Cookbook offers country cooking for classic American recipes
Perhaps you’re not wowed by restaurant cuisine. You’ve banished fussy recipes with long lists of unfamiliar ingredients.
Consider Cook’s Country, the sister publication to Cook’s Illustrated. Magazine editors have released the first cookbook based on recipes from the magazine, which is full of country cooking and classic American recipes. The book includes more than 500 recipes, including two we tried at home recently.
The first is a scrumptious sheet cake that might make you consider just picking up a fork and digging in.
The second is a delicious salad that will help use all those garden tomatoes. It also will work to perk up ho-hum grocery store tomatoes later this year.
Texas Sheet Cake
Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. From “The Cook’s Country Cookbook.”
For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
For the chocolate icing:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 18- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Whisk eggs and yolks, vanilla and sour cream in another bowl until smooth.
Heat chocolate, butter, oil, water and cocoa in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk chocolate mixture into flour mixture until incorporated. Whisk egg mixture into batter, then pour into prepared baking pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack.
For the icing: About 5 minutes before cake is done, heat butter, cream, cocoa and corn syrup in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Off heat, whisk in confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Spread warm icing evenly over hot cake and sprinkle with pecans. Let cake cool to room temperature on wire rack, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until icing is set, about 1 hour longer. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Cut into 3-inch squares. Serve.
Yield: 24 servings
Approximate nutrition per serving: 319 calories, 20 grams fat (8 grams saturated, 56 percent fat calories), 3 grams protein, 33 grams carbohydrate, 59 milligrams cholesterol, 1.5 grams dietary fiber, 88 milligrams sodium.
Marinated Tomato Salad with Arugula and Goat Cheese
From “The Cook’s Country Cookbook.” Here’s a tip from Cook’s Country editors: To make the task of crumbling the goat cheese less messy, first let the cheese firm up in the freezer for 15 minutes.
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups baby arugula
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
Toss tomatoes and salt in large bowl, then transfer to baking sheet lined with paper towels; let drain 15 minutes.
Return drained tomatoes to large bowl and toss with arugula, oil, vinegar, garlic, basil and pepper. Let marinate 15 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over salad. Serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Approximate nutrition per serving: 145 calories, 11 grams fat (3 grams saturated, 64 percent fat calories)5 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrate, 7 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams dietary fiber, 366 milligrams sodium.