For starters, I love Carla. She is a joy to watch and is great at taking ordinary meals up a notch. Both of her cookbooks are geared toward home cooks, with easy-to-follow recipes and plenty of ingredient substitutions for those days you don’t want to run to the store again. Where Cooking Begins and That Sounds So Good have recipes for just about any occasion! I usually reach for cookbooks with elaborate recipes, but it was nice to work on some practical dishes that I will be able to reach for over and over again. I feel particularly connected to the "Day Drinking & Lazy Lunches" section in her second book.
You should buy these two books if…
You are inexperienced in the kitchen.
You love binge-watching the Bon Appetite YouTube channel.
Carla Lalli Music is your internet mother figure.
October Cookbook #2: That Sounds So Good: 100 Real-Life Recipes for Every Day of the Week by Carla Lalli Music
Despite last week’s fiasco, I was ready to give the mocha hazelnut biscotti (pg. 253) another try. Luckily, Carla graced us with a video how-to earlier this week which had the exact guideance I needed! This batch turned out perfect and delicious when dipped in a fresh cup of coffee.
I’ve never had a steak salad before, so I thought the sliced steak with arugula and parm (pg. 122) would be a great place to start. This recipe is pretty straightforward – cook the steak, make the dressing, then toss it all together.
Every time I make fritters, I remember exactly why I don’t make fritters. The messy batter, the scooping into hot oil one spoonful at a time… Who has the time?? These zucchini fritters (pg. 130) were good, but these won’t be a go-to for me. I also made the lemony yogurt dip (pg. 273) to go on the side because hot and crispy loves a cool and creamy dip.
For the record, if something is called a pink party cookies (pg. 249), I’m going to make it no questions asked. These are a pretty straightforward butter cookie sandwiched with powdered sugar frosting that is tinted pink with some maraschino cherry juice. Yum!
Thanks for reading, sweeties! 🍎