Hi there, happy Thursday! We’ve got a great chat with Smitten Kitchen herself (aka Deb Perelman) this week, so let’s cut right to it:
Episode 161: Deb Perelman
In this week’s episode,
of and I discuss:Her initial foray into blogging—from her short stint chronicling her dating life in New York City and shifting the focus to cooking;
How she approaches cookbook writing, from her initial reluctance to write a cookbook to what makes “keeper recipes;”
Where she finds inspiration, including which cookbooks she turns to.
Plus, as always, we put Deb to the test in our signature culinary game.
Smitten Kitchen Keepers: New Classics For Your Forever Files by Deb Perelman
In her third book, Smitten Kitchen Keepers: New Classics for Your Forever Files, Deb Perelman gives us 100 recipes (including a few favorites from her site) that aim to make shopping easier, preparation more practical and enjoyable, and food more reliably delicious for the home cook.
What's a keeper?
a full-crunch cucumber salad you'll want to make over and over again for lunch
a tomato and corn cobbler that tastes like summer sunshine
an epic deep-dish broccoli cheddar quiche that even quiche skeptics love
a slow-roasted chicken on a bed of unapologetically schmaltzy croutons
a butterscotched apple crisp that will ruin you for all others
perfect spaghetti and meatballs, better than ever
Deb's ultimate pound cake, one to redeem all the sleepy ones you've eaten over the years
These are the fail-safe, satisfying recipes you'll rely on for years to come--from Perelman's forever files to yours.
We 💚 local bookstores. Pick up your copy of Smitten Kitchen Keepers here:
This week, paid subscribers will receive a recipe for Ginger Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup, the first recipe she worked on for this book and “the definition of a keeper.”
New Cookbook Releases*
*from this week and last week, as we’re behind! 😊
The Ranch Table: Recipes from a Year of Harvests, Celebrations, and Family Dinners on a Historic California Ranch by Elizabeth Poett
Here We Go Again: Recipes and Inspiration to Level Up Your Leftovers by Tiffani Thiessen
The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp: Spicy Recipes and Stories from Fly By Jing's Kitchen by Jing Gao
Always Hungry! by Laurent Degenais
Sohn-mat: Recipes and Flavors of Korean Home Cooking by Monica Lee and Tien Nguyen
Jacques Pépin Cooking My Way: Recipes and Techniques for Economical Cooking by Jacques Pépin
The Secret of Cooking: Recipes for an Easier Life in the Kitchen by Bee Wilson
Seafood Simple by Eric Ripert
Lidia's From Our Family Table to Yours: More Than 100 Recipes Made with Love for All Occasions by Lidia Bastianich
The Korean Cookbook by Junghyun Park and Jungyoon Choi
Scandinavian from Scratch: A Love Letter to the Baking of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden by Nichole Accettola
Unwind: A Devotional Cookbook for the Harried and Hungry by Aarti Sequeira
The Lula Cafe Cookbook: Collected Recipes and Stories by Jason Hammel
Zingerman's Bakehouse Celebrate Every Day: A Year's Worth of Favorite Recipes for Festive Occasions, Big and Small by Amy Emberling, Lindsay-Jean Hard, Lee Vedder, Corynn Coscia
A Man & His Kitchen: Classic Home Cooking and Entertaining with Style at the Wm Brown Farm by
Slow Drinks by Danny Childs
Signature Cocktails by Amanda Schuster
The Chocolate Chip Cookie Book: Classic, Creative, and Must-Try Recipes for Every Kitchen by Katie Jacobs
Now & Then: A Collection of Recipes for Always by Tessa Kiros
Natasha's Kitchen: 100+ Easy Family-Favorite Recipes You'll Make Again and Again by Natasha Kravchuk
Latinísimo: Home Recipes from the Twenty-One Countries of Latin America by Sandra A. Gutierrez
Familia: 125 Foolproof Mexican Recipes to Feed Your People by Marcela Valladolid
Cooking: Simply and Well, for One or Many by Jeremy Lee
Diner: Day for Night by Andrew Tarlow
Cook Clever: One Chop, No Waste, All Taste by Shivi Ramoutar
Deb Perelman on building Smitten Kitchen and what makes a "keeper" recipe