My Review of Lunch At The Shop

September 30, 2015 by 10 Comments

I’ve been taking a little break from my online, food-related book club since this year I’ve joined two other book groups (I also read from Blogging for Books, and a women’s book club at work). But I’m back to the Kitchen Reader club this month with my book club review of Lunch at the Shop: The Art and Practice of the Midday Meal by Peter Miller (chosen by Emily of Highly Social Media).
Lunch at the Shop: The Art and Practice of the Midday Meal by Peter Miller

My high level review of Lunch At the Shop is that it really promotes an intentional lunch. Peter’s definition of this means

  • Communal lunch with others (in this case with the employees of the bookshop he owns) where everyone shares stories
  • Lunch is fresh which means preparing all or part of it at your workplace. Part of the reason for this is also to shift from your normal work tasks to a craft operation and shift into a different mindframe from your normal workday actions and decisions.

The purpose of this is to take back part of your workday to make it personal and a pleasure. He promises it will make the food better, your relationships better, and it does make a difference in improving your day by reviving you at the mid day point.

One of the fun things about reading this book for me is that I’ve been to Seattle several times, and particularly some of the shops that Peter mentions so it was very easy to picture exactly the ingredients he mentions. His location near Pike Place Market is probably too good to be true for most people, and it will likely take slightly more work to gather some of the items purchased from stores since it will entail visiting specialty stores which are more spread out for a normal person rather than within a few blocks from work or from various employee’s home or commute.

There are plenty among his more than 50 recipes that are simple, yet offer wonderful taste in the combination.

Recipe for Lentils folded into basil, spinach, and basil from Lunch at the Shop, by Peter Miller Photo by Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton
Recipe for Lentils folded into basil, spinach, and basil from Lunch at the Shop, by Peter Miller Photo by Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton

Part of this I think is because of his crucial notion of layering. He defines this as

It is a touch, a finish, and it makes all the difference in the world in any cooking. For the purpose of lunch, it is quite specific: a second or third touch to what you are presenting, the signal that someone, moments before, chose and arranged and set the plate. It is personal and specific… The layering may be no more than a handful of parsley or chives, a grind of black pepper, a little Parmesan – all quite simply a sign of life.

He explains that layering means a Horizontal Touch to add details next to what you are serving, or a Vertical Touch to build upon the structure of the dish with elements. Examples he uses are just adding a slice of orange and a little goat cheese on the side of lentil soup, or fresh Parmesan, parsley, and cracked pepper on a reheated pasta.

It was beautiful and dreamy to me as he described Parmesan falling like snow on soup or bread (or a dusting of Parmesan out to an edge of a salad… he clearly really loves Parmesan), or a spoonful of beans alongside a sandwich that you then wipe the oil left behind with the last bite of bread, or how “chives love the slow-talking goat cheese or the white face of a potato”.

Phases like those pepper throughout the book, as well as call out boxes where he just tells a personal story about an ingredient. This made the book very likeable reading for me. It really was clear how much he loves food and ingredients, and how a communal lunch, even in talking about what’s in the lunch, can invoke tales that bring people together.

Some of the recipes can totally be assembled at your work desk, while others are started at home and then a few select items are finished at the office. He often uses bread, beans, lentils, or pasta as a solid base. It was particularly the use of lentils that I earmarked several recipes. I love lentils but as he notes, it is not often remembered to be used even though is is, as he calls them, ” a noble assistant to many foods and a trusty backpack to many vegetables.” Fortunately, he eats them at least once a week so had several suggestions of lentil combinations.

