Last spring, I spent the better part of four days tucked into a tiny cabin near Neumann University, working on my natural sweeteners book. I took a cooler full of food, a pile of cookbooks to use as reference when my own inspiration failed me, and a few things to read simply for fun.
Included in my pleasure reading was a PDF of Alana Chernila’s book The Homemade Kitchen, provided by her editor in the hopes that I might write a sentence or two of praise. After my first day of writing was over, I warmed some soup for dinner and settled down to read.
My original intention had been to read just a bit that night and then go to bed early. Instead, I sat at that little, formica-topped table and hungrily took in every word. Friends, I devoured this book.
Now, I had a feeling I would like The Homemade Kitchen before I even opened up the document. I am a fan of Alana’s writing and always feel a moment of anticipatory pleasure when I discover she’s posted something new on her blog. What’s more, since we met four or five years ago, Alana has become a dear friend. We don’t get to see each other too often, but whenever I find myself passing through Western Massachusetts, I point my car in her direction.
The reason I tumbled head first into these pages is that they bring together everything I want from a cookbook. It’s got appealing food, smart and sensible kitchen advice, wonderful writing, a glimpse into the author’s life, a pretty design, and glorious pictures.
When the physical book landed in my mailing box late last week, I was reminded of my time with that PDF all those months ago. While I haven’t cooked anything from it yet, I’ve broken the spine in half a dozen places and have littered the pages with post-it notes.
Just a few of the recipes I’ve marked include Broccoli Raab with Cheddar Polenta (page 61), Roasted Salmon with Yummy Sauce (page 163), and the Congee with Chicken and Greens (page 202). I’m hungry just listing them out.
Disclosure: The nice folks at Clarkson Potter sent me a copy of this book for review and photography purposes. No additional compensation was provided.
I like to make a tagine: either vegetarian or with chicken.
favorite potluck dish = deb madison’s braised lentils. always a hit and great to transport (plus it gets better with age). a close second would be a fresh loaf of bread, but I don’t know if most people count that as a dish…
I am always asked to bring my peanut butter cup brownies. I bake my homemade brownies in mini muffin tins, then when they’re done baking I pull them from the oven and stick a mini Reese peanut butter cup in the centre of the brownie. When they’re cool I put a thin layer a chocolate icing on. So simple but delicious!
I try to take something easy to transport that doesn’t need to be heated. Usually something like deviled eggs or cupcakes.
Chicken and dumplings with LOTS of gravy !
I like to bring my homemade guacamole (a variation on Alton Brown’s recipe) and a jar of salsa with chips. It works great over the holidays with the red and green colors.
I’ve been really looking forward to this book! I usually bring some kind of “serious salad,” that is, a filling salad which includes greens, lentils or a grain (farro or quinoa usually), and lots and lots of veggies.
My buffalo chicken dip is a huge hit for potlucks but I also love fancy deviled eggs or a crockpot of huevos rancheros.
I bring my homemade lasagna. It’s a labor of love to make it, so I make a huge batch and always have some in the freezer.
I love to bring devilled eggs to a potluck. They always disappear quickly!
Homemade hummus with pita chips or veggies for dipping. For years I’ve used the recipe from Martha Rose Shulman’s Mediterranean Light, and it never fails.
I am not sure what to call it. I think it is too thick and chunky to be called a salsa, but that is the closest
description I can think of.
Me, I love a savory dish over a sweet any day of the week. My favorite is a classic hash brown casserole with lots of cheese and ooey gooey goodness! Not sure if I am making for me or my friends, but we all seem to enjoy it!
My fave potluck dish to bring is dessert usually in the form of cookies or cupcakes. They’re my fave to bake!
Grilled bruschetta – amazing! It’s work, but well worth it and always the first thing eaten up entirely at every event.
I like to bring some kind of quick bread…banana, zucchini or something more festive and seasonal.
I frequently bring a radish-celery-olive salad dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and fresh chives. It travels really well and I love the crunch.
I often bring a pre-mixed cocktail in a pitcher, or spiced roasted nuts, like Alton Brown’s ginger almonds. Although if I know nobody else is bringing deviled eggs, I’ll definitely bring those. There are never leftover deviled eggs and they’re so easy.
I try to bring something seasonal, using what’s available from my garden. In spring and summer, I bring salads; in fall, an apple crisp; and in winter, cheese and crackers with hot pepper jelly I canned in fall.
My mom used to make Taco Salad, which was always really popular and is one of my favorite salads.
I find potlucks often are a bit lacking in the veggie department, so I try to bring some sort of veggie-heavy salad. This book looks great!!
I don’t have a favorite, but whatever strikes me at the moment for a particular party. There’s always too many good selections to choose from to make, why stick with just one?!
