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The Gourmet Cookbook: More than 1000 recipes, Over 60 Years in the Making

Edited by Ruth Reichl

A review by Marty Martindale

In this reviewer’s opinion, this book is a five-star source for this time’s foods – a feast and a joy. How can you lose? It’s recipes used over the years by one of our most prestigious food publications, “60 Years of ‘Gourmet’” magazine. Ruth Reichl and her staff poured over 50,000 recipes as they strove to make selections. The tome is 1152 pages with 1283 recipes and no pictures to take up space. Everyone of them is interesting. If you are going the cookbook route with a wedding gift, this book will last for them.

Referring to the content of the book, Reichl states, “Without them, the magazine – and the book –would not exist,” Best of all these have been professionally tested and perfected. The collection is very worldly, very “today.”

The recipes singled out below are by no means the best, they are merely randomly chosen and very interesting:

Charred Tomatillo Guacamole –
Round up red onion, Serrano chiles, cilantro and avocados

Baked Cheddar Olives –
A little flour, cayenne and butter make these happen.

Shrimp Dumplings with Dipping Sauce –
Gather up water chestnuts, egg white, scallions, fresh ginger, soy sauce, wonton wrappers, sugar and a little vegetable oil.

Chilled Buttermilk Soup with Beets, Cucumber, Radishes and Dill –
Work in sour cream and serve cold.

Broccoli, Red Pepper and Cheddar Chowder –
Calls for potato, butter, onion, garlic, cumin, dry mustard, flour and cream.

Baked Four-Cheese Farfalle –
Work with butter, flour, milk, tomatoes, mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Fontina, pecorino Romany and flat-leaf parsley 

Risotto with Peas and Prosciuto –
Combine stock, butter, onion, Arborio rice, white wine, lemon zest, grated Parmigiano Reggiano and parsley.

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic –
Just assemble seasoning, parsley, rosemary, theyme, sage and by leaf.

Flank Steak with Chimichurri –
For the steak: kosher salt, cumin and coriander. For the sauce: garlic, cilantro, parsley, white vinegar, olive oil and cayenne.

Bok Choy with Soy Sauce and Butter (regular or baby size) –
Make this with water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, vegetable oil and butter. 

Baked Belgian Endive with Pecorino and Walnuts –
Just combine these with olive oil and seasoning. 

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots –
Use Yukon Gold potatoes with butter and seasoning.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach with Toasted Almond Dressing –
This calls for olive oil, seasoning and lemon juice

Cranberry Ketchup --
Use onion, water, orange zest, brown sugar, granulated sugar and Chinese Five-Spice Powder.

Quick Dilled Cucumber Pickles –
Round up kosher salt, cider vinegar, sugar, dry mustard and bottled horseradish

Cinnamon Chocolate Cigarettes –
Use egg whites, confectioner’s sugar, flour and butter. Wrap around a pencil.

Sesame Honey Lace Cookies –
Call for confectioner’s sugar, butter, water and flour.

Dark Chocolate Shortbread –
Assemble superfine sugar, vanilla extract and flour

Vinegar Pie –
Simply eggs, sugar flour and cinnamon

Berry Tart with Mascarpone Cream –
Have heavy cream, sugar, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, orange marmalade and dark berry liqueur or crème de cassis ready

Baked Figs with Grand Marnier and Whipped Cream –
Assemble sugar, water and heavy cream

Banana Fritters –
Just sugar, water, cornflakes light rum and lime juice

Cream Cheese Ice Cream –
Besides an ice cream maker, use whole milk, lemon juice, sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract

Reviewed, Marty Martindale, owner of FOOD SITE OF THE DAY.

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