Hello! We thought we would kick off this blog post, the first since our (first) recipe contest, with a few of our favorite food related books. In each book chosen, we have found inspiration, yummy recipes, beautiful pictures, opinions, humor, knowledge, and satisfying results. For some of the Galaxy team the book might reveal a quick and easy recipe to be made after work for the family meal. For others, as much as useful recipes, the book is also meant to be taken to the sofa, a blanket pulled up, tea sipped, and pages turned. Of course, we also have our go-getter side ready to plant a garden, go mushroom foraging (with an expert), and start a bee hive. In each book there is a promise, a grocery list to be written, ingredients lined up, counter and refrigerator shelf space made, and plenty of dish washing to be done. As the days become filled with more sunlight and colorful buds begin budging at top soil, it is time to move from winter mode into spring with full anticipation of all summer (and the growing season) has to offer. Wherever you are…small town in Wyoming, big city in California, by a lake in Maine, or on the ocean in Virginia we hope you find nuggets in this list.
Allergic Girl: Adventures in Living Well with Food Allergies by Sloanne Miller (of Please Don’t Pass the Nuts). Miller is a licensed psychotherapeutic social worker who coaches the food allergic community and asthmatic community as well as consults food service organizations on food allergy management. She is also really funny, and frankly sometimes a little humor can really lighten a very serious situation. Miller helps readers identify their Team (“a network of supportive individuals who assist you in getting to the next happy step in your life”), coaxes you through “the talk” with a date, offers significant space to traveling (concerns, lists..) with a food allergy, and generally let’s you know you are not alone. Reading the book, one team member who is lactose intolerant (but not allergic to dairy) said she learned a lot between laughing out loud one moment and tearing up the next (done we might add while on the treadmill).
The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders is a beauty of a book. Okay, it is gorgeous thanks to Sara Remington’s photographs. Each page delicious! What one of our jam making team members said is it stood out from other canning books in her kitchen, because of the extra steps taken by Saunders…the pages on “Stages of Cooking” defined the phases of cooking the fruit mixture and then backed them up with color photographs. She could see exactly what a low-sugar jam should look at during the initial heating and a high-sugar jam during the bubbling and final phase. Right now our team member is in day two of Saunders three day recipe for Lemon & Pink Grapefruit Marmalade. Keep jamming!!
Sometimes in life it is the simple things that make us smile the widest. Having some great tunes play in the kitchen while making a homemade meal..that is right up there. If you agree and like to get a little spicy in the kitchen one of our team members thinks you will fall in love with Chef Bryant Terry’s Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine. His Charred Plum Tomato and Sweet Corn Soup with Crispy Okra Strips and a Kick, Crisp Green Beans with Roasted Shallots and Walnuts, and Maple Yam-Ginger Pie are favorites of our team member. Oh, and the extra special part!? Terry recommends songs with each recipe. For the Charred Plum Tomato ”Sun is Shining” by Bob Marley and the Wailers, Crisp Beans “Down Here on the Ground” by Grant Green, and with the Pie “Cold Turkey” by Anthony David.
Ashley English, the Appalachia based blogger of all things homemade, began putting out books (her Canning & Preserving book is a solid resource) a couple years ago. A team member who recently purchased some land and knows several beekeepers, is heading to bee school next winter. These once a week for 2-3 month classes will, she hopes, teach her how to be a responsible and productive beekeeper. As part of her prep work she picked up English’s recently released Keeping Bees: All You Need to Tend Hives, Harvest Honey & More. As much as one tries to understand honeybees, they are one of nature’s most complicated and fascinating creatures. The book dedicates space to hive hierarchy, what to consider (money, location, being neighborly, pets, children, allergies), feeding bees, essential equipment, and lots of other helpful information to being the best host to ones bee guests.
There are so many more (guess this means more book posts), but the list would not be complete and likely a few team members up in arms if we did not include…Isa Chandra Moskowitz and her high energized Vegan Vengeance: Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes that Rock. The paperback copy that found its way into the office has yellow and hot pink post-it notes sticking out, a grocery list folded in-between the front pages, turned down corners, sections of recipes highlighted, and a couple stains. This one is pretty well used it looks like. Standbys include Rich Vegetable Broth, Parsnip-Scallion Pancakes, Roasted Applesauce, and Chickpea and Spinach Curry.
