Dinner: A Love Story

Dinner: A Love Story 
by Jenny Rosenstrach 

This was one of my favorite books of 2017. Jenny created a blog with an emphasis on making family dinners a priority. This book is the culmination of that project. I had never read her blog, but you definitely didn't need to. My favorite thing about this "cookbook" is that her personal stories and experiences are sprinkled throughout it. You feel like you're getting to know her as you read about her recipes. I love how simple and straight forward most of the dinners are. Her philosophy is clear: use good ingredients and make food you love and your idea of what "dinner" should be will change.
 

(Making the chicken pot pie, left, the finished flatbread pizza, right)

So far we've tried three of the recipes and they've all been great. We made the chicken pot pie, the arugula and prosciutto flatbread pizza, and the kale, white bean, and sausage soup. I love that there is room to get creative with her recipes. If you know you love a certain ingredient, toss it in the soup or on the pizza. You don't have to worry about messing it up.

(Making the kale, white bean and sausage stew, left, finished product, right)

The book has already gotten me excited about meal planning again. I've bought the ingredients for some of her other recipes (pork ragu, creamy tomato chicken, and tomato and white bean soup) and can't wait to try them out.
Jenny includes lots of tips for getting kids to eat good food, which was so helpful!

If you've read this one, let me know if you've tried any of the recipes!

An Amateur Cook

(Asparagus Soup and Strawberry Freezer Jam)

Over the past couple years I have slowly been learning how to cook. For years my version of cooking was scrambled eggs if I was feeling fancy, but lately I've found that I really enjoy it when I have the time. There's something so enjoyable about taking a pile of ingredients, grabbing a glass of wine and putting on an audiobook and an hour later you have something delicious. 

I'm only cooking for me and the Huz, so I get to cook with any spices and ingredients I want. Neither of us are really picky eaters and if I'm not in the mood to cook we end up ordering Chinese or eating at our favorite Mexican restaurant (more often than I'd like to admit). Because there's no pressure to cook three meals a day for a big family I've been able to learn at my own pace, which I love.

(Ratatouille and Mushroom Risotto)

This summer I've been using a lot of recipes from an actual cookbook (unusual for me, I find most recipes online). It's called Harvest Eating and is filled with recipes for using whatever is growing locally at that time. 

We have a very small garden and we also get a local organic fruit and veggie bin every other week. Plus my wonderful mother-in-law gives us delicious homegrown items from her garden. So my recent cooking attempts have included a lot of fresh veggies. 

(Chicken Pot Pie and Beet Soup)

Some of our favorites have been the asparagus soup, ratatouille, chicken pot pie and mushroom risotto. The beet soup we made was completely gross. I also loved how the strawberry jam turned out and I couldn't believe it was so easy! 

Do you guys like to cook? I'd love to know what great recipes you all have!

p.s. I'm not a fan of reality TV, but I'm completely addicted to Masterchef. I love that it's about the actual cooking and not the peoples' personal lives. Anyone else watch it?

Photos by moi.