Cooking by the Book

As a chef who cooks pretty much every day, I am in constant need of inspiration. I do about four specials a night and although some are repeated favorites, it is a constant challenge to create fresh and interesting dishes. I do hop up on the computer often, doing an advance search on www.epicurious.com, but a couple of times a week I do it the old fashioned way...I thumb through a few cookbooks.

Cookbooks are irreplacable, in my opinion. From the pictures to the index, a book can provide so much more than a computer screen is able to. This past week was very busy with the President's Day holiday. I needed to make specials that were both familiar (for families with teenagers) and creative. I have about ten cookbooks on the shelf in the kitchen; There are about one hundred up here in my office. Those ten books are my go to regional cookbooks. Last week my mentors were Julia Child and Madhur Jaffrey.

I find that it is very important to stick with ingredients that are classic to the region. Much like the Indian-style Ice Dance last night of Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White, I want to be true to the original. A cookbook is essential for this. In Indian Cooking, Madhur Jaffrey is so down to earth in her explanation of Indian food that I feel comfortable attempting a dish like Lamb in Creamy Almond Sauce and pairing it with Lentils with Mushrooms and Ginger.

Julia Child is my favorite of all television chefs. She invented the role, and with such confidence! Her cookbook, The French Chef Cookbook, based on her television series, is perfect for those classic French dishes that you just don't see much anymore with our country's "new American" cuisine. In the past few weeks I have made Beef Bourguignon, Blanquette du Veau, and Chocolate Mousse. I had a blast! Sure, I am not really used to looking at a recipe and following it to the letter, but if any cookbook can reward meticulous execution with fabulous results, it's Julia's book. Her recipes are concise, simple to understand, and thorough.

Do you have a cut of meat in your refrigerator that you need to cook tonight? Have a little fun with it. Leave your mystery novel at home today and take a cookbook on the commute with you. By the time you get home from work you will be so full of power and inspiration that you will want to video tape yourself cooking!