Sugar Cube

April 16, 2012
If IFC’s Portlandia had an official cookbook—full of hip recipes with savory-sweet twists from a food cart that always has a line—one can’t help thinking it would be just like Jensen’s. The culinary-trained Portland, Ore., chef struck out on her own in 2008 with a small pink cart, serving up made-on-the-spot treats to sweet-tooth fans. Chapter titles include “I Did It All for the Cookie and “Lovin from the Oven,” and there are sections devoted to breakfast and drinks and snacks. The author’s philosophy that “love and care” trumps “fancy equipment” and her experience of baking and making dishes in a small space makes her collection of recipes accessible to new bakers and cooks whose kitchens may not be decked out with a full-size, stand-up mixer. Recipes include those garnered from pastry chef friends and Jensen’s mother, as well as quirky-titled dishes named after ex-boyfriends (the Aric-A-Strata) and plays on tradition (Twisted Toll House cookies), as well as a savory shortbread with a film-inspired moniker (Rosemary’s Baby Cookies). Solid writing, appealing illustrations, and the fun spirit that infuses this title make it a particular gift for those who aren’t afraid to stray from tradition with dishes like molasses-buttermilk corn bread with maple-white dog whoop and candied bacon. Agent: Stacey Glick.