Okay, so, after too many vacations May – June and eating out nonstop, I, Molly, am loving cooking at home again.Last weekend we made Love and Lemon’s homemade pasta and Marcella Hazan’s bolognese and it was absolutely delicious. To make the pasta, I used this Pasta Maker and Drying Rack. Honestly, you cannot beat these two items for the price. I have a KitchenAid and considered getting that attachment, but I wanted to be sure that I even enjoyed making homemade pasta before committing to that purchase. Honestly, I do not know that I need the Kitchen Aid attachment after all, but have linked it here just in case you may be interested. Our meal turned out incredible, was fun to make and we paired the pasta dish with Las Jaras Glou Glou and it made for a wonderful Sunday evening.In addition to just looking up recipes for what I am craving in the moment, I have been using three wine related cook books for inspiration and fun recipes for the weekends. I love cookbooks that include wine pairings; it’s as if I am enjoying the meal exactly as the chef and author intended. So right now, my top three are as follows (in no particular order):
- Wine Style: Discover the Wines You Will Love Through 50 Simple Recipes by Kate Leahy
- Carina actually bought me this book for one of my wedding showers and I am loving it. Kate’s book is informative and organized by wine style, from sparkling and crisp whites to dessert wines, with a few outliers (orange wine) in between. I like this organization because a lot of times I have a specific bottle in mind for dinner and now I can find the perfect recipe for that bottle using this book.
- The Harissa Deviled Eggs, Roasted Chicken Legs with Lemon, Radishes and Capers, and Goat Cheese with Almonds and Dried Cherries look amazing!
- Fire + Wine: 75 Smoke-Infused Recipes from the Grill with Perfect Wine Pairings by Mary Cressler and Sean Martin
- This is a great book to share with your significant other, I actually got Carina and Jason this book for Christmas. Jason loves to grill and they both love wine, so it was the perfect book for both of them.
- This book has a great sweet and spicy rub that Jordan and I have used on everything from scallops to pork chops. I like it best on cast iron seared thin, fatty, bone in pork chops with brussel sprouts on the side! Yum!
- Wine Time: 70+ Recipes for Simple Bites That Pair Perfectly with Wine by Barbara Scott-Goodman and Jennifer May
- This is a great book for dips, small plates and mini bites. Nothing in the book is overly complicated and their wine pairing tips are on point.
- The wine cocktails at the back of this book look amazing; I cannot wait to try them all! In addition to what I am making from Wine Time this weekend (listed below), the Avocado-Green Goddess Dressing, Spicy Glazed Cashews, Onion & Gruyère Tart, and Pork & Ricotta Meatballs all caught my eye.
I don’t know that I could choose just one of these books, as I believe they all meet a different need. So for $20 and under, just get yourself all three! You will not be disappointed!
This weekend’s agenda includes making some lamb meatballs, tzatziki sauce, and red pepper and harissa hummus from Wine Time. I am super excited to get back in the kitchen Friday and make this meal. I will share some pictures of the finished product on Instagram this weekend!
Please share your favorites from these books in the comments below or on Instagram. We love to see you using our favorite books and recipes!
Cheers!
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