce too. I’m always on the lookout for easy, interesting appetizer recipes – could this be a keeper? Let’s find out. Peep the pix (click to enlarge and read the captions) and get the recipe below.
| Printable Recipe- Easy Egg Rolls with Duck Sauce |
Easy Egg Rolls with Duck Sauce
Recipe source: Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers cookbook
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
Duck Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
Recipe source: Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers cookbook
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger root
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1 16-ounce package of slaw mix (about 6 cups)
- 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Generous pinch of black pepper
- 6 sheets of phyllo pastry – or 1 roll from 2-roll package
- About 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- Duck Sauce - recipe below
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
- Warm a wok or large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the oil and when it is hot add the ginger and garlic and sizzle for just a few seconds. Add the slaw, soy sauce, salt and pepper and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are hot, coated with oil, and somewhat wilted but not soft. Remove from the heat.
- Place the stack of phyllo sheets on a dry surface – I like to use a sheet pan to contain the mess. Place it so the short sides are at the top and bottom. Brush the top sheet lightly with oil. About 3 inches from the bottom edge, spread a generous cup of the wilted slaw in a line parallel to the bottom.
- Pick up 2 sheets at the bottom edge and lift them up and over the filling and roll up. Phyllo is fragile but forgiving: don’t fret over small rips at the start.
- Brush the finished roll with oil. Lift it carefully and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat this process to make additional rolls until you run out of filling or of sheets. Place the rolls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- With a sharp knife, slice the rolls into 4-inch pieces. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- While the egg rolls bake, make the Duck Sauce to serve on the side.
Duck Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
- 2/3 cup peach or apricot preserves
- 2 tablespoons white or cider vinegar
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce
DIRECTIONS:
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Store in the refrigerator. It will keep for at least a month.
- IDEA: Add a generous spoonful to your next stir-fry or sauté.
The Verdict:
The recipes: The soup is a bigtime WOW, especially if you follow through with the recommended toppings. It’s good plain too, but adding bean sprouts, mint and scallions took the dish to a whole new level. (Cilantro would be good too, but we have a h8ter in the house.) The sweet potatoes and cabbage get quite tender, almost melting a bit to create a luxurious mouthfeel. The peanut butter and ginger flavors blend together adding depth of flavor in a delightful way.
The egg rolls, not so much. Not bad, but not special either. The leftovers didn’t get eaten, let’s put it that way. It was fun to use the phyllo dough for easy roll-ups though, maybe with an alternate filling such as spinach-feta or perhaps an Italian Bolognese filling could be interesting.
BTW the duck sauce was delish and super-duper easy to make. It keeps in the fridge for a good long time and makes a nice dipping sauce on the plate next to a grilled pork chop, or chicken breast, or even to complement take-out egg rolls from your favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant.
The cookbook: I’m glad I delved into Simple Suppers and became reacquainted with the simple pleasures of a fast and easy meal. I’m usually scouring cookbooks looking for dinner party dishes and would most likely pass this by as too everyday. Well, sometimes that’s exactly what you need, especially if you’re feeding a family on busy weeknights. Also recommended for new home cooks – all recipes feature only a handful of ingredients, clear instructions, and great menu suggestions for go-withs.
The playlist: James Taylor still sounds good. His voice is warm and rich, the songs are simple folky light rock with dollops of wry humor and outright sentimentality from time to time. The album is perfectly pleasant from start to finish, but the standout for me is the track titled Stretch of the Highway – it picks up the pace and recollects Sweet Baby James’s travelling man persona from years gone by. I peeked at a few album reviews to see what the experts think: some say he’s missing the grit and melancholy that marked his seminal work, he’s too happy and settled now. That may be so. There are no masterpieces here, no Fire and Rain, no Carolina in My Mind. Instead it’s a lovely visit from a longtime friend. Welcome back, old pal! I’ll listen to this one again and again.
The recipes: The soup is a bigtime WOW, especially if you follow through with the recommended toppings. It’s good plain too, but adding bean sprouts, mint and scallions took the dish to a whole new level. (Cilantro would be good too, but we have a h8ter in the house.) The sweet potatoes and cabbage get quite tender, almost melting a bit to create a luxurious mouthfeel. The peanut butter and ginger flavors blend together adding depth of flavor in a delightful way.
The egg rolls, not so much. Not bad, but not special either. The leftovers didn’t get eaten, let’s put it that way. It was fun to use the phyllo dough for easy roll-ups though, maybe with an alternate filling such as spinach-feta or perhaps an Italian Bolognese filling could be interesting.
BTW the duck sauce was delish and super-duper easy to make. It keeps in the fridge for a good long time and makes a nice dipping sauce on the plate next to a grilled pork chop, or chicken breast, or even to complement take-out egg rolls from your favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant.
The cookbook: I’m glad I delved into Simple Suppers and became reacquainted with the simple pleasures of a fast and easy meal. I’m usually scouring cookbooks looking for dinner party dishes and would most likely pass this by as too everyday. Well, sometimes that’s exactly what you need, especially if you’re feeding a family on busy weeknights. Also recommended for new home cooks – all recipes feature only a handful of ingredients, clear instructions, and great menu suggestions for go-withs.
The playlist: James Taylor still sounds good. His voice is warm and rich, the songs are simple folky light rock with dollops of wry humor and outright sentimentality from time to time. The album is perfectly pleasant from start to finish, but the standout for me is the track titled Stretch of the Highway – it picks up the pace and recollects Sweet Baby James’s travelling man persona from years gone by. I peeked at a few album reviews to see what the experts think: some say he’s missing the grit and melancholy that marked his seminal work, he’s too happy and settled now. That may be so. There are no masterpieces here, no Fire and Rain, no Carolina in My Mind. Instead it’s a lovely visit from a longtime friend. Welcome back, old pal! I’ll listen to this one again and again.
So that's it for today, I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride. Thanks for riding shotgun on this Cookbook Road Test, but now it's time to park it in the garage until next time. Have you missed any of the previous Cookbook Road Tests? Find them here.
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