I always volunteer to bring dessert. Pie in the summer and fall (whatever fruit is in season), cake or cookies in the winter and spring.
I like to bring a quinoa salad
That book looks wonderful! For potlucks I nearly always make the most delicious, creamy mac and cheese.
For potlucks I always go to comfort foods. In the fall it’s a big dish of Mac’n Cheese or a plate of cupcakes.
A grain salad – super portable, usually don’t need to be kept on ice, and people are usually really happy to see a salad at a potluck! In the summer, one I really like is pearled couscous, blueberries, corn, good feta, nectarines or peaches, and basil with a lemon vinaigrette.
Taquitos with salsa for dipping!
Our church does a potluck lunch every Sunday and I usually bring rice in the rice cooker so that the soups, etc. can be put on top. Also because the picky little ones generally like rice and there are crazy many gluten-free folks.
Lately it’s been crackers and a cream cheese-chutney dip. Good way for me to use up the surplus of chutney I always seem to put up.
Deviled eggs are always a big hit here in the South. I also think pasta salads (non-Mayo based) are a great side dish for potlucks.
I normally bring an amped up queso…
definitely depends on the season but likely something east like enchilada pie 🙂
I’m a farmer, and we raise pastured pork. I find it’s easy to throw a pork roast in the crock pot, and it’s always very well received!!
For a main, I often bring “Uptown Cowboy Caviar” which is tasty, has protein (in case there aren’t veg mains) and is good as leftovers. For desserts, it depends a lot on the season. In the summer, it’s always my mom’s rhubarb coffee cake recipe (also her go-to for potlucks). I have favorite recipes for various themes/holidays, and if I don’t, I like to challenge myself to find a yummy themed dessert.
My top potluck dish is something I’ve been working on for years . . . a Texas-style red chili with chocolate. It takes a good amount of time (cook, mix, simmer, cool, warm . . . eight hours at a time!), but there’s nothing like seeing an empty pot on the table ten minutes after you put it out.
Thanks for the giveaway, Marisa!
I like to make a lime quinoa black bean salad. Yum!
Some kind of homemade bread!
I often bring two items, a green salad with craisins, blue cheese, toasted pecans and homemade balsamic-mustard-maple syrup vinegrette and a dessert. The dessert would be seasonal and fruit based like cranberry pear crisp.
Deviled eggs = no leftovers to take home! I do love seeing chicken spaghetti at potlucks, since it’s not really a 2-person dish.
If it’s summer. I like to bring ranch beans (beans, gr. beef, salsa) during the holidays I will bring broccoli salad with Craisins. Alana’s book looks wonderful!
Quiche is always a winner!
We go to a lot of potlucks and pickles or chips and salsa are always easy and available. But more often than not I’ll make a crumble from fruit in the freezer (usually concord grapes but this year it’s raspberries) or a chile relleno casserole if I have roasted poblanos in the freezer.
My favorite dish to bring to potlucks is seven layer dip. It’s tasty, goes fast, is super easy to make, and is a general crowd pleaser. My favorite to eat is any version of meatballs (or sausage) in sauce. Something about how those simmer in the sauce and make this tasty caramelized yumminess that sticks to your plate is just the best.
Lately I’ve been making cupcakes in 8oz mason jars, filling 3/4 full, waiting to cool, the put icing on top and then screw the lid on, easy to transport.
I usually bring a dessert using my own sour cherry filling recipe. It could be hand pies, slab pie for a big crowd or a traditional pie.
mac and cheese
This time of year I love bringing a large apple or pear crisp as an easy potluck dessert. If I’m asked to bring a savory dish I’ll go with some butternut squash soup (which is easy to keep warm in a crock-pot) and some toppers (homemade croutons or crispy bacon crumbles) .
Oh my, this book needs to jump into my greedy little hands! My favorite potluck dish is an heirloom recipe of sorts from my mom’s family. It was given to my grandmother back in the 50s by the family cleaning lady, Fanny, who was a local Amish woman. My grandmother made it for decades, my mom has as well, and about 15 years ago, my grandmother gave it to me. I have made it for many potlucks, and it has even been given as a birthday gift, the recipient of which proceeded to eat the whole pan of it in bed with a giant wooden spoon! It is called Crow’s Nest Pudding, and is a softer cobbler of sorts. It’s best made with fresh black raspberries, or sour cherries (you can used tinned in water, not syrup), but really any delicious fruit will do that lends itself to mounds of cinnamon-flecked, soft buttery batter. It even contains directions to use “butter, the size of a walnut shell.”
Thanks for the giveaway(s) and so glad to hear Alana’s new book is so wonderful! 🙂
I love to take a seven layer dip. It’s easy and can usually be made ahead.