Conveniently Delicious: How to Cook and Eat with Spontaneity and Joy
256
Conveniently Delicious: How to Cook and Eat with Spontaneity and Joy
256Hardcover
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Overview
Devin Connell, chef and creator of This Is Crumb, knows that real people with busy lives want simple, delicious meals that are easy to prepare and impossible to resist. But she also knows that planning Thursday’s dinner on Monday morning doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Because what happens when you see a picture of a roast chicken thigh on Instagram, and now you just need roast chicken? When it comes to her own kitchen, Devin wants to be free of a plan and cook what she craves.
But if the thought of this non-plan plan has you breaking out in a sweat, take a deep breath and dive in to Conveniently Delicious. You’ll soon learn that spontaneity is possible, whether you’re cooking for yourself, for your partner, or for a casual gathering with friends. If you’ve got a kitchen that is stocked with the right basics, a combination of fresh produce and shelf-stable items, the opportunities for mixing and matching are endless. Bold, punchy flavors, bright colors, and meals for any day of the week—it’s all within your reach.
Think of easy nibbles such as Labneh with Bursted Tomatoes & Dill; gorgeous salads like Nectarine, Baby Gem, Fried Almond & Feta; hearty vegetables such as Roasted Acorn Squash with Hazelnut & Fried Rosemary; and effortlessly impressive mains, like 10-Minute Pasta with Italian Tuna, Olives & Lemon or Salt & Pepper Flank Steak with Quick Tomato Shallot Kimchi. And, obviously, always dessert—an Upside Down Skillet Apple Crumble or a Lemon Pudding with Salted Graham Crumb is the perfect way to end a meal.
Written with Devin’s sharp humor and straightforward style, and full of absolutely stunning, sumptuous photography, Conveniently Delicious is a collection of recipes that you’ll come back to again and again. As Devin says, this cookbook is guaranteed to make you feel lighter about mealtimes than when you started, even if, most of the time, she’s talking about how to make you feel full.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780525610731 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Appetite by Random House |
| Publication date: | 10/12/2021 |
| Pages: | 256 |
| Sales rank: | 1,129,360 |
| Product dimensions: | 8.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.90(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
INTRODUCTION
From as far back as I can remember, my favorite moments have always centered on food: Cooking with my Belgian grandmother, baking bread with my dad or skipping summer camp to start a cookie business (just like any normal, well-adjusted teenager, right?). Growing up, family meals were a time to talk, to laugh and, of course, to eat well. I never considered the possibility that the focus of my life would be anything other than food. As they say, when you know, you know.
That single-minded focus came to fruition when, in my late 20s, I opened the first of my three cafés and bakeries, Delica Kitchen, in Toronto. I also fulfilled a lifelong dream of publishing a cookbook with my mom—an ode to our love of family, friends and the kitchen table. After several years in the restaurant business (and raising two small boys), I began to realize that there was so much more that I wanted to communicate about food and gathering. The way I ate in my early 20s was different from the way I now eat with my growing family. In my 20s, I used to relish eating alone because I could cook whatever my heart desired, whereas now, my cooking considers everyone at the table and what they might like. Feeding my family and friends, and having a kitchen bursting at the seams with mess, fun and one or two food fights, makes me happy—even though the cleanup can be much more work. For a long time, I have wanted to share all the wonderful things I’ve learned—whether they came from my own kitchen, my restaurants or my travels across the globe in search of new inspiration. My website, Crumb, was born as a place for all of these good bits to live.
Crumb is a lifestyle platform that celebrates the power of food to bring people pleasure, and to bring them together. To break free from meal planning. To cook—and eat—with spon - taneity and joy. Crumb shares expert insights, practical tips and tools, and straightforward recipes to make easy, wholesome family meals a reality. Crumb is dedicated to celebrating life’s simple pleasures: food, travel, family and entertaining, and to keeping good company along the way.
If you find yourself reading this book, I think it’s safe to assume that you, like me, LOVE not just eating but being in the kitchen and cooking too. Of course, it’s about getting from A to B with as little fuss as possible, but there’s so much fun to be had in between, right? For those of us who love to cook, we can often get bogged down by technique (fricassee vs. concasse?!), timing (because, yeah, I have six hours to braise) and the often-arduous task of kitchen and meal prep. Who has the energy? And is the alternative then “fast” food? It doesn’t need to be. Life is busy. I get that. We need food, fast. But we also want something that is wholesome, delicious, easy to prepare and appealing to the whole family and, as much as possible, can be made in 30 minutes or less. Too big an ask? Heck NO!
