Cat Cora: Cooking From the Hip

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Cat Cora has a simple, but important message for readers of her new book: If I pass along only one thought – let your family and friends help you make dinner – this book wil be a success for me. (p. xii) The recipes in her new book, Cooking from the Hip (Houghton Mifflin 2007) are all about saving time, being flexible, and using your imagination. The chapter headings are catchy – Fast, Easy, Fun, and Phenomenal – and each has appetizers, salads and soups, main dishes, side dishes and desserts. She writes that she was inspired by the skills she developed to compete as the fourth Food Network Iron Chef: Cooking on Iron Chef America honed my own ability to cook from the hip. Improvising in the kitchen is partly a question of skills, but it's largely a matter of attitude. (p. xii ) Some of the recipes come out of her Iron Chef experience like the summer soup Charred Eggplant-Tomato Soup with Cilantro (p. 66) They are meant to match the mood of the cook. Cat seems to be saying: open your cupboards, reach for your knife, follow me, and dive in. Cat's best recipes are ones in which the head notes mention her son Zoran. He seems to have very good taste and it makes the head notes ring true. In the first chapter, Fast, Cat writes that Zoran likes Medjool Dates with Goat Cheese and Toasted Almonds (p. 7) and the fun Zoran Roll (p. 131) a kind of inside out sushi Greek-style stuffed with avocado, feta and olives. That's in the Fun chapter, and she continues with the sushi theme with recipes for Tropical Fruit and Jerk Chicken Sushi (p. 135) and Prosciutto, Pear, and Blue Cheese Sushi (p. 137) perfect for a do-it-yourself sushi party. Skip the take-out pizza for the kid's birthday party and let the kids get Japanese-Cat Cora style. Cat is Greek-American, and Greek ingredients and recipes appear throughout the book. She has a light touch, so if you like vegetarian and lighter meat dishes there are plenty in all the chapters. In the Fast chapter there is Pork Skewers with Avocado Tzatziki (pp. 27-28), that garlicky yogurt dip to which Cat adds avocado for color and richness. She suggests using the sauce for any kind of grilled meat. In the Easy chapter, there is Chickpea and Roasted Pepper Soup (p. 63) that uses bottled roasted peppers to speed things up – very Nancy Silverton. There is also a terrific dessert, the classic Rizogalo, Greek creamy rice pudding (p. 95) which can use up left-over Chinese take-out rice. In the last chapter, called Phenomenal, Cat adds luxurious ingredients like crab, duck or beef tenderloin to slightly more complex recipes. There are also a few recipes for cocktails to put out while you cook. These are party or special occasion recipes, but few are out of reach even on a weekday night given a little extra time. There is an inventive appetizer, Olive Panna Cotta with Tomato "Raisins"(p. 179) which are oven roasted cherry tomatoes. The best Spring dishes are Baby Greens with Prosciutto-Wrapped Apricots and Sheep's Cheese (p. 154) and Salmon Fillets with Fava Bean Sauce (p. 197), which together would make for a delectable May dinner. To promote the book, Cat has appeared on ABC God Morning America, the Food Network's online store, and even home-state Mississippi's Delta Magazine. True to the little Food Network sticker on the front cover, there are celebrity photos of Cat that must have been taken all on the same day in the studio. Luckily, there are also good food shots, though very few about cooking – no problem though, since the book emphasizes easy technique. This is a good book for a family gift or to get kids and adults cooking together or to take along to use at a vacation house for some inspiration. Cat brings fun Californian and Greek sensibilities to bright, light food. Follow Cat's advice and bring your family and friends into the kitchen and have fun cooking. Book details: Publisher Amazon.com Related news and reviews: Sacramento Bee Orlando Sentinel Los Angeles Times Memphis Flyer Time Out Chicago Microsoft Press Pass Miami Herald Previous articles: Cat Cora FHM: MiniMart Chef? Cat Cora Joins Bon Appetit St. Patrick's: Cat Takes Hat Cat Cora Talks Money to Forbes Cat Cora: Chefs for Humanity Results: White House Woman Chef Cat Cora, Anita Lo: Sexing Up Iron Chef America Profile: Cat Cora for White House Chef Cat Cora Wins on Iron Chef America Cat Cora: Iron Chef America's First Lady World AIDS Day II: Iron Chef Cat Cora [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Cat Cora --> back to Super Chef