Lil' Wares Poware Bowl with lentils, cilantro mint cashew sauce, black tea peach chutney, beets and paneer Heathman Small Hot Plate of Carlton Farms Pork Cheek with squash puree and chive beluga lentils
When was the last time you had lentils? Some memorable lentil dishes of my past include this Bowl with lentils, cilantro mint cashew sauce, black tea peach chutney, beets and paneer and also this dish of Pork Cheek with squash puree and chive beluga lentils

Other great tips I got included

  • taking leftover pasta from dinner to work the next day and folding in a creamy soup or cup of hot chili with a little cheese, parsley, and lemon to rejuvenate it
  • adding leftover rice into soup or salad
  • the idea of instead of making sandwiches with sliced breads from a buffet of meats, using smaller rolls so you can make each one different – one with chutney, one with mustard and ketchup, one with horseradish and mayo so you can experiment
  • he even has a way to really upgrade sushi in those containers with plastic grass with some lettuce and easy homemade dressing

I really enjoyed the book. Like most books I read for Kitchen Reader, I borrowed it from the library to read it and started taking photos of certain recipes I liked. Then I gave up and realized I was taking too many photos and should just buy the book! I found the book very inspirational to move away from restaurant leftovers or cafeteria food. I look forward to trying to make my lunch at work – though I’m not sure I will go all the way towards communal lunches yet.

If you are interested in the online book club the Kitchen Reader, the gist of our casual club is there is a new book selected for every month, each book is related to food, and members write a review on their blog during the last week of that month. For me, it is always interesting to read the round-up of reviews at the beginning of the month and see what other members have thought, and even when I haven’t made the round-up, it adds more food books to my list to read.

I did read the previous two books from the previous two months – Delicious by Ruth Reichl and Relish by Lucy Knisley but haven’t had time to create posts on those yet. I enjoyed both those books in a mixed way, so hope to get into details of that in the future.

For October the book club selected reading is Yes, Chef: A Memoir by Marcus Samuelsson and Veronica Chambers (chosen by Amanda of Omar Niode Foundation).

What do you think about the premise of the book about more intentional lunch, and do you think you could practice it?

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Review of Food: A Love Story

June 1, 2015 by 4 Comments

I got a bit busy the first quarter of 2015, so temporarily dropped out of my online book club the Kitchen Reader (plus I was reading some books for Blogging for Books). But, I’m back with the book club this month of May, especially as I had a hand in suggesting the book for May 2015 (well, one of 3 people who wanted to read the book! For May we have the Book Club Review of Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan (chosen by Vicki of I’d Rather Be At The Beach, Stephanie of Kitchen Frolic, and myself)
Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan

The reason why I think Food: A Love Story appealed to so many of us is that it’s a book about food from  a stand-up comedian, and how often do you read a book about food that is amusing because it pokes fun while loving food? Jim admits he doesn’t really have any qualifications as a food writer. He has no background in professional cooking or working in the industry, he even shys away from calling himself a foodie because he doesn’t go on culinary escapades or seek out new restaurants or interesting dishes.

Instead, he calls himself an “Eatie”. He admits he doesn’t research food destinations in determining where to eat when he travels – he just asks for recommendations from locals and hopes for the best. At the same time though, he also admits that he often finds himself thinking about he will eat while in the midst of eating.

He thinks the best food adviser is someone

“pudgy or just a little overweight. This makes it clear they have a somewhat unhealthy relationship with food, but not a clinical problem. They are eating beyond feeling full. Sure, I am describing my own body type, but that’s why I am qualified to write this book about food. What other credentials do you need, really? Stop being a snob. Read the book already.”

If that introduction to himself isn’t enough to charm you, let me also state you should read his book especially because while he humbly says he is just an every man of regular food, Jim is humorously observant and insightful at recognizing how food makes people feel while also making fun of food culture and how food is so intertwined in our lives.

For instance, he observes in the chapter Proud American

“There are many elements that make up the American attitude towards food, but some are consistent. There always seems to be dissatisfaction with, and constant need to improve upon, the status quo of food. Americans are never satisfied when it comes to a food item… It’s the new American Manifest Destiny. We are the ones who for some reason needed a potato chip that tastes like steak and Jim Beam Jalapeno-flavored sunflower seeds.”

