Matters of Taste

My "Date" with Tyler Florence

I rarely make desserts at home, so it took a serendipitous alignment of the fates for me to discover Tyler Florence’s sensational   over the weekend.

#1. I had just bought a package of dates for the “Mediterranean plates” my husband makes for breakfast every morning. #2. I happen to be flipping through Florence’s new cookbook “Tyler Florence Family Meal” when the page fell open to the pudding photo. And, #3, we had invited friends to dinner on Saturday night.

 

A half hour before they arrived I figured, What the Hey, and out came the electric mixer and a carton of eggs. Not only is this one of the most scrumptious creations ever, but it was ridiculously easy to make, and damn healthy too (there’s just ¼ cup heavy cream involved….the dates and egg whites create the moisture and richness).

Here's the recipe. But there are so many good-sounding dishes -- Haute Dogs with Tarragon Mustard or Asparagus Risotto with Black Truffle and Poached Egg, anyone? -- you might just want to buy the book. It's available at Amazon.com for $20.

 

WARM AND CRUSTY DATE PUDDING

Serves 8

6 ounces pitted dates, about 2 cups

3/4 cup water

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

6 large egg whites

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 1 1/2 quart souffle dish with non-stick spray. (I schmeared  the dish with butter.)

Put the dates and water in a pot over medium-low heat. Cook and stir for 10 minutes until the dates are very soft. Transfer the softened dates to a food processor and puree until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla, puree again until well-blended. Scoop out the puree into a mixing bowl. Sift together the cocoa powder and flour and add to the date mixture. Fold using a rubber spatula; combine gently until well mixed.

In a mixing bowl, whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the date mixture.

Pour the batter into the coated souffle dish, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes until the outside is just set. Cool to room temperature. Shake some confectioners' sugar on top and serve.

A Perfect "10" at Nine-Ten Restaurant

The night before I left for my recent week at Rancho La Puerta Fitness Resort & Spa, I met a friend for dinner in the bar at Nine-Ten in La Jolla. Normally, I like to sit in the dining room and order from chef Jason Knibb’s tantalizing menu that includes things like a summer peach, prosciutto and burrata cheese salad; Alaskan halibut with zucchini pesto and artichokes; and Maine scallops with crispy Yukon potato confit.

But on that night, I figured the bar menu’s big burger with a mountain of truffled French fries was a good idea, given that I’d be on a strict vegetarian diet for the following week. (In the 70 years since it opened in Tecate, Mexico, the Ranch has evolved from totally vegetarian to offering a fish option for dinner some nights. However, since the vegetable dishes are so inventive and full of flavor, I stick with them.) 

Served on pastry chef Jack Fisher’s freshly baked bun, with Dijon-spiked homemade aioli, and just-about-to-soften chunks of Point Reyes blue cheese, this was the Bo Derek of burgers. The meat itself was extraordinary – a mass of coarsely ground, natural, prime-grade chuck steak, gently formed into a plump patty. Ordered medium-rare, it arrived with a lovely charred outside, and a pink, juicy interior that was so loosely formed I could discern the varying textures with each bite. A lettuce ruffle, sliced tomato and homemade pickles completed the pretty picture.

So delicious was this burger that eight nights later, I was back for more. Why not conclude my spa experience the same way I started it, I asked myself as we drove home from Tecate. 

Again, the burger shone. And those two glasses of  Pinot Noir tasted mighty fine too after a week in the Ranch's alcohol-free zone.

Now, I’m not suggesting that either Nine-Ten’s burger-and-fries or Rancho La Puerta’s Garden Zucchini Casserole with Melted Cheese, Crispy Leeks and Chipotle Sauce is preferable to the other. I’m just saying I loved the bookend approach: Two blow-it-all-out burger feasts bracketing seven days of the kind of wonderful food we need to be eating if we want to enjoy a long and healthy life.

 You can create Rancho La Puerta menus at home with remarkable little effort with the cookbook, “Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta” by Deborah Szekely and Deborah Schneider. It’s $23.10 at Amazon.com.

 

Around the World in 309 Recipes

If I stood on a stack of Steven Raichlen’s cookbooks, I just might be able to dunk a basketball. One of the most prolific authors out there (12 tomes and counting), Raichlen is also one of the most intelligent, creative and thorough. Oh, and did I mention charming?

 

His just-released “Planet Barbecue!” is a compilation of 309 recipes from 60 countries. It’s a tantalizing tour that’ll have you firing up the barbie even in the rain.

