Eat me

Eat me: the food and philosophy of Kenny Shopsin / Kenny Shopsin and Carolynn Carreno, 287 pgs.

Shopsin started out owning a corner grocery store in his NYC neighborhood that eventually became a restaurant.  He had a menu with an amazing amount of options on it, sometimes up to 900.  He and his wife Eve raised their kids in the family business, now some of them help run it.  Kenny certainly has a philosophy and he lives by it.  People can get kicked out of his place for doing things that piss him off.  He likes cooking for people and talking to customers.  He is there to make a living but never to figure out a way to maximize income.  I love that his life makes so much sense. On of my favorite quotes, talking about the chicken-fried hamburger, "It is really terrific, although, to be honest, I do't think I have ever eaten one."  This book also has a bunch of recipes which makes it a total treasure.

100 Recipes: the Absolute Best Ways to Make the True Essentials / America's Test Kitchen, 353 pp.

Since bringing home  Cook It in Cast Iron I have become a fan of America's Test Kitchen.  This volume contains very detailed explanations for mostly simple mainstays, although there is a decent sampling of international dishes as well.  I had great success with Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Peach Sauce.  Yes, it would be hard to make slow-roasted pig and peaches taste bad in any case, but the sauce contained some surprising seasonings that added great contrast.  And mashed sweet potatoes were presented in a way I'd never seen which worked perfectly.  An Indian-spiced rice pilaf with dates was also good, and very easy.  This would make a nice housewarming / college grad / wedding shower gift.