In the fall, ones thoughts turn to soups, stews and baking…especially now that Seattle’s wild summer heat wave has abated. With that thought, my mind went to a few books in my collection that, on the surface, are baking books, but that I knew had more than baked goods to offer.
I could only find two books in my collection that met that criteria (I have lots of books that have a mix of recipes, but only these two had a focus on baking): The Leslie Mackie’s Macrina Bakery and Café Cookbook by Leslie Mackie and Once Upon a Tart… by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau.
I’ve done some baking from the Macrina book (and enjoyed many more baked goods from her bakeries in Belltown and on Queen Anne). Her Squash Harvest Loaf is the bomb, but I’ve only ogled the lunch entree recipes thus far. I’ve made a few tarts from Once Upon A Tart, mostly back when I was hosting bridal and baby showers for my little sister, and a favorite is the Provencal Tart with Gruyere and Herbes de Provence (which Jeff has has been begging me to make again for a few weeks). But there are lots of soups, salads, sandwiches and spreads that look delicious. And more tarts, of course.
My third pick might seem like an odd one, but I’ve mentioned it to a few of my widowed patients lately who find it difficult and strange to cook only for themselves. I’ve long admired Judith Jones for her contribution to the culinary world by editing books by some of the greatest cooks of all time, including Julia Child and James Beard (her autobiography The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food is wonderful), and I found her small volume The Pleasures of Cooking for One to be delightful…but I’ve never actually cooked from it!
Disclosure: I am a member of the Amazon Affiliates program and the book links in this post are affiliate links.