My strategy is simple: I don’t meal plan. I eat what I want to eat, when I want to eat it, because deciding what to eat for Thursday’s dinner on Monday morning doesn’t make sense to me. Maybe I’ll want pasta, or grilled fish, or a hearty salad. Maybe I’ll see a picture of a roast chicken thigh on Instagram and now I just NEED roast chicken. I want to be free of a plan and I want to cook what I crave. Some of you might break out into a sweat just imagining the anxiety this non-plan plan might induce, but let me tell you, this is achiev - able. I understand that we could all use a cheat sheet on our quest for happier, fuller lives. I want that cheat sheet and those tried-and-true shortcuts that really go the distance. But I also want to embrace the messy mistakes that turn into memorable moments.
Spontaneity is possible, even during the weekday crunch. My first recommendation to achieve this is to have a kitchen that is always stocked with the right basics, a combination of fresh produce and shelf-stable items. If you’ve got the right pieces, the opportunities for mixing and matching are endless. I believe that less is more, and a truly delicious meal doesn’t really need more than a handful of ingredients, most of which are things kicking around your kitchen already.
You’ll begin to notice pretty quickly that I favor punchy, bold flavors (hi vinegar, salt, lemons, fresh herbs, capers, fish sauce, tangy yogurt, Parm) that can do wonders for any simple dish. All of my recipes are meant to inspire creativity and spontaneity in the kitchen. I use simple methods to create deliciously straightforward dishes that are fun to cook, all while celebrating seasonal produce and quality products and ingredients. Gathering together over good food is one of life’s greatest joys, and you will find my favorite entertain - ing tips peppered throughout the chapters. It’s all meant to be fun, not stressful.
And the most important rule of thumb when cooking? Remember why you’re doing it. And who you’re doing it for. We’ve not yet experienced a time when cooking at home and eating together has been more fulfilling. We’re staying in, we’re experimenting, we’re having fun with food.
Everything that you find in Conveniently Delicious is meant to bring you joy, comfort, amusement and perhaps a little spark of “huh—I hadn’t thought of that.” As you read, know that my aim is to leave you feeling a little lighter about mealtimes than when you started . . . even if most of the time I’m talking about how to make you feel full.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
A Note on Pantry Staples and Kitchen Tools 5
How to Host a Good Night 6
Niblles
Sesame Honey Halloumi 15
House Nuts 16
Grilled Asparagus with Tonnato & Chili 19
Chickpea Flour Blinis with Roasted Grape Tomatoes, Burrata & Basil Pesto 20
Olive & Thyme Baked Feta with Honey 23
Quick-Pickled Fennel with Olives, Orange & Chili 24
Labneh with Bursted Tomatoes & Dill 27
Cauliflower Tahini Dip 28
Avocado Yogurt Crema with Iced Crudité 31
Salads & Soups
Radicchio, Orange & Pistachio Salad 37
Apple, Cheddar, Celery & Kale Salad 38
Plum, Hazelnut, Frisée, Shallot & Parm Salad 41
Nectarine, Baby Gem, Fried Almond & Feta Salad 42
Radish & Butter Lettuce Salad with Yogurt Dressing & Seeds 45
Roasted Pepper & Peach Salad with Sourdough Croutons 46
Grilled Caesar Salad with Cashew Dressing & Sweet Potato Croutons 49
Fennel & Asian Pear Slaw 50
Chopped Middle Eastern Salad with Hummus Dressing 53
Roasted Potato Salad with Gherkins & Dill 54
Sliced Tomatoes with Prosciutto & Parm-Arugula Salt 57
Recovery Soup 58