Written in a breezy, conversational tone, the book whisks us through Two Million Years of Barbecue History; introduces us to fascinating people like The Bonfire Brothers (2 Brazilian restaurateurs lured to Texas by none-other than George Dub-yah) and The Barbecue Queen of the Philippines (famed for her spit-roasted pig); teaches us how to tie a Surgeon’s Lock Knot (so that bird or roast doesn’t fall off the spit); regales us with stories of his travels; and delivers 20 “secrets” to The Perfect Burger. (One hint: the fat content of the two cuts of beef must be exactly 22 percent.)

There’s a colorful profile of each country, along with attractive “sidebars” on everything from what to drink with barbecue in Jamaica to the one restaurant you mustn’t miss in Florence, Italy.

Photos are of real people doing real cooking with real passion, instead of stylist-perfect still-lifes. And the recipes, everything from Tuscan Grilled Toasts and Kuwaiti Chile Shrimp to Romanian Garlic Steak and Australian Lamb on a Shovel, are intriguing and delicious. Instructions are clear and concise, with just enough hand-holding. The typeface and lay-out are attractive and friendly to baby-boomer eyes.

I had never tried stuffing a pork tenderloin (they seem too skinny for that) or spit roasting one either, until I experimented with Raichlen’s Pork Tenderloin Grilled with Bacon and Prunes. The Brazilian dish looked beautiful when sliced on the diagonal and offered great flavors and varied textures. I paired it with Cambodian Coconut-Grilled Corn which was swabbed with a simple coconut milk concoction that imparted a subtle sweetness. My next adventure will be the Puerto Rican Pork Shoulder (with Sparkling Barbecue Sauce) pictured here. (Photo by Ben Fink).

Here's the recipe for the unusual corn. "Planet Barbecue!" is available at Amazon.com for $23.10.

 

COCONUT-GRILLED CORN (POD OENG)

Serves 4

¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 tablespoons palm sugar or light brown sugar, or more to taste

1 piece (2-inches) pandamus leaf, or 1 or 2 bay leaves

¼ teaspoon salt

4 ears of corn, husked or husk stripped back and tied with butcher string

 

Combine the coconut milk, palm sugar, pandamus leaf or bay leaf, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and let simmer gently until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for sweetness, adding more sugar if necessary. Remove the pan from the heat and let the basting mixture cool to room temperature.

Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to high.

When ready to cook, brush and oil and grill grate. Place the corn on the hot grate and grill it until nicely browned on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side, 8 to 12 minutes in all, turning with tongs. Start basting the corn with some of the coconut milk mixture after a few minutes and baste it again several times as it grills.

Baste the corn one final time and transfer it to a platter or plates, and serve.

 

 

 

Thinking Outside the Plastic Pint Berry Box

It’s a pretty safe bet that, as you sit there reading this post, Janie Hibler is elbow-deep in fresh berries.  The award-winning cookbook author, who’s well known for her expertise on such Pacific Northwest fare as Dungeness crab and wild salmon, is particularly crazy about berries. She emailed me today, from her log cabin in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, about her afternoon adventure:

"picking succulent trailing wild Pacific blackberry (the reason why the boysenberry and loganberry are so delicious—it’s part of their gene pool), wild black raspberries, red and blue huckleberries, and salmonberries.”

 

Hibler’s book, The Berry Bible, was originally published in 2004. But this summer Amazon Encore (Amazon.com’s publishing imprint) re-released a paperback version. It’s available at Amazon.com for $12.21.

In addition to some 175 recipes, the book is an encyclopedia of varieties -- cloudberries, Juneberries and the blue honeysuckle were news to me.  There’s also practical info such as how to buy, wash, dry and freeze. But what I love most about the book is the inspiration it provides.

For me, a strawberry has always been something to eat from a bowl with heavy cream, combine with rhubarb in a pie, or plop on top of shortcake. But The Berry Bible got me to think outside the plastic pint basket.

 

Curried Halibut with Strawberry-Papaya Relish was a scrumptious  celebration of summer (with fresh Alaskan halibut). Hibler’s American Barbecue Sauce, with fresh blackberries, ketchup, and pimenton (the smoked “paprika” of Spain), is luscious. And her Upside-Down Cranberry-Pumpkin Polenta Cake belongs on every Thanksgiving table.

