The Pollan Family Table The Best Recipes and Kitchen The Pollan Family Table The Best Recipes and Kitchen The Best Recipes and Kitchen Wisdom for Delicious Healthy Family Meals Hardcover on October 28 2014 The Pollan Family Table The Very Best Recipes and Kitchen The Pollan Family Table The Very Best Recipes and Kitchen Wisdom for and pantry wisdom for delicious healthy zesting up simple recipes October 28 2014 The Pollan Family Table The Very Best Recipes and Kitchen and pantry wisdom for delicious healthy and harmonious family meals Kitchen Wisdom for Delicious Family Meals Pollan Family Table The Best Recipes The Pollan Family Table The Best Recipes and Kitchen The Pollan Family Table The Best Recipes and Kitchen Wisdom for Delicious Healthy Family and pantry wisdom for delicious healthy and harmonious family meals
A very happy cookbook with a family focus. The chances that we will marry into the Pollan family or be invited over for dinner are small; so this is the next best thing.
I recommend the Pollan signature salad that includes mesclun, walnuts, pear, and a mustard, raspberry vinegar, olive oil, balsamic vinegar dressing (it is made by each of the sisters, their mother and brother; and it is requested by their friends and family for potlucks); the golden baby artichokes with lemon zest; their Grandma Mary’s grand marnier orange cake (her version of Jewish nut cake, Lori used to make it and sell it on Martha’s Vineyard); Grandma Mary’s mandelbrot cookies; Sam’s applesauce spice cookies; Aquinnah and Schuyler’s chocolate cream pie; Isaac’s Mexican wedding cookies; Chickpea salad with Manchego cheese (as in Man of La Mancha), dijon, red wine vinegar, and arugula; a pilaf of farro and vegetables; their fusilli with oven roasted vegetables and parmesan cheese; the spinach and ricotta malfatti (a malfatti is a mistaken raviolini… hey, it uses kosher salt); and the Panfried halibut with chimichurri sauce.
The Pollan’s recommend that we get over our performance anxiety for family dinners. Don’t push to be a professional restaurant chef. Don’t worry if you don’t cut an onion like they do on TV. These are family dinners. As Michael Pollan says, they are sophisticated recipes that use approachable techniques. And you don’t have to cook family meals every night. Start slowly. Try one night a week or less. And grow from there, or not.
Speaking of technique, there are “Sage Advice” pointers. For example: Read the whole recipe from start to finish before starting. It isn’t a movie, you don’t want a surprise ending. You should assemble all the ingredients before beginning.
Most every family who likes to cook and has a generation or so of cooks, thinks about writing a cookbook. Most families never get this far, but if my family ever did, the Pollan family would be the family cookbook to emulate. This is a true family venture, and you can feel the love of good food and family in every sentence. I found this cookbook mentioned in the latest Oprah magazine, looked it up on Amazon and immediately purchased it. There are so many positive aspects of this cookbook that it is difficult to know where to start.
Michael Pollan, the son, and brother and the author of culture and food that has changed the way we cook and eat, writes the foreword to this cookbook. Corky, the mom of the family, Lori, Dana, and Tracy Pollan, the sisters are all a part of this cookbook, and give their due to their mom, Corky. Michael relates the family history around the dinner table and why this cookbook came together. Fascinating and loving stories. The Pollan family philosophy is discussed, each person gives a little reflection of what food and family means to them.
We move onto the Pollan Pantry, which is quite complete, and then essential utensils, culinary ABC’s, and then to their Sage Advice. I found this portion to be very helpful. I have been cooking for years, but I never knew putting brown sugar in a plastic Baggie and putting it in the fridge, is the best method to keep it fresh and clump free. Three pages full of great advice, be sure to read it thoroughly.
Now, onto recipes. The best part is on the left hand page of each recipe, Labeled, ‘From the Market’, and ‘From The Pantry’. The Pollans recommend always reading the recipe thoroughly, so you can prepare for what you need. The recipes, all look delicious.