Canal House--Cook Something

August 19, 2019
Bloggers Hamilton and Hirsheimer (Canal House Cooks Every Day) offer an exhaustive beginner’s guide to cooking basics in this tasty and beautiful collection. The authors provide a wealth of recipes, many with multiple variations, allowing readers to tailor their dishes according to individual preference. They start with egg in its many forms—including hard- and soft-boiled, deviled, poached, fried, scrambled, and en cocotte—before moving on to chapters covering braising, stewing, and grilling. Recipes range from everyday fare such as spaghetti and meatballs, minestrone soup, and green goddess salad dressing, to more time-consuming options such as risotto Milanese and duck breasts with apples and caraway. Entire chapters are devoted to ground meat (meatballs of all varieties, meatloaf, shepherd’s pie), vegetables (roasted beets, red pepper, and onion agrodolce; escarole with white beans), and sweets (shortbread cookie and pears poached in red wine). In addition, the authors include a useful list of basic kitchen gadgets, and photos throughout depict recipe variations and techniques. With the expert guidance provided here, first-time cooks will be able to prepare delicious meals with confidence.

October 1, 2019

Coauthors and cooks Hirsheimer and Hamilton are the team behind the Canal House culinary venture, which includes an award-winning journal, a radio show, the blog Canal Cooks Lunch, and the book Canal Cooks Everyday. Their new collection continues their offerings of tempting, unfussy food for the home cook. As befits the work of a food stylist and a photographer, the images are beautiful, but as fans can attest, the Canal House cuisine tastes as good as it looks. The focus is on high-quality ingredients, with minimum shortcuts, yet remaining realistic for the home kitchen. Sections feature the expected (soups, salads, sweeties) and the more specific (eggs, ground meat, Italian gems), a little something for everyone. VERDICT Newer cooks will find clear instructions for basics and encouragement for tweaking, such as varied takes on sautéed chicken thighs. More experienced cooks will enjoy surprising combinations, including lentils with roasted beets or lamb meatballs with saffron and currants. This lovely book will inspire anyone to get in the kitchen and cook.--Devon Thomas, Chelsea, MI

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