The halibut, pictured here, is remarkably easy to make, too. Just dust the filet with curry powder and salt, pan-sear, and top with the salsa of diced fruits, red onion and cilantro. The colorful entrée is served with fragrant basmati rice and a sauce of canned coconut milk that’s warmed and slightly thickened in the sauté pan.

And now that I have The Berry Bible on my bookshelf, I’m out looking for other fresh berries.

Next time I come face to face with a basket of  blackberries, I  definitely won’t be plunking them in a fruit salad. Not with Hibler’s Blackberry-Port Lamb Shanks waiting for me on page 141.

NEW! NEW! NEW! Recipe, Gadget, Gourmet-to-Go

Last night was experimentation night in the kitchen. Inspired by a ready-to-cook Chicken Tenders Curry that I found last week at Trader Joe’s, I got out a new gadget and an old cookbook and went to town.

The curried tenders, which come 1 ½ pounds in a sealed plastic pouch (about $4), were boldly flavored with traditional curry spices  and ridiculously easy to prepare. Though the “tender” texture is a bit odd (I’m assuming they are pounded with great gusto), the meat cooks on a grill or in a fry pan in about 5 minutes and is easily shredded for casseroles, sandwiches, salads and rice dishes. That was pleasant surprise #1.

#2. Needing an interesting but easy dish to accompany the grilled chicken, I turned to “Yamuna’s Table,” a 1992 vegetarian cookbook of powerful Indian flavors by Yamuna Devi. In terms of flavor, texture and temperature (it’s served at room temperature), her Carrot Slaw with Cashews was the perfect partner. The recipe is below; the book is still available at Amazon.com for about $20 new, $4 and up for a used copy.

Pleasant surprise #3: the Speed Prep One-Handed Mandoline Slicer. I’ll try any new gizmo that allows me to do two things at once in the kitchen. This mandoline, made by Lifetime Brands, is easy to use -- just squeeze the handle with one hand -- and to clean -- dishwasher safe, though a pound of carrots left one blade slightly orange. There are three stainless steel blades for grating, slicing and julienning. (Devi’s recipe calls for shredded carrots: I found the julienne produced by the mandoline a more desirable texture.) The blades work well on carrots, squashes, onions, leeks, peppers, and firm cheeses.

Of course, this mini-mandoline is no substitute for a larger, faster food processor or a sturdy professional mandoline from Zyliss or Oxo. However, it’s ideal for anyone with limited storage space or limited budget (the Speed Prep mandoline costs about $20 in most housewares departments and at Amazon.com). It’s a great gift for young people cooking for themselves in dorms and tiny apartments.

Here’s Yamuna Devi’s recipe for Carrot Slaw. You’ll find other appetizing dishes, such as Shredded Beets with Fresh Coconut, and Cauliflower and Cheese Croquettes in her book, “Yamuna’s Table.”

3 cups finely shredded carrots

1 quart boiling water

½ Serrano chili, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

½ tablespoon maple syrup

2 tablespoons chopped cashews, pan-toasted until golden

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Place the carrots in a colander and pour the boiling water over them. Drain well. Combine the chili, lime juice and maple syrup in a bowl and whisk with a fork. Add the carrots, cashews, and cilantro and toss to mix. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

 

 

"Flying Pans" -- An Adventure in Travel and Good Taste

In the 20-plus years that I’ve known chef Bernard Guillas, I’ve been impressed with his ebullient personality, indefatigable work ethic, sense of humor,  and culinary creativity. Any food lover who checks out his recently published cookbook, “Flying Pans” will quickly discover all those qualities within its 286 pages. They’ll also discover dozens of unusual and delicious recipes.

Guillas is Executive Chef of the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club and its beachfront restaurant, The Marine Room, in La Jolla, California. Ron Oliver, co-author of the self-published book, is the Marine Room’s Chef de Cuisine. In the forward of  “Flying Pans,” the two chefs describe themselves as intrepid travelers “guided by food as a compass to foreign lands.” 

They introduce each recipe with a breezy description of the dish and the personal travel experience from whence it came. From Guillas' tale of  the little kids at the highest market in the Ecuadorian Andes who laughed at his appearance (but shared their local “pepino” fruit with him) to Oliver’s infatuation with the fish market of Kusadasi, Turkey – “Rows of fish, stacked vertically as if standing on their tails, were illuminated by bare incandescent light bulbs hanging from low rafters…” – the stories are engaging and educational.

