Recently I've become obsessed with cookbooks that are geared towards families. I'm not sure why; my kids aren't particularly picky eaters, and they're still young enough where having a nightly family dinner is a given.
But there seems to be more and more of this breed of cookbook, which often addresses mom-specific challenges: cooking under time constraints, ensuring that meals are nutritionally balanced, budget-friendly recipes and fun and enticing options for picky eaters or families in which everyone has a different set of likes and dislikes.
As an introduction to this new and growing cookbook genre, I've rounded up a list of the Top Cookbooks for Families. I'm particularly excited about Mark Peel's fancy recipes in New Classic Family Dinners, as well as the way that Sara Moulton gives home cooks permission to abandon the mise en place concept in her book Everyday Family Dinners (which I was inspired to buy as a pre-Mother's Day gift for myself). Which of these cookbooks will you be treating yourself to?
For dinner this week, dust off the slow cooker and put a recipe together before you start your day. It'll simmer all day and be ready to serve when you're ready to sit down to dinner. Here are some great options:
Image courtesy Hamilton Beach
For the next month or so, you'll be able to find fresh, inexpensive, plentiful asparagus in supermarkets and at farmer's markets. These long, skinny stalks are so versatile and lend themselves to all sorts of cooking methods - try cooking them in the pressure cooker or rice cooker, pureeing them with an immersion blender to make a soup, roasting them in the oven, or baking them inside a quiche. Here are a few recipes that truly showcase the breadth of asparagus' versatility:
Passover begins on Monday at sundown, and I never miss a chance to enjoy matzah brei for breakfast. Made with the crackerlike flatbread that is eaten during Passover, Matzah brei is a breakfast dish in which the matzah are moistened, mixed with egg, and fried. They can be enjoyed savory, with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, or (as I prefer) sweet, drizzled with maple syrup. Get out your biggest nonstick skillet and try one of my two matzah brei recipes: Classic Matzah Brei or Vanilla Matzah Brei. Whether or not you celebrate Passover, it's a delicious breakfast option.
