The Produce Bible

Today as a present to myself, I went to Williams-Sonoma. I was originally looking for spice mixes that do not have sugar in them. Are you surprised to hear that the only one I found without sugar was this one? Read labels, people, read labels. Oh, OK, there was also this, which smells divine and is packaged so as to appeal people like me, but it was$18 for a little pot! And contains items I already have in my spice cabinet, minus the lavender.

OK, where was I going with this post? The place puts me in a reverie of weird food associations--I go in for spices to rub on meat, but before I get there I have to check out the fancy tea, and then the sesame oil is right next to the rubs, and then there's the infused olive oils... and then maybe I should see if there's anything for a little care package for my sister in the baking isle? Hmmm, I have to check out the cookbooks to see what they're trying to push. Oh! Cookbooks. That's what I was blogging about. This one, in particular:



Let me tell you why I like this cookbook already (I've only begun to browse it.)

1. It tells you when different vegetables are in season (key to sustainable agriculture, yada yada yada);
2. It tells you how to store each item, and for how long it will last--apparently my turnips are way done;
3. It tells you how you cook the item;
4. It has nifty little history/cool information about each produce item;
5. It has several different recipes for each item. So if you're a member of a CSA and there's lots of cabbage in your bag and you're not particularly fond of the way your parents made it for you as a kid, you would go to the book (and if you are me get distracted by the fact that brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are all in the same brassica family--who knew?) and you would find a recipe for porkchops with braised red cabbage, and suggestions that cabbage goes "admirably" with anchovies, apples, bacon, caraway seeds, chestnuts, chicken, cider vinegar, corned beef, duck, nutmeg, pancetta, pork, salmon, smoked meat, veal, and walnuts. (I've omitted the things that it suggests that are not paleo-friendly--sorry, you'll have to buy the book to find out.)

Please excuse me while I indulge in utter nerdiness and read more about celeriac and Jerusalem artichokes...