And the recipes, for the most part, are imaginative and appetizing. My first crack at the book, Zaatar Spiced Swordfish Kebab, was an awesome success. A “baton” of fish, marinated in olive oil, lemon zest and zaatar (a middle eastern spice blend of sesame seeds, sumac, savory, thyme, salt and ground nuts) was threaded onto a wooden skewer with cherry tomato, cipollini onion and button mushroom, grilled, and served with pureed eggplant and a smartly herbed bulgur wheat salad. The flavors were lively and complementary.

However, as scrumptious as Zaatar Spiced Swordfish Kebab is, it does illustrate point my one  caveat about “Flying Pans.” With its four parts --- including Tahini (9 ingredients), Swordfish (7 ingredients), Bulgur Salad (9 ingredients) and Zaatar (6 ingredients, but I found it ready-made at Whole Foods), this is clearly not a dish for beginners or those trying to get dinner on the table in a half hour.

Most recipes in the book are pretty ambitious, with several steps and some exotic ingredients.  Moreover, Guillas and Oliver do occasionally gild the lily…meaning that while everything tastes great, you don’t necessarily need everything on the plate.  The divine swordfish dish would have been just as exciting, maybe more so, with a plain rice/quinoa sidekick instead of the complicated bulgur to balance the bold flavors of zaatar and tahini.

Nonetheless, there's a wealth of tantalizing recipes in these pages including a blood orange-lavender glazed turkey, a goat cheese brulee with fig coulis,  and filet mignon with ancho cacao sauce.

And even non-cooks will enjoy the coffee-table presence of this handsome tome. The paper quality is top notch, cool and smooth to the touch. The photos by Gregory Bertolini, including the zaatar spiced swordfish pictured here, are elegant and mouth-watering. The typeset is attractive and easy to read. And the very personal tone set by both chefs make it pleasurable reading, especially with a glass of wine.

The book retails for $35; it's about $23 at Amazon.com.

"Cooking to Hook Up" -- Lobster, Lamb, Leeks and Laughter

"You had me at bruschetta!"

 

So says Valerie, the “Progressive Girl” in a very clever, entertaining, but ultimately practical cookbook called “Cooking to Hook Up: The Bachelor’s Date Night Cookbook.”

OK. Before you start screaming how male-chauvinistic the book is and how I am an enabler for recommending it, let me just say that after some 20 years evaluating more than 1,000 cookbooks a year as a food editor, I do know a good cookbook when I see one. And this one has a lot going for it.

"Cooking to Hook Up” by Ann Marie Michaels and Drew Campbell, was published in 2004. I stumbled upon a single copy in a funky, used-books store in beyond-funky Moab, Utah over the Christmas holiday. I bought it for our 26-year-old son who’s single and a good cook. At first, he found the concept, er, distasteful, tacky, maybe even weird, as in, “Mom, what were you thinking?”

But after browsing the hilarious and right-on descriptions of each “type” – The Academic Girl, The Party Girl, The Granola Girl, The Career Girl, etc – and reading through such recipes as Pesto Swordfish Over Capellini, and Trump Tower of Polenta and Pork Tenderloin, he was won over.

The book’s tone is light-hearted and upbeat. There’s not a soupcon of male chauvinism in these pages, nothing tawdry or vulgar. And despite its outrageous and, to some, offensive “hook,” the book offers creative recipes, concise instructions, helpful sidebars such as timetables and shopping lists, and hours of laugh-out-loud reading enjoyment. I might add that young women with a sense of humor and an interest in cooking will enjoy this book just as much as guys of the same age. There’s also a basic “wine primer,” tips for “preparing the house,” and solutions for “dealing with disaster.”

Each of the 10 “chapters” is devoted to a personality type, and contains five recipes ranging from super-easy to big-deal. From “The Indie Girl”:

"An Indie Girl’s life is a Statement with a capital S…Indie Girls consider themselves actresses in the movie of life…Your meal needs to be constructed like an independent film… "

The authors proceed to tell you where you might find The Indie Girl; how to spot her; famous Indie Girls in history (Parker Posey, Janeane Garofalo and Winona Ryder); how to spiffy up your apartment for the occasion (terrific if you already have some ‘70s shag carpeting or a velvet Elvis painting); what to talk about (“quote David Sedaris”); and the contents of your coffee table (“Go with an alternative or literary ‘zine” or the New York Times Book Review.”)

