Organizing and choosing the recipes
I love planning menus. When I was twelve years old, I planned and executed an entire mystery dinner for a large group of homeschooled friends and their families. I huddled over a notebook scribbling down ideas: pigs in blankets aka "snuggly hogs," pink yogurt mousse aka "rose surprise" . . . you get the picture.
15 years later, I still love creating menus, so when I started to plan my cookbook outline and brainstorm recipes to fill it out . . . well, the image of a four-year-old boy dancing up and down the Lego aisle in a toy store comes to mind.
Reining in my inner child, my highest priority was creating an outline and finding recipes that reflected the goal of project cookbook:
To provide practical recipes for all ages and palates, including a balance of both simple and involved techniques and comfortable and new ingredients.
A word about balance and “something for everyone”:
I understand that it’s impossible to be all things for all people. Full disclosure, if you’re looking for cookbook that will guide you through the keto diet, the whole30, or any other specific diet or eating crusade, this is not the cookbook you’re looking for. BUT if you’re looking for a cookbook that will show you how to practically incorporate cooking into your life on a daily basis, inspire you with new and unique flavors, and introduce you to new techniques that will empower you to be more comfortable in the kitchen, then this is exactly where you want to be.
With this in mind, I created a rough cookbook outline with chapter titles, each with criteria for the recipes that I wanted to include in that chapter. Each chapter is designed to fit a specific moment or occasion in the life of a busy 21st century adult when food is a necessity or—because this is all about balance—a fun luxury!
Morning Rush:
Can be made ahead-of-time and stored for easy access
Have freezing instructions
Would also be great as plated breakfasts!
Lunchbox Lift
Batchable
Delicious at any temperature, so they don’t spoil if people are on the go, and a microwave is not needed
Middle of the Week Night
Quick to prepare
Have a prep-ahead component
Time to Play
Tend more toward project cookery
Multiple components and processes
Can be broken into separate steps for easy completion
Date Night
Look impressive and have that indulgent vibe without being too complicated/difficult
Potentially take a little more time
Potentially use pricier ingredients
For Your Friends
Flavorful, delicious offerings for casual gatherings
Have a unique “wow” factor
Simple to make and not too expensive
Hot Nights, Hotter Days
Rely on stove-top cooking, broiling, or other methods that are quick to execute
Incorporate summery flavors/produce
On the lighter side, to account for difference in appetite
Sweet Tooth
Unique, fun dessert recipes!
Not too complicated, technical, or involved
Push the boundaries of what Americans usually make for dessert
Balance impressiveness with simplicity
Once I had my chapters defined, I was ready to brainstorm recipes . . . and that was no problem. In the spirit of balance and variety, I pulled ideas from everywhere. Some were recipes that I remembered my grandmother or parents making when I was a child. Some were recipes that I make fairly regularly now, but that I felt should particularly fit a particular chapter’s ethos. And some were just fun ideas or recipes that I had always wanted to tackle.
Nothing was off-bounds; the only requirement was that the recipe had to fit criteria of the particular chapter.
For a full listing of what I finally came up with, see the index. To see how I progressed with all these recipes, read on!
Originally posted July 7, 2019.
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