Potato and Wild Mushroom Gratin

News and Fun Facts Are you in the market for a new cookbook or just want to give a boost to a small culinary based business?   Omnivore Books in San Francisco has closed its doors while we shelter in place but they are selling books online. This is a wonderful cookbook store so please visit it when they reopen but for now you can buy books from them here.

I didn’t get any responses from my grocery delivery poll so I’m going to assume everyone is braving the brick and mortar grocery stores. This week, what’s your favorite cookbook? If no responses arrive in my Inbox, I’ll tell you mine. Well, I’m apt to do that anyway even if you vote! Vote for your favorite cookbook here.

Top Tip Delicious Science praises the wonders of vitamin D.   Many of you may be getting vitamin D through your milk since you’re not allowed much to go out and about to enjoy the sunshine. Another great source of vitamin D are mushrooms. To bump up their vitamin D quotient, law them outside gill side up to absorb more.   Dry them out and finely grind them to have vitamin D at the ready for a year. If you have a picky eater in your household, take that mushroom powder and add it to hamburger meat, pizza sauce and pasta sauce.

What I’m Reading “The Art of Simple Food” by Alice Waters was given to me by a sister who knows I’m a fan of Alice, a founder of the food revolution in California. I do adore everything she’s done to change the way we eat, grow food and cook. This book, would be perfect for a college student in their first apartment or for anyone beginning their culinary journey. It’s not for me but it could be the perfect gift for someone in your life who suddenly finds it necessary due to the shelter in place order to take up cooking. She details what to store in your pantry. Many pages list the tools one needs in their kitchen.  For instance, she describes the necessary knife set to be a chef’s knife, a serrated knife and a paring knife. I give her the thumbs up for this as there is no need to have a huge set of knives. Next she explains how to create a menu and gives samples. Lastly, there are recipes for many basic dishes such as pesto. It’s one of the top 10 Must Have Cookbooks, says Fox News.

What I’m Watching In Delicious Science, Dr. Michael Mosley and botanist James Wong celebrate the physics, chemistry, and biology hidden inside every bite of your next meal. Learn how the hidden chemistry of food keeps our bodies fit and healthy; take a global culinary adventure to reveal the science that makes our food taste delicious; and discover how the chemistry in our food affects our brains and creates our deepest cravings. By donating as little as $5 per month to KQUED you have access to this show and much of the PBS content.

What I’m Cooking Easter dinner was slightly (actually majorly) different than most years. We did a Zoom family call and enjoyed a rack of lamb and potato gratin. I’ve taught a fairly high calorie gratin in class but thought I’d try out this potato and wild mushroom gratin full of vegetables which a sister and fabulous cook gifted to me. Since it cooks for 2 hours (yes you read that right) it’s good for a dinner party or just when you want to be tempted by the smells of the kitchen while you shelter in place.