Ruffles Deep Ridged Classic Hot Wings inspired by Buffalo Wild Wings Lays Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese chips

Or, about our attitudes towards all you can eat buffets:

“If the buffet is twenty bucks, you must eat at least twenty dollars’ worth of food. If you eat more food, you make money right?… When I approach a buffet, aside from seeing it as a challenge, there is a compliant part of me that hears ‘all you can eat’ and says ‘Okay, I will try my best, I don’t want to let you down, buffet’.”

Gala buffet at midnight on Thursday (Day 6 of cruise) on Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas. Gala buffet at midnight on Thursday (Day 6 of cruise) on Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas. Some of the offerings of the snack table.

There are 60 some chapters in this book, which is about 300 pages long, so each chapter is at most only a handful of pages, which is great for flipping through to read chapters in any order you want before bedtime, on a plane, on the beach, under the trees digesting between plates at a picnic at the park, maybe a lunch break… And, it could be a great book to listen to while driving as well because of the short nature of the chapter.

Each chapter is very conversational and storytelling in tone, and you will often find yourself smiling, maybe even laughing. Pretty much what you would expect listening to a stand up comedian, but you are reading instead. Each chapter is a fun, easy read and you will probably find yourself reading several chapters in a sitting.

That said, this is not the kind of book that you just read straight through – it is better to get doses at a time. For instance, you might find several chapters in a row about being fat, and several about general unhealthy eating, and then several on types of specific food item (steak, pizza, hot dogs, reubens, gyros, cheeseburgers, fries, vegetables, fruits, bottled water, bacon, cheese, ketchup, cake, etc. He is very thorough, haha!), then various types of dining experiences from restaurants, fast food, food courts to food delivery.

It’s like each chapter is a segment of a stand up show and depending on the audience reaction he either keeps riffing on it or moves on to a new topic. Depending on your feelings about a topic some may work with you – some may not – just give another chapter a try. It’s just finding that one comment or observation to get you to crack a smile.

My favorite chapters when I read the book were

  • The Buffet Rule
  • Not Slim Jim
  • The Geography of American Food, plus the ensuing chapters that explore each of those regions
      • Seabugland
      • Eating BBQland
      • Super Bowl Sunday Foodland
      • Steakland
      • Mexican Foodland
      • Wineland
      • Coffeeland

    Food: A Love Story, Jim Gaffigan's Food Map

  • Salad Days
  • The Cheeseburger – America’s Sweetheart
  • Museum of Food
  • The Royal Treatment
  • My Longtime Companion
  • Looking for Mr. Goodburger
  • Breakfast: A Reason to Get Out of Bed
  • The Bagel: My Everything

What do you think of Jim’s definition of foodie and eatie? What do you think defines a foodie, and do you identify with being a foodie or not? Would you call yourself an eatie? How would you identify yourself in terms of food?

If you are interested in Kitchen Reader check out the link!The gist of our casual online book club is there is a new book selected for every month. Each book is related to food, and members write a review on their blog during the last week of that month. It’s interesting to read the round-up of reviews at the beginning of the month and see what other members have thought of the same book.

The next books in our list are:

  • June 2015: The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food by Dan Barber (chosen by Melissa of Melos bookshelf and Emily of Highly Social Media)
  • July 2015: Delicious: A Novel by Ruth Reichl (chosen by Amanda of Omar Niode Foundation and also myself)
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Book Review: The Flavor Thesaurus Review, and Cumin Smashed Potatoes

January 31, 2014 by 10 Comments

For February, the book club selection is The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas. My The Flavor Thesaurus review, at a high level,  is that you should go in with the expectation that this is a reference book, not a cookbook.

Inside its covers, the London author Niki Segent, has compiled a list of 99 main flavors, which then translate into 99 chapters. In each chapter she explores how the chapters titular ingredient might play with the other 98. For each pair, the exploration is usually in a few sentences to perhaps a tangential story or referring to a general recipe guideline that might be 1/3 of a page.

Based on this, the book is not one you really can sit down and read. Instead, it is one you pick up to uncover some inspiration for some interesting flavor combinations.