Sweet Potato, Lentil & Coconut Milk Soup 61
Celery Root Soup with Sourdough Croutons & Bacon 62
Vegetables
Roasted Acorn Squash with Hazelnut & Fried Rosemary 69
Hasselback Squash with Cumin Yogurt & Pomegranate 70
Caramelized Cabbage with Peanuts, Green Onion & Soy Glaze 73
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Milk & Turmeric 74
Smoky Fried Corn & Zucchini with Bacon & Lime 77
A Pile of Root Veg over Green Tahini 78
Squash Rings with Yogurt Ranch 81
Crispy Eggplant with Vinegared Tomatoes & Garlic 82
Cacio e Pepe Crispy Potato Cake 85
Slow-Roasted Baby Potatoes with Romesco Dipping Sauce 86
Pan-Seared Sugar Snaps & Radish with Miso Dressing 89
Tray-Bake Broccoli with Broken Beans, Lemon & Garlic 90
Roasted Cauliflower & Potatoes with Turmeric 93
Summer Ratatouille with Tahini Vinaigrette 94
Baked Onion Rings with Diner Dipping Sauce 97
Weekend Adventures
Delica's Superfood Muffins 103
Fried Eggs with Seaweed, Sesame Oil & Kimchi 104
Oatmeal-Stuffed Apples with Maple, Walnuts & Greek Yogurt 107
Baked Eggs, Harissa Rice & Roasted Tomatoes 108
Mixed Berry Breakfast Crumble with Almonds and Lime 111
Super Nut Butter 112
Mashed Pea Toast with a Fried Egg 115
Paulette's Crepes 116
Open-Faced Smoked Salmon & Avocado Omelet 118
Scrambled Eggs 4 Ways 120
Strawberry Jammies 124
Pasta, Grains & Flatbread
Homemade Gnocchi 2 Ways: 130
Butternut Squash, Sage & Pecorino Gnocchi
Baked Tomato & Cheese Gnocchi
Rigatoni with Italian Sausage, Rapini & Pecorino 134
Orzo with Cherry Tomatoes, Pancetta & Basil 137
Baked Pasta with Mushrooms & Leeks 138
10-Minute Pasta with Italian Tuna, Olives & Lemon 141
Sesame Spinach Rice 142
Jeweled Rice (Apricot, Turmeric & Almond Rice) 143
Quinoa, Peas & Sugar Snaps with Charred Green Onion Vinaigrette 144
Soy Butter Mushrooms with Brown Rice & Herbs 147
Sausage Ragout with Polenta 148
Acorn Squash, Pecorino & Basil Flatbread 152
Nectarine, Prosciutto & Burrata Flatbread 153
Taleggio & Truffle Honey Flatbread 153
Fish
Baked Halibut with Potato Wedges & Yogurt Tartar Sauce 159
Smoked Trout, Boiled Potatoes, Jammy Eggs & Watercress 160
Sheet-Pan Salmon with Chickpeas & Basil-Olive Salsa 163
Herby Salmon Salad 165
Butterflied Grilled Shrimp with Charred Green Onion Yogurt Sauce 166
Coconut Shrimp with Limey Fish Sauce 169
Crispy Fried Squid with Old Bay Aioli 170
Snapper Parcels with Sesame & Soy Rice Noodles 173
Meat
One-Pot Baked Risotto with Chicken 179
Miso Sesame Chicken 180
My Favorite Drumsticks with Peanuts & Lime 183
Chicken Puttanesca-Style 184
Pickle-Brined Bird with Roasted Potatoes 187
Coconut Turmeric Ginger Chicken 188
Leg of Lamb with Hot Honey, Feta & Olives 191
The All-in-One Beef Stew 192
Salt & Pepper Flank Steak with Quick Tomato Shallot Kimchi 195
Pork Tonkatsu 196
Stir-Fried Pork with Pineapple & Green Onion 199
Turkey Larb with Crispy Rice Noodles 200
Sweet & Sticky Glazed Meatballs 203
Desserts
Lemony Whipped Shortbread 209
Blueberry & Blackberry Oat Cake 210
Warm Brownie Pudding 213
Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies 214
Salted Chocolate & Hazelnut Slab Cake 216
Upside-Down Skillet Apple Crumble 219
Cornmeal Almond Cake with Summer Strawberries, Yogurt & Brown Sugar 220
Clementine Yogurt Pistachio Cake 223
Frozen Strawberry Pavlova with Chocolate Shell 224
Basque Cheesecake with Balsamic Cherries 227
Salted Peanut & Dark Chocolate Halva 228
Honey & Pistachio Nectarine Tart 231
No-Churn Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream 232
Lemon Pudding with Salted Graham Crumb 235
Whole Roasted Spiced Pineapple 236
Acknowledgments 239
Index 242