Music? “Avoid Top 40 or anything mainstream…the Indie Girl will give you an automatic F for playing the Backstreet Boys”). The drinks: Dirty Martys (martinis) or any drink that was served in a classic film, ie. the Zombie in Breakfast at Tiffany’s). And finally, the host’s shoes: Adidas, Converse or Diesel are good. Forget anything with a tassel.

Indie Girl recipes range from the easy “Monsoon Wedding: Bollywood Chicken Curry” made mostly with convenience foods from Trader Joe’s, to the “hard” “Like Water For Chocolate: Chiles en Nogada and Chocolate Flan.” The stuffed peppers entrée is an impressive production involving pears, raisins, walnuts, pork and poblano chiles. The homemade fortune cookies suggested for the "Eat Drink Man Woman: Shrimp and Fortune Cookies" dinner are hilarious.

If you're not planning to visit any funky used-books stores in the near future, I'd suggest checking out  Amazon.com where you can find the book with prices starting at about five bucks.

Comfort Food from "Griswold & Wagner Cast-Iron Cookbook"

Last night our sunny Southern California city got a rare taste of the weather that other parts of the country are used to.  Ferocious winds tore limbs from our trees, sent the dog into hiding, and sent me into the kitchen to play with Joanna Pruess’ newest cookbook “Griswold & Wagner Cast Iron Cookbook: Delicious and Simple Comfort Food.” If you have to put up with nasty weather, you might as well do it in style…with candles or a fire in the fireplace and a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven filled with a hearty meal.

Pruess, is a longtime friend and colleague of mine and the author of about 10 cookbooks. I had dinner with her in New York last week and she had me drooling over her descriptions of recipes in the new book.

“We’re living in a difficult time and we all need comfort, both emotionally and economically. Many of these recipes are inexpensive and easy to make and appeal to a huge audience of all ages,” Pruess said. “Even chic chefs are using cast iron to go from stove to table. They want to give diners satisfying food that lifts our souls.”

So when the storm hit yesterday I dug out my 12-inch Griswold skillet and 6-inch Lodge skillet, hand-me-downs from my maternal grandparents and my step-father (who was our unofficial recipe tester at the San Diego Union-Tribune for years). After following Pruess’ simple instructions for spiffying up neglected pans, I cranked out the delicious “Nona’s Italian Meatloaf” and a “Mini Cast-Iron Skillet Cornbread.”

First I seared the meatloaf, packed with chopped herbs, milk-soaked bread, grated parmesan cheese and ground Brandt beef (my favorite) in the large skillet, then removed it to a plate while I sauteed cremini mushrooms and grated onion in the pan. I then replaced the meatloaf , added some broth and Worcestershire sauce, covered it, and let it simmer for 30 minutes. The smell was intoxicating; the taste of the final product, smothered in “gravy,” was terrific. The buttermilk cornbread, speckled with frozen corn kernels and canned, pickled jalapeno peppers, was also a hit.

We probably won’t have weather like that again in La Jolla for another decade or so. But we will have Pruess’ meatloaf and other dishes on our table again soon.

“Cast-Iron Cookbook” also contains such tempting recipes as Fennel Gratin, Sicilian Orange Beef Stew and even a Tuscan Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Recipes are concise and easy to follow. The up-front table of contents makes it easy to find what you’re looking for. The book costs $24.95 and is available at Amazon.com for about $16.

DInner Doesn't Get Any Easier...Giuliano Hazan's New Book

 Giuliano Hazan’s new cookbook,  "Thirty Minute Pasta: 100 Quick and Easy Recipe," gives new meaning to the term No-Brainer.

On one hand, I’m wondering why I should shell out 27 bucks for a book that includes a recipe for spaghetti tossed with tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and basil.  Duh.

Then I realize that that recipe is exactly why I should be shelling out those bucks. Spaghettini with Fresh Tomato, Olive Oil and Basil is a vivid reminder that it’s just as easy to whip up a fresh, healthful pasta dish myself as it is to open a jar of prepared pasta sauce.  OK. So maybe the jarred stuff takes 5 or 10  minutes off the operation. That’s about the amount of time it takes to read the mail and feed the dog.

Hazan’s newest book is all about inspiration. It doesn’t offer the trendy dishes of the day; no real ah-ha moments here. Instead, its real value is in prompting us to cook fresh and fast every day and to save money and enjoy a sense of satisfaction in the process.

I admit. My pantry is crammed with Lucini, Rao’s, and Trader Joe's pasta sauces.  But having whipped up TWO pasta dishes one night this week in exactly 32 minutes, I’m hooked on Hazan.