For example, her highlight of chicken going with walnut was inspiring to me. She references the kormas of northern India which I have experienced before in thick luxurious sauces, but she also introduced the Turkish dish of Circassian chicken with shredded poached chicken at room temperature with a sauce of onions, garlic, ground walnuts, soaked bread and maybe ground coriander and cinnamon.

She also mentions satsivi from Georgia, with its walnut and spices sauces that is supplemented with sour flavorings like vinegar or pomegranate juice! I had never heard of these before, and it sounds incredibly interesting.

Other ah hahs included beef and cinnamon (citing a Elizabeth David recipe for pasticcio with beef ragu flavored with orange zest and cinnamon), blue cheese topping some mashed avocado on toasted brioche, cumin and potatoes or anchovy and potatoes (the latter exemplified by a dish called Jansson’s Temptation, a Swedish variation on potato dauphinoise), watercress with blue cheese (like with Stilton) and walnuts (say a walnut bread, and/or walnut oil), and the list goes on and on.

This is an excellent book to quickly look up when you have an ingredient you want to use and are looking to experiment with a little twist from what you know. There are not many recipes, and any that are listed are more very casually written like it is part of a conversation you are having- folded right into conversation of the paragraph summation of two flavors together.

So you will probably finding yourself searching online for more after an inspiration, as I’ll be doing with some of the examples I gave above, or just experimenting on your own. The book is definitely not showing you what or how to do anything, only offering ideas for you to grow for yourself with a few guiding hints to start your quest. If you are looking at this book as a start of thinking about what to make, and not to give you an actual meal, than the book will work for you.

I tried out one of the flavor combinations that was suggested- cumin and potatoes. The suggestion was simple- boil some potatoes, and then afterwards I roasted it in an olive oil with cumin. I used 4 medium sized potatoes, which can serve 2-4.

Flavor Inspiration: Crispy Cumin Smashed Potatoes

Smashed potatoes with olive oil and cumin Smashed potatoes with olive oil and cumin
Ingredients:

  • 4 medium sized potatoes, though you can also use half a dozen baby potatoes or a dozen fingerling
  • 6 tablespoons of Olive Oil
  • Ground Cumin – 3/4 tablespoon, divided into 1/2 and 1/4
  • Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Boil the potatoes- your choice on whether you want to peel them or not, depending on the type of potato. I like them with the skin on, and in this case I was using gold potatoes. Start with cold water and the potatoes in a pot with enough water to just cover the potatoes and a bit of salt, and then bring to boil with no lid. You know they are done when you poke them with a fork and there is no resistance.
  2. In a pan, heat the oil until it is hot but not smoking. Add 1/2 tablespoon of cumin and cook until fragrant, about one minute. If you’d like here, you can also add garlic
    olive oil and cumin, preparing to put on boiled potatoes
  3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. On a baking pan covered with aluminum foil, take the potatoes and using another pan or pot or other cutting board, smash the potato down to flatten it so it is maybe an inch tall. Now pour the cumin oil over the potatoes. Using a spatula, lift the bottom of each potato and tilt the pan so the oil coats both side. Because of the size of my potatoes, I used about 1 1/2 tablespoon for the top and bottom for each potato, but you may be able to make do with less depending on your potatoes if they are smaller. Sprinkle a little more cumin on top, as well as the salt. Do a few turns of the freshly ground pepper- you don’t want to use too much as you want the cumin to stand out.
    Smashed potatoes with olive oil and cumin
  4. Roast in the oven at 450 degrees F for 35 minutes or so until browned and crispy at various edges. Serve with your choice of protein- be it as breakfast potatoes with sunny side eggs to kickstart your morning, or at dinner with your protein and veggies.
    Smashed potatoes with olive oil and cumin Smashed potatoes with olive oil and cumin

I read this book as part of the online book club the Kitchen Reader. For our casual online club there is a new book selected for every month, each book is related to food, and members write a review on their blog during the last week of that month. If you are interested in joining, check out the website.

For February the book club selected reading is Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid’s Story that Inspired Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey by Margaret Powell.

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