 

Fusilli with Zucchini and Mint (right) was delicious, its “sauce” of perfumed olive oil and a couple tablespoons of pasta water amazingly creamy. So was the Fusilli with Butternut Squash that is quintessential autumn comfort food. (I added grilled chicken to the leftovers, topped it all with shredded mozzarella and toasted pinenuts and baked it 15 minutes for another fast and easy dinner.)

There are 100 recipes in all, each concise, user-friendly and neatly contained on one page.

Yeah, some of them are laughably basic. I mean, really, is there anyone out there who can’t figure out how to toss a little butter and grated Parmesan into a pot of noodles? (Shells with Butter and Cheese is on page 95.)

But many other recipes offer a creative touch or a new way of doing things. Consider penne with sauteed radicchio and pancetta;  farfalle with peas and lettuce; penne with fresh seared tuna and saffron cream sauce. They’ll all be on my dinner table in the coming weeks.

The book costs $27.50;  $18.15 at Amazon.com. It’s an ideal holiday gift for beginner cooks, newlyweds, college kids, and young professionals. And, for anyone else you know who spends time in the pasta sauce aisle of the supermarket.

 

Hooked on Colorado Cookies

Inspiration comes to cooks from strange places.

Last week I experienced one of the weirder examples of this.

Biking Biking with my husband and sons in Colorado’s San Juan mountains, we set out from Ridgway, a picturesque, two-block town straight out of a John Wayne movie, and headed for

the Ridgway State Park and reservoir. It was a glorious fall day -- bright blue sky, with a few wispy white clouds and a biker-friendly temperature of 60 degrees.

 

After rolling the length of the Dallas Creek Trail (a paved bikeway along the sloshing creek), we entered the state park and began an aggressive uphill climb on a single-track path that hugged the cliff bordering the reservoir.

 

Out of nowhere came a nasty black cloud…and by the time we reached the top of the trail, which ended in a campground and parking lot, it was starting to rain and the wind was working itself into a frenzy.

 

Luckily for us, the park’s Visitor Center was nearby. We rolled over and were met by three park rangers who gestured to us emphatically.  “Severe storm warning,” one shouted. “We just got word of a severe storm warning. Come on inside.”

 

For the next hour-plus, we watched Mother Nature put on one of her better shows…and  thanked our lucky stars that we weren’t still on a muddy trail hanging over a cliff as fierce lightning brushed by.

Our family is, by nature, a resourceful bunch. We can entertain ourselves quite well. But after reading the brochures on “how to deal with black bears” and the geological history of the Uncompahgre Plateau; scanning the visitors’ guest book; and trying on the goofy “animal” hats for sale, we were wishing someone had brought a deck of cards

That’s when I spotted the Colorado Cookie Collection. The cookbook, by a couple of Colorado women who compiled the recipes from friends and family, was one of  a handful of Colorado books for sale at the Visitor Center.

If it had been Colorado Casseroles, I would have been intrigued. But I am not a baker. Don’t have the precision or the patience. I might bake cookies or a pound cake once or twice a year. However, I do love cookies more than any other type of sweet and I do know a good recipe when I see one.

 

With nothing else to do, I flipped through the Cookie Collection and became an instant fan.  The book is divided into chapters on bar cookies, drop cookies, holiday cookies, no-bake cookies, etc.  Recipes are concise and well-written. Type face is user-friendly. And though there were no photos, my mouth was watering as I read.

 

With the stub of pencil I found in my bike bag and the back side of a park trail map, I jotted down, shorthand, the recipes for High-Altitude Marble Brownies and Oatmeal Drops.

 

When the rain let up and a park ranger declared that the emergency was over, we hustled out to our very wet bikes, inched down the slippery single track and found ourselves back in scattered sunshine within a half hour and back in Ridgway in a little more than that.

Before heading home, though, I hit the local supermarket for peanut butter chips, baking powder, unsweetened cocoa and cream cheese.

That night, I whipped up a batch of ooey-gooey marble brownies that were quintessential Americana, quintessential comfort food.  My kids were disappointed that we didn’t get to do the whole park-reservoir bike ride, but they know they hit the jackpot when I discovered the Colorado Cookie Collection.  By authors Duncan and Patrick, it’s available on-line at Barnes & Noble, Oh yeah, and at the Ridgway State Park